Kingdom Hearts III: Second War
by Tashasaurous
Summary: AU: Set immediately after the events of "Second Life-Secret Episode"; With Aced having taken three allies and Chaos and other villains on the loose, Sora and his allies embark on one final quest to set things right. But they soon discover that their enemies are not their only problems. The fate of the Realm of Light is in Sora's hands, but can he do this? *Second Chance Verse-3*
1. Prologue: Reappearence

**KINGDOM HEARTS III: SECOND WAR.**

 **Author's Note: Due to writer's block on the rest of my worked on stories(again) and wanting to start up ideas on which one I wanted to start, I've decided to begin my own version of KH3 which is the sequel to "Second Life" and set immediately after the events of "Second Life-Secret Episode".**

 **1: For those of you who followed this series since "Second Chance", welcome back and be ready for the final adventure. For those who are new here, to avoid spoilers and confusion, please read "Second Chance" first and then once you've finished, move onto "Second Life" and "Second Life-Secret Episode" to understand this story better.**

 **2: This is to celebrate the new trailer of the real KH3 that came out last week in LA and that we'll be getting another new one at the D23 Event in July this year on the 15th!**

 **Now it's time to begin the long awaited final adveture.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. Warning: The opening text is a spoiler to the real KH3(and I think this will be the same opening text to the actual game).**

* * *

 _ **Prologue: Reappearence.**_

" _Don't assume your dreams are just fantasy...  
If you can imagine a world, believe in it...and dive in._"~Sora.

* * *

 _ **Behold...These Lifeless Keys used to be full of power...**_

 _Once this is all over...I'll just disappear..._

 _ **United with the hearts of their masters...**_

 _Vanish, fade, gone with a trace...I dunno, but it will happen eventually..._

 _ **On this barren soil, Keyblades of Light and Darkness were locked in combat...**_

 _The Keyblades are not used to protect Kingdom Hearts._

 _ **As a great Keyblade War raged...**_

 _They say that the Light of this world will last forever, and make everyone_

 _happy. But if the light were to fade...darkness will cover the world._

 _ **Countless Keyblade Wielders gave up their lives...**_

 _C'mon, do you seriously think the world can be saved by just seven people?_

 _ **All in search for one, Ultimate Key...**_

 _Well...good luck with that._

 _ **And it will soon belong to me...**_

 _The Gazing Eye in the Keyblade-My eye, to be exact._

 _ **Only now had I truly won.**_

 _Pass down my Keyblade to your successor, and then tell that successor_

 _to pass down onto their successor so I can continue to see the future with my eye._

 _ **All worlds begin in Darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different.**_

 _No Book of_ _Prophecies_ _for you._

 _ **Darknes sprouts within it. It grows, consumes it, such as it's nature.**_

 _Do not open the Box. This is between you and me..._

 _ **In end, every heart returns to darkness whence it came.**_

 _May your Heart be Your Guiding Key; I say that all the time..._

 _You'll see..._

* * *

 _During the Events of Second Life(one day before the events of Secret Episode)..._

The moment the newer generations of the Keyblade had left the now empty room of the white throne room of the Castle that Never Was within the Realm of Sleep, little did they know, despite the great powerful Keyblade having been destroyed by the evil Keyblade Master who had at last fallen and failed to gain his goal to restart they Keyblade War, a single blue eye re-generated itself onto the cold floor. Despite it being bodiless, the eye remained the same; blue with a black cat-slid pupil, gazing at the ceiling, but deep within the eye, it had seen everything that's happened.

The dangers that had all began 12 years previously in the Realm of Light; the dark Keyblade's fallen master possessing the body of a youthed Keyblade wielder who had fallen into Darkness; a young woman sacrificing herself and unwittingly doomed the Realm of Light.

A decade later, three teenagers split up and joined by many others to stop the darkness from spreading, one of them being a mis-chosen wielder who eventually became the new true wielder when the other had gone too far into the wrong path. A year later, the fight continued one, and despite the reunion, the fight was far from over.

Just recently in the new year, the recent events that lead to the re-generated wielder only for him and many of his incarnations to either return to whence they came or fade away as well. The same fate was met by those who followed him. However, this ultimately lead to the awakening of the evil deity, the God of Discord; Chaos. So there was the eye now, just staring at the ceiling in the Realm of Sleep.

Until something unexpected happened.

Just a few feet away from the eye, darkness and light began to materialize, taking shape of a black coated man with his hood covering his face. He was tall, for starters, and unlike most coats that were worn, the zipper was heart-shaped. The man in question glanced around at his surroundings, before stretching his arms high up, stretching his upper body to the side, and then stretched out his back until it gave a sastifying loud crack before he sighed, relieved to have those tensed muscles back into shape.

"Geez, has it really been a little over 100 years since I set foot on land or whatever?" The man asked himself, as though this was a usual casual day. He then placed his hands on his hips as he glanced around once more, admitting to himself, "Gotta say, this is more white and boring than I expected through my eye."

He then glanced down to the floor to see the single eye, left alone. Slumping low in disappointment, he then approached the eye before holding out his right hand. The moment he did, it surged with dark electricity, which was mimicked by the eye which then rose up to his hand's level. It then glowed in light and darkness and from it, it took shape into that of a Keyblade before the man grasped it by the hilt. The eye itself was back into it's original position at the tip blade of the gothic weapon.

"I gotta hand it to those kids..." The man began, as he gazed at the Keyblade that now belonged to him once more. "They were on the right track. This'll be interesting."

Beneath his hood, a smirk curled up his lips.

The dark Keyblade has been re-created and has since returned to it's first and original Master. It was time for the final challenge.

 _ **TASHASAUROUS Presents...**_

 _ **The Awaited Sequel and Conclusion of the Second Chance Franchise...**_

 _ **KINGDOM HEARTS III: SECOND WAR.**_

* * *

 **A/N: I guess I made major spoilers for those who didn't watch Back Cover, but I thought I'd make things interesting that isn't just about the battle of Gods or non-Kingdom Hearts characters with darkness. If you get my drift.**

 **See you in the next chapter and hoped that you liked this Prologue so far.**


	2. CH1: Dream and New Beginning

**Author's Note: Sorry that it's slightly late, but I was having trouble earlier. In anycase, let's continue.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. Warning: The opening text is a spoiler to the real KH3(and I think this will be the same opening text to the actual game).**

* * *

 _ **CH1: Dream and New Beginning.**_

 _(Opening)_

 _Sora is seen sleeping on the Beach of Destiny Islands when the ground suddenly disappears and he is in his Heart's Awakening, fighting the Darkside Heartless for the first time._

 _()()()()()()()()()_

 _Sora then finds himself confronting Riku who is covered in Darkness and then the two are shared with the Kingdom Key Keyblade. Kairi's body disappears and her heart enters Sora's body. The trio are then seen at Hollow Castion confronting Xehanort's Heartless with Donald and Goofy, before they and King Mickey close the door to Kingdom Hearts...where Aqua had just sacrificed herself to save Riku from the Heartless Tide._

 _()()()()()()()()()_

 _Aqua is seen fighting the Heartless before finding herself on the shores of the Realm of Darkness, while having flash-backs of Terra and Ventus who are taken away from her by Xehanort and Vanitas. She joins Mickey to fight them and free her friends but is forced to sacrifice herself to protect them from Xehanort's Organization XIII._

 _()()()()()()()()()_

 _Before Sora returns to human form after sacrificing himself, Roxas is born and is discovered by Xemnas, before becoming best friends with Axel, and then Xion as the three of them sit at the Clocktower in Twilight Town, before most of Organization XIII and then DiZ forces them to seperate, Axel being forced to fight Roxas who had Xion fade in his arms, shedding tears._

 _()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Sora, Donald, Goofy, fight Marluxia at Castle Oblivion and rescue Namine who, having messed with their memories, puts them into pods to help them return them to normal, and speaks to Riku who, with King Mickey, fight the left over darkness of Xehanort's Heartless._

 _()()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Axel takes Kairi who is forcefully taken by Saix and the two Nobodies think back of their time as teenaged humans, Lea and Isa, in Radiant Garden before darkness sweeps them and takes their hearts before the two are then forced to fight at the World that Never Was._

 _()()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Sora and Riku fight Xemnas with Kairi, King Mickey, Donald and Goofy assisting along with Axel who, by the light of Kingdom Hearts and Roxas' wish, gains his heart and returns as Lea. Together they defeat Xemnas, and thanks to the light of Sora and Kairi's hearts, everyone returns to Destiny Islands where Roxas, Xion and Namine wait as humans._

 _()()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Then the group are attacked by Master Xehanort and his new Organization XIII along with most of the Disney Villians, Hojo, the Sephiroth Remanents and Deepground._

 _()()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Roxas and Lea quickly save the newly revived Isa who joins them, Xion and Namine, as Sora and Riku take on their Mark of Mastery before they, along with their allies and friends, including Cloud Strife and Vincent Valentine, take on the villians with Xion having saved Aqua who helps the possessed Terra remember her as he protects her from Xehanort, the group aided by the arrival of Kairi and Namine._

 _()()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Sora and Riku successfully defeat Master Xehanort for good and his Organization XIII vanish while Terra returns to normal, and soon with Sora's newly awakened powers, brings back Ventus who falls from the sky as the heroes fall and form a circle while holding hands as they descend, having Ven and their old and new allies join them._

 _()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Suddenly, the shilloutes of Chaos, Bhunivelze, Caius Ballad, and a mysterious man in a Black Coat holding Xehanort's Keyblade, along with Aced, Shalua and Shelke appear before them, glaring down at Sora and his allies and friends, before Skuld and Empher appear, but not before the latter vanishes despite Skuld's attempt to reach out to him and a ghostly image of Ven who fades like a memory._

 _()()()()()()()()()()_

 _Sora then finds himself seperated from everyone and reappears in Daybreak Town at Night, where the Heart-Shaped Moon of Kingdom Hearts shines brightly in the sky and he gazes at it, also seeing five other Foretellers there; Luxu, Ira, Ava, Gula and Invi._

 _(End Opening)_

* * *

(Sora's Dream)

One moment Sora had gone to sleep after having successfully becoming a new Keyblade Master along side Riku, and then the next moment, he found himself in a rather unusual looking place. All around him where swirls of light and stars, surrounding the rock platform that was slightly crumbled and large chunks of pieces of rock. As Sora looked a bit more closely, he blinked in shock as these stars...they were actually hearts.

The sixteen year old then gazed ahead and saw...a large familiar door at the end of the path, which made him remember of the first time Sora and his friends closed up the door to darkness after the defeat of Xehanort's Heartless. The door ahead of them...was slightly open. Taking this as a bad sign, Sora was about to head towards it when a voice behind him made him stop in his tracks.

"Wait. Do not go near that door." An unfamiliar voice spoke.

The moment Sora whirled around to see who it was that spoke to him, he was met with...a man in a long white robe, wearing a mask that resembled a Unicorn.

"Who're you?" Sora asked, supiciously.

"That's not important right now." The Unicorn-Masked man said, walking past Sora before stopping just in front of him, his back turned to the sixteen year old boy. "You're not fully ready for what is at the other side of that door. It is...far too powerful."

"But, it's slightly open." Sora pointed out, "Shouldn't we be worried, in case the darkness comes out of it?"

The man stood there, silent for a moment before speaking once more, "It's not darkness that's on the other side. It's...something far more dangerous and forbidden. However, only the one strong of heart can enter it and close it. Sadly, young man, you don't have that kind of power or strength."

"Then...how can that door be closed, then?" Sora asked, worriedly.

But when he turned to gaze at the man again, Sora did a double-take as the man suddenly disappeared, and soon the entire area was fading all around him as well, and soon his vision began to go all blurry and darkness claimed him as his world went black...

* * *

 _ **Back in Reality...almost two days after the events of "Second Life; Secret Episode"...**_

"Sora? Sora!"

Sora blinked suddenly as he came out of the reminisice of a dream he didn't remember of until now. Hearing Kairi having called out to him, Sora turned to see that she, along with the rest of their companions-Riku, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Myde, Skuld and their recent newest companion, Captain Jack Sparrow, gaze at him with concerned and/or puzzled expressions.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

Realising that, given the Gate he'd just opened with his Keyblade to reach Olympus Coliseum, Sora must've zoned out again, this time of the dream that was very unusual before their departure from the now gone Mysterious Tower. "Oh! It-It's nothing. Don't know how that happened." Sora replied, sheepishly.

"Do you usually zone out like that before we enter another world or something?" Lea asked, hsi brow furrowing in concern and slight suspicion. "That's kinda what Roxas did when he first joined Organization XIII."

"Not really." Sora shrugged. "But I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Roxas nodded in agreement with his former original, stating while smirking at Myde, "Yeah, when Myde used to be Demyx, he would usually fall asleep at Xemnas's speeches whenever the Organization had a meeting."

"Can you blame me?" Myde shrugged, while his face was going a bit pink of embarrassment. "Xemnas' speech were always so boring that it would've made Xaldin and Luxord fall asleep."

"You're tellin' me." Lea snorted with a smirk. "That guy would always drone about 'Kingdom Hearts' this, 'Kingdom Hearts' that. He usually just repeats the same ol' speeches all over again in pretty much all of the meetings."

"It was enough to even drive me crazy." Isa nodded in agreement, definitely not missing anything about being Saix or Organization XIII.

"Sounds like Barbossa and his over-run speeches that never goes right, if you ask me." Jack muttered sourly, which, unfortunately for the exiled Pirate, made him think about the Black Pearl which had been taken back into the depts of the Ocean in the Caribbean.

"I've never met Xehanort or even heard of him." Skuld spoke up after a few moments of silence, before asking, "Was he really that bad of a person?"

Ven shuddered at the memories of when he used to be Xehanort's apprentence, saying first to the girl who apparently was one of his friends from his origins he could not remember and thus had no idea at all, "Well, let's just say that Xehanort could tell a like like he's tellin' the truth. Really, he all cared about was starting up the Keyblade War to solve the mystery of what happened in the first war. He didn't care what would happen to the Worlds or anyone in them."

"In other words, take it as a yes." Terra added quickly.

"I figured that much given on what Ven just said." Skuld shook her head, before gazing at Sora and Riku, admitting with a smile, "I'm actually quite impressed that the two of you, not having been Keyblade Masters at the time, actually managed to defeat him."

"Well, we couldn't have done it without our friends. Otherwise, Sora and I would've been in Xehanort's clutches right about now." Riku said, bashfully while scratching the back of his head with a small blush.

"He came awfully close, though." Xion thought, shuddering. "If it weren't for Genesis or Cosmos, I don't think any of us would've been here right now."

"And without Sora, the Realm of Light would've ceased to exist as we know it." Aqua nodded in agreement, before muttering a little sadly, "Though it would've gone an entire different direction if Xehanort was prevented and defeated twelve years ago."

"And now we have new enemies to worry about." Skuld nodded in agreement, thinking about Chaos, Aced, and maybe even Bhunivelze.

Sora, while little troubled with having so many bad guys to worry about, managed to put on a brave face which became real when he quickly remembered the main reason why he and his friends with him are going to Olympus in the first place, "Well, that's nothing new. We've handled bad guys before; we can stop the new ones from causing any more trouble when we're prepared, right? And we're gonna save Master Yen Sid, Genesis and Angeal while we're at it!"

"And this time, we'll be ready for it!" Mickey said in agreement, while still saddened for the loss of Master Yen Sid, but he believed in Sora's confidence that the elderly Sorcerer is still alive.

"Yeah! And Hercules can give us a bit of a hint too!" Donald said in agreement.

"Yup!" Goofy said optimistically, before saying as that optisim quickly turned into slight worry, "But let's just hope that Hades doesn't cause any more trouble we we're there."

"And I hope that he doesn't send that giant three-headed dog of his while he's at it." Myde almost whimpered, shuddering as he remembered his time as Demyx when he first entered the Underworld. Not the most pleasent experiences he ever handled.

"Cerberus?" Jack suddenly asked, surprised. When that made everyone surprisingly turn to him, he glanced around at the new 'crew' before grumbling, "Oh, come, come, mates. I've spent half of me time readin' and learning as I grew up. I even took half of that time listening to old myths of certain history and of course most people know about Cerberus; the Guardian of the Underworld as they say. Savvy?"

"That makes sense." Riku admitted, "Plus, everybody back on the Islands knew about the old story of Davy Jones, and none of us expected that guy to be real."

"Or being turned into a mutant fish." Lea said, shuddering.

"Or having a giant octopus for a pet." Donald grumbled, sourly.

Suddenly, the Gummi-ship's radar blared, causing almost everyone to turn to the pilot's seat as Sora, Donald and Mickey gazed to see just how close they were to their destination. They and most of their friends smiled as a familiar world of giant gladiator statues was coming into view, along with a familiar building that looked as good as new.

"There it is! Ay-yhuck!" Goofy exclaimed happily.

"Oh boy!" Donald cheered.

"Welp, time to make landing, fellas!" Mickey declared.

"You got it!" Sora nodded to the king as he made to steer the gummi-ship which he and the others would then teleport into the world itself.

The world of Olympus Coliseum, where their new massive adventure was about to begin. This was the new beginning.

* * *

 **A/N: I know it's not much, but I do plan on making the chapters longer as I go. See you in the next chapter!**


	3. CH2: Unusual Request

**Author's Note: Sorry that it's late(again, ugh!). Wanted to post this before the new trailer of KH3 comes out tomorrow/Saturday.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. Warning: The opening text is a spoiler to the real KH3(and I think this will be the same opening text to the actual game). Oh, and I don't even own Mickey's sister Felicity who is known in the Disney Danish Comics in the mid 1930's as Mickey's older sister and the mother of his two nephews, Morty and Ferdie.**

* * *

 _ **CH2: Unusual Request.**_

 _ **{OLYMPUS COLISEUM}**_

By the time Sora and his friends landed in a gap between two buildings, it was already early afternoon and the sun was shining brightly on a rather nice sunny day. Most of them had already warned Jack Sparrow about the certain rules of the World Order; meaning that he wasn't allowed to tell anyone where he came from or that there were other worlds, though some like Hercules, Phil, and Meg already know some parts of it, but the Pirate was still to keep his mouth shut and to his dismay, not even comment on the fact that he's a Captain.

The group made their way to the streets of Thebes, which, for Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Skuld, and Roxas, and even to Isa, was rather new to them since they never ventured this part of Olympus Coliseum before, and the world itself was most definitely new to Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Whoa!" Sora gapped, gazing around the Greek buildings. Stores were almost next door to each other. The city itself was amazingly huge, and still you could see the sky. "Never been to this part of Olympus Coliseum before." He admitted.

"Not even in your previous visits?" Terra asked, finding himself rather surprised, as did Aqua and Ven. The three of them recongised this part of the world when they first came here twelve years ago, and nothing seemed to have changed much.

"Nope." Goofy shook his head, "Usually it's just the Coliseum or a few times the Underworld." shrugging.

"I would've thought you'd known the entire world of this place by now." Myde thought, surprised himself. Back in his days as Demyx, he'd usually just sneak off to these kind of areas of the Coliseum to slack off since he'd rather relax than work.

"Only because, given what Rox' told me a few months ago, you'd rather slack off here, so of course you would know this town." Lea pointed out with a skeptical look, which only made Roxas groan at the memory of the time when he and Xigbar came here on a mission and had caught Demyx when the two thought he was the imposter, and how Demyx, weirdly in Roxas' opinion, pleaded them not to say anything to Saix, and how Xigbar threatened to use his ammo on him since he was more than annoyed at mullet-haired young man's slacking off to here.

Myde squeaked a little, eyes wide in horror when Lea said this, before fearfully turning to Isa who gave him an very annoyed and exasperated look. The next thing the youngerish man knew, Isa tugged him roughly by the right ear which caused him to cry out in pain comically.

"You're lucky that I'm not your superior anymore, but that's just for good measure." Isa told him bluntly.

When Isa finally released him, Myde immediately held a hand protectively to his abused ear, tearing up a little, "I'm just lucky that I managed to survive as long as I did. Back then, you were more like my grandmother when she did that to me when I was a kid, and I didn't even to anything!"

"My mom did that to me whenever I got into trouble." Riku shuddered.

Even Mickey looked rather uncomfortable as he caressed his round ears, "So did my sister." He admitted.

"Your sister?" Riku asked, blinking in surprise. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"Well..." Mickey began, rather awkwardly. "It's kinda complicated with my family history and, well, you know, my current position as a you-know-what back at home. Short version of it, Felicity is my older sister and she lives in another town that takes about a few days to get to from Disney Town. Last I heard was that she got married, but ended up having a divorce. I used to get visits from my two nephews once and a while, but I haven't seen them in like three years."

"I thought Donald was the only uncle here." Sora thought, surprised, quickly adding, "No offence, your majesty."

"None taken." Mickey replied.

Jack rolled his eyes and pointed out, though even he was rather too uncomfortable to admit family history, "What you lot have when it comes to relatives are minor compared to me grandmother. She always did more pain to me rather then just pull me by the ear."

"My grandmother never did anything like those." Kairi shook her head, a little saddened that it's been more then a decade since she last saw her. "She used to always tell me stories when I was a little girl."

"I remember." Aqua spoke up, "I saw her when Mickey and I saved you twelve years ago, but you probably don't remember, Kairi."

"Anyway," Donald quickly said to change the subject, still fierchly loyal to King Mickey, and instead replied to Myde's earlier comment, "We were too busy training with Phil and fighting off the Heartless to worry about exploring the rest of the world!"

"I've been here too, but since I was busy running away from the Organization, I never had much time to explore this place." Xion nodded in agreement.

"I remember being with Roxas searching for you in this town." Lea recalled while placing his hands behind his head, before making an expression of slight distaste, "Though one time, we were encountered by some creepy smuggler who was selling sundials."

"I don't think I want to know about this creepy person." Skuld said thoughtfully.

"Good thing I never saw that guy." Ven nodded in agreement, "When I first came here, Phil was running away from Zack who wanted him to train him to become a hero after Phil agreed to train Herc'."

"I guess that was before I came here." Terra thought, "Long story short, and not something I'd like to remember. Then again, I saved Zack from Hades' control in my first ever games."

Aqua nodded in agreement, "And that was before I first came here, and that I heard that everyone was going crazy over you, Terra."

"Still..."

All of the sudden, there was a scream that followed a hard whack, causing Sora and his friends to turn and to their shock, surprise and confusion, a familiar styar came flying towards them after being whacked by apparently irate but gorgeus woman before he landed hard onto the ground on his front, grumbling in sheer annoyance.

"Phil!?" Sora, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Lea, Ven and Aqua exclaimed in shock, worry and slight annoyance.

"Oh, geez!" Phil grunted, pushing himself up while rubbing his butt that had a red hand-print on it, as did his right cheek. He was unaware of the familiar seven friends at the moment, and instead, gazed up at the rather dumbfounded, confused and stunned Kairi, Skuld, Terra, and especially Jack, while Mickey shook his head and Riku tried not to laugh. Myde just shared a look with Isa.

When Phil saw the expression from Jack, he asked, "What's the matter? You never seen a styar before?"

"...Not really." Jack replied, rather sheepishly. "I have heard a little about you lot, but never thought to even see one before."

"Just how much history have you looked up?" Skuld asked, slightly suspicious.

"Told you, luv'. Plently in my lifetime. Savvy?"

Kairi giggled, "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Not sure I'd like to believe this guy." Phil rolled his eyes as he somewhat agreed, only to get a better look at Kairi, Skuld and even to Xion and immediately his eyes went wide in astondment. "Whoa!"

Much to everyone else's embarrassment and slight disgust, Phil then smoothed his hair and edged closer to the three young women, saying as he tried to be charming, "On the other hand, sweet cheeks. You can believe what I can do."

"Did he just call Kairi, Skuld and Xion 'sweet cheeks'?" Goofy whispered to Donald, obviously slightly disturbed. To them and Sora and pretty much everyone else, is was something entirely new. To Aqua, she sighed and shook her head.

"He called me sweet cheeks when I first met him, and I was...well...I felt very awkward and weirded out." Aqua replied.

"I can see why." Terra said, dryly.

Sora, while happy to see Phil again, got annoyed and walked up to the goat-man, scolding, "Phil, no offence, but if this is how you treat girls the first time you meet them, no wonder you got knocked away just then." crossing his arms disapprovingly.

"Who asked you?" Phil asked, only to realise who spoke to him and this time he cried out happily as he recongised Sora, Donald and Goofy, "Hey, if it ain't the new true heroes!" and giving the trio a high-five.

"True heroes?" Jack asked, puzzled.

"Long story." Roxas chuckled.

Sora then introduced Phil to Kairi, Skuld, Xion(and while keeping in mind that they were off-limits, much to Phil's annoyance, but denied that there was any relationship going on), Riku, Mickey, Jack Sparrow, Isa, Myde(whom Phil recongised as Demyx, as well as recongising Roxas, and had recongized Lea as Axel, which the redhead commented his real name and that Axel is his nick-name now), and Terra.

"So you're Terra, huh?" Phil questioned, gazing carefully at the young man who felt a little uncomfortable, before the goat-man shook his head, saying, "Geez, for a guy who ever won his first games and caused everybody in Greece to go completely gaga, you disappeared for twelve years and only now you show up again!?"

Terra flinched, apologetically saying, "I...didn't have much of a choice in that matter. Let's just say, I was left in a real bad place." referring to the fact that Xehanort had used his body for that long.

"Same here with me." Ven spoke up, apologetically.

"Ventus? That you?" Phil blinked, surprised, before his gaze turned to Aqua and was even more shocked. "And Aqua too!? You both haven't changed a bit!"

"Like Ven said, we were in the similiar position as Terra." Aqua said, awkwardly.

"Well, I'd ask if the three of you are gods or somethin', but since you're not all glowing and such, that just kinda seems a waste of time." Phil shrugged, before smirking womanizingly, "So, Aqua...you and the other three ladies got any plans for later?"

"Phil!" Sora, Ven and Aqua scolded in unison.

"Okay, okay. I get the point, so don't slap me or dunk me into the river or somethin'." Phil quickly replied, holding his hands up in defeat.

"Dunk you into the river?" Donald asked, skeptically.

"That's what Meg did when Herc and I first met her." Phil grumbled sourly at the memory.

"Can't imagine why." Riku muttered dryly to himself.

"Why did she do that?" Sora asked, skeptically, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

Phil gave Sora an annoyed look, saying as he held up two fingers to count his sentence, though as usual to those who knew him as well as they did, it was never the right number, "Two words; She, was, a pain!"

Kairi, Xion, Skuld, Terra, Isa, and Mickey shared a glance of confusion, while Jack counted his fingers, realising that Phil said four words and was just as confused as everyone else. When the six of them glanced at the others glanced at the rest of the group, they shook their heads as Lea sighed, exasperated, "Don't ask."

"Speaking of Herc, how's he doing lately?" Sora asked, quickly remembering what they actually came here for. "'Cause, well...everybody's in a lotta trouble, and that isn't just Hades or the Heartless."

"Champ's been fine, taking it easy and breaks when he needs it and thank Hera everybody else in town know that, especially after last year's Hydra disaster." Phil shrugged, gesturing everyone to follow him towards the stairs that lead to the Coliseum itself.

"Hydra disaster? What happened?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"Hades happened." Sora replied for Phil. "He sent a lot of giant monsters to slow Herc' down and well...despite being told to rest, Hercules kept on competiting in competitions as he didn't want to let anyone down."

"Even I couldn't get the kid to take a break, and neither could Meg either." Phil nodded in agreement. He then gazed up thankfully at Sora, Donald and Goofy and added, "Thanks to these guys when they came here last year again twice, they, Herc' and that other guy Auron lifted Herc's confidence and whipped Hades down the River."

"Hey, no one hurt my friends and gets away with it." Sora said, confidently. "Plus, it was Hades' fault to stumble into the River of Death when he did." before grumbling a little given the down-side to that. "Too bad he still doesn't know when to quit."

"Anyway, Phil, that's kind of a reason why we came back here in the first place." Mickey spoke up, slightly hesitated. "See, uh...we're were just wonderin' if Hercules can give us a little bit of advice with what we're dealing with right now."

As they were climbing up the stairs, the very high and long stairs, which was the longest stairs Captain Jack Sparrow ever endured and by barely halfway, he was quickly becoming exhausted. Myde was already panting after the first few from the first flight of stairs, but no one wanted to carry him. Anyway, Phil, hearing what Mickey requested, suddenly looked troubled.

"Well, actually, now that you guys are here, I have a bit of a favor to ask ya's. Might go against the rules but at the moment, I don't think the rules are being kept in order at the moment." Phil admitted.

"What's wrong?" Isa asked.

"I'll tell you guys when we reach the Coliseum." Phil told the blue-haired young man.

* * *

The more they went up, the more Jack felt his legs were about to give up. Myde, every five or ten seconds, kept on complaining which was starting to get on most of the group's nerves.

"Are we there yet?" Myde asked.

"No." Lea answered.

Five seconds later.

"Are we there yet?"

"Not even half way, mate." Jack groaned.

Another five seconds later.

"Are we there yet?"

"No." Aqua said, a bit more sharply than she wanted.

Another five seconds later.

"Are we th-"

"MYDE!" Isa snapped, glaring angrily at him, "If you don't shut up, I'm tossing you all the way back down and make you start climbing all over again!"

"Can I help ya' with that?" Lea teased with a smirk.

"Some things never change." Roxas sighed with slight dismay, and Xion giggled while she nodded in agreement.

* * *

By the time the group finally made it to the familiar and newly restored Coliseum, Jack and Myde both collasped onto the ground halfway between the stair-way entrance and the front entrance of the Coliseum itself, moaning.

"Sheesh, you two guys are completely out of shape! Unbelievable." Phil critized at the two men.

"QED, goat-man, I'm more of a sea-worthy man than a land-worthy man." Jack admitted, groaning. He missed feeling the ocean waves underneath a ship, and most certainly missed his beloved ship. In fact, he was missing his home-world already, and the very thought of not being able to go back made him feel rather nauesous.

Lea nudged Myde's side with his boot while having his hands on his hips, saying, "C'mon, you lazy slacker. You can't just lie there all day."

"Besides which, if Phil's up to train us while we're here, we'll be training at the obstecle course." Roxas added.

Myde just whined, trying to smouther himself on the ground which he was currently kissing. "I'm not gonna survive it...that's it, I'm done for...goodbye cruel world!" and played dead.

"Oh come on, you big baby." Terra scolded, rolling his eyes as he and Ven helped Myde to stand up, while Sora and Riku did the same with Jack. "You'll live."

"For the record straight, I am _not_ doing any stair excersises!" Myde told Phil, point blank after a moment.

"I think you whine just as much as Prompto." A new unfamiliar voice spoke up, causing Sora and everyone else to turn to the doorway of the Coliseum building, where a tall man, close to his mid to late twenties, shaggy/spiky black hair with brown eyes, large tattoos on his upper arms and part of his chest, which was only covered barely by a small black leather jacket, cotton black jeans with leather boots, a chain necklace, and two scars on the left side of his face, just over his eye.

"Who're you?" Jack asked, wiry at the new young man. He didn't even hear him coming. From what he was seeing, the lad didn't look like he was a resident of this world. More closer to the Midgar World he'd visited after Yen Sid disappeared. He was still adjusting to different apparent past-ristic and futuristic ways of other worlds.

"Name's Gladiolus. Most people call me Gladio." Gladiolus, or Gladio for short, introduced himself, though the apparent pirate of the group made him slightly discomforted. The others seemed generally good people, but one couldn't tell.

"I'm Sora." Sora introduced himself politely with a smile, holding a hand for a shake, which Gladio, seeing the teenager actually being nice, smiled and accepted it, while careful not to crush the kid's hand off.

"I'm Riku." Riku introduced himself.

"My name's Kairi." Kairi added.

"And I'm Mickey; Mickey Mouse!" Mickey added happily.

"Donald Duck." Donald said, proudly.

"Name's Goofy." Goofy said, happily.

"C-*Ahem* Jack Sparrow." Jack said awkwardly, quickly correcting himself when Sora and the others gave him a warning glare. It was going to take a while to get used to not call himself 'Captain Jack Sparrow'.

"Name's Lea. Got it memorized?" Lea introduced himself, tapping the side of his head as he said his catch-phrase.

"I'm Isa." Isa politely added.

"I'm Roxas." Roxas added.

"My name is Xion." Xion added.

"I'm Terra." Terra added.

"My name is Aqua. Please to meet you." Aqua added kindly.

"I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven." Ven said optimistically.

"My name's Skuld." Skuld added.

"And this guy's Myde." Lea jerked a thumb at Myde who waved sheepishly. "Don't mind him, he's a decent fighter, but he's also kind of a slacker."

"So, new guy." Phil spoke up to Gladio quickly as he approached the younger man. "How's trainin'?"

"You're training Gladio, Phil?" Sora asked, surprised.

"Yeah, this kid showed up about two days ago, ranting about needing some training." Phil answered, before admitting, "Which is also a good thing that he's got a winning streak at the Games since Herc' left."

"Wait a minute, you mean Hercules isn't here?" Ven asked, surprised.

"I'll explain later." Phil whispered.

Gladio on the other hand, sighed before saying, "Yeah well, those guys at the Games are nothin' compared to what I've come up against lately. Anyway, gotta warm up for round 15. Later." He casually waved a farewell to the group before heading towards the stairs, as Sora and everyone else watched him go.

After a few moments of silence, Jack then asked to Phil, "Just out of curiosity, mate...What was he talking about?"

"The Games are the Competitions of the Coliseum." Sora answered before Phil could speak. "It's a long story."

"I've got no idea where that guy even came from." Phil admitted with a shrug, turning to gaze at Terra before adding, "The kid's like you; shows up, competes in his first games and wins! Sort of a bit like Cloud, too."

"That spiky-haired blond swordsman?" Jack asked, blinking. Since when was Cloud Strife here in this world too?

"You know that kid?" Phil asked.

"It's a long story." Sora quickly said. "Anyway, here is Herc'?"

"Well, that's the thing..." Phil said harshly, before looking slightly pleading as he explained, "See, word on the street is that there was some trouble up at Mount' Olympus; Ya' know, where most of the Gods live. Anyway, Herc thinks that Hades is up to no good again, and he had me pretty convinced on that part. So he left with Pegasus to check it out, and that was a couple of days ago. A day later when he didn't show up, Meg went to talk to Hades whether he was behind the kid's sudden delay or not. Haven't seen them since then. That's when that Gladio guy showed up, askin' to be trained and to compete in the Games. Since Herc' wasn't here and everybody's been going nuts for wantin' to see action, I couldn't say no, but I'm really worried about Herc', his horse and his girlfriend!"

"So I take you want us to see what's wrong." Aqua correctly guessed. Two days without any word from Hercules worried her greatly, as it worried everyone else.

"If you're not too busy." Phil said, pleadingly.

"Sure thing!" Sora quickly replied. "Plus, after what you just told us, I'm worried about Herc' too. I can head up to find him. Which why is it to Mount Olympus, anyway?"

"If you wanna climb up, you'd better be ready for it, kid." Phil said, before adding, "Though Zeus recently set up a mountain-side short cut that isn't too hard to climb; well, not too hard for guys like you."

"Piece of Cake! I climb almost all the time." Sora nodded, before saying to the others, "So, who's with me?"

"I'll go!" Donald held up a hand.

"Ay-yhuck, me too!" Goofy added.

"Count me in." Ven nodded with smile, "Plus, I did promise I'd come back once Herc' was a true hero, anyway. I'd better keep to my promise."

"I'll go with ya's. I've met Zeus before, so he'll recongise me." Mickey added.

"I'm coming too." Kairi added, before quickly adding, "I'm not staying behind and make myself useless or worried sick."

"I'll head to the Underworld to see if Meg's there." Riku voulenteered.

"I'll go with you." Terra declared.

"So will I." Aqua added.

Myde immediately shook his head, waving his hands out to everyone, "No way! I'm not goin' to the Underworld!" remembering the awful times when he went there. The second time was a failed attempted to convince Sora to return as Roxas.

"You would rather climb instead?" Lea asked, annoyed.

"I'd rather stay here." Myde shuddered, before quickly adding, "B-besides, Heartless might show up in town and try to ruin the Games!"

"As much as I'm thinking this is more of his excuse to slack off, he has a point. So I'll stay and search around town." Isa decided.

"Yeah, me too." Lea shrugged with one shoulder, before asking Roxas, Xion, Skuld and Jack, "So, what 'bout you guys?"

"I think I'll go with Riku, Terra and Aqua. Just in case." Skuld spoke up.

"I'll stay around town too. You never know that Hades might show up with the Heartless." Roxas decided.

"Same here." Xion nodded in agreement.

Finally it was Jack's turn, and when it came to his decision, he was hesitating. Going to the Underworld didn't sound appealing, as it was the land of the dead, but climbing up to Mount Olympus wasn't a fun ride either. And to climb back down the stairs back into town and all the way back up again wasn't appealing either.

At last, he suggested, "Perhaps I'll just stay at the Coliseum and make sure those black thingies don't attack anybody." only for Jack to have his ear tugged rather painfully by Kairi.

"Nice try, but that's not going to happen, Mister!" Kairi scowled in annoyance at the pirate who cried out in sudden pain, before she finally let go and Jack immediately flew a hand to his right ear protectively.

"Was that _really_ necessary?" Jack grumbled. When everyone glared at him, he finally forced himself to make a decision as despite none of the options were pleasent, he didn't have much of a choice. "Alright, fine then. I'll go with Sora to Mount bloody Olympus, because I don't fancy in going to the land of the dead or climbing back down those god-forsaken stairs anytime soon."

Phil stared at him, before whispering to Sora, "Where'd you dig this bozo up?"

"Long story. He's just a little cranky because he's too used to sail on ships through most of his life and well...Like I said, _looong_ story." Sora whispered, sheepishly.

"That's suddenly becoming famous today." Phil muttered.

The group then split up to their assigned arrangements; Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Mickey, Ven and Jack following Phil as he showed them to the secret entrance leading towards Mount Olympus to find Hercules and see if he's okay while also requesting to ask Zeus about Bhunivelze and Chaos, Riku leading Terra, Aqua and Skuld to the entrance of the Underworld that was set up to find Meg and see what Hades is up to now, and finally, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion and Myde checking things up in town to make sure the Heartles didn't ruin the Games or cause any problems in Thebes.

Though neither of them knew what was about to happen.

* * *

Meanwhile, halfway towards Mount Olympus, Hades himself was pacing as he grumbled, "No matter what I'm doin', Wonderbreath will end up breaking free from my trap. But at least he'll finally meet his match and so will Zeusy! On the other hand, things aren't lookin' too good."

"Still attempting to destroy Hercules, Hades?" A familiar female voice spoke up.

Slightly startled, Hades turned around just in time to see Maleficent and Pete appear from the Corridor of Darkness. What were those two doing here? Maleficent wasn't trust-worthy anymore, and Pete was just a big fat useless lump who couldn't do anything right! He wasn't in the mood for these two.

"Ugh, you two again?" Hades rolled his eyes. "Sorry, whatever it is you want, I'm not in the joining the leagues thing anymore. Go find someone else to bother. I'm busy enough as it is."

"I understand." Maleficent nodded, "However, there is just one thing I seek to discover. Are you familiar with an ancient black box?"

"Black box?" Hades asked, wondering where he heard something like that, he then shrugged, "Well, I do remember Pandora and her Box thing, but the Black Box?" before finally saying in defeat, "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

"I told ya even Hades wouldn't know about the Black Box, m'lady." Pete grumbled, though he was careful on how he was saying it to his 'boss'.

"I see." Maleficent sighed, ignoring Pete's commentary. "Well, should you hear anything about that, I suspect you give me the information that I need. That box itself could be the key to rule all the Worlds."

Hades turned around, saying dismissively, "Yeah, well, I have other things to worry about; such as, I'm still trying to get rid of Wonderboy and Zeus."

"Then I suggest you make yourself more prepared. Sora and his friends have arrived and they will no doubt be coming very soon." Maleficent warned, just before she and Pete both opened up another Corridor of Darkness and vanished once they stepped through.

When she had said this, that made Hades's eyes widen in sheer horror and disbelief, causing him to glow yellow and red as he roared in fury at the mention of the Keyblade brat and his friends back yet again, " **WHAT!? THEM AGAIN!? THOSE LITTLE-!** " before regaining his composture and returned to his original blue colour, "Okay, fine, fine, I'm cool, I'm fine."

He then thought of something and as he was good of plotting schemes, Hades then smirked evilly. "Okay, so it's a little delay, but hey, those guys get in the way almost as much as that sunspot. Not even Mr. 'High and Mighty' will have time to help them. What's a little Titan or two and Heartless can't handle?" chuckling to hismelf.

Once again, Hades plotted a plan that would end his enemies once and for all.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the lack of action straight away, but I didn't want to make the first few chapters extremely long the point where the later chapters will be waay to long to fit into the last chapters. I'll see you in the next chapter as soon as I can. For those who read the scene with Hades, Maleficent and Pete, I'm certain you'll recongise it as one of the scenes from last month's KH3 trailer.**


	4. CH3: Trouble already

**Author's Note: This probably won't be the best of my "Second Chance" series of stories, but I try my best.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH3: Trouble already.**_

The way up towards Mount Olympus was actually a lot higher than Sora and the others had expected, but they were not willing to give up now so easily. Given that most of them were very good climbers, they were beginning their journey up, taking Phil's advice in treking along the road of a valley. So much greenary as they climbed, and so far, they only just reached the ruins of a temple as they made their way up.

"It's so beautiful here." Kairi commented, as Sora and Ven both helped her up from by pulling her up the rest of the way from the ledge they'd been climbing up on.

"Yeah, I gotta admit, if it weren't for the bad guys, I'd could just come here anyone I'd want and just gaze out this place all way." Sora nodded in agreement, as next to him and the other two teenagers...well, Ven techniqually wasn't a teenager, but he still felt and acted like one, Mickey and Goofy were helping a panting Donald who was already out of breath.

"Maybe for you, but climbing up these cliffs is ridiculous!" Donald grumbled sourly, "This place needs an elevator."

"What's an elevator?" Jack asked as he pulled himself up almost easily. He had to admit, while he didn't climb in landscapes that often, at least this was a lot better than the stairs back in town.

"Just one of those higher gadgets some worlds have." Mickey explained as he and everyone else moved on once more, following the trail and passing the broken pillars. "It's uh, a metal box that has bottons that takes you up or down to high and low places."

The pirate considered the words, and while the stairs were a nightmare, it still left him confused. "Sounds like a rather pathetic excuse to be lazy. Not to mention slightly claustophobic."

"Back on the Islands, we don't have those things." Sora chuckled in agreement, as Kairi giggled. "The highest gadgets we have are light-bulbs."

But before the conversation could continue, much to everyone's annoyance and shock, a swarm of Heartless suddenly appeared right in front of them, though while the normal shadow Heartless were comman as Sora and his friends would know, there are new ones they'd never seen before; there were five new Heartless that blew trumpets that nearly made everyone's ears burst badly. Sora, Kairi, Ven and Mickey quickly summoned their Keyblades, while Donald and Goofy summoned their Wizards Wand and Shield, and Jack, slightly hesitant to summon his Keyblade, instead drew out his Cutlass.

They immediately took action as the Heartless attacked and attempted to kill them instantly, but Sora and his friends managed to avoid this. Sora dodge-rolled out of the way before delivering his combos of slashes and thrusts at one of the newer Trumpet-Heartless while careful not to lose his hearing, but was becoming difficult as he cried out when the trumpet suddenly blew him backwards, before he caught himself mid-air and flipped to restore his balance. He then had an idea and casted the Silence Spell which silenced the Trumpet-Heartless's Trumpet, rendering it soundless. He then used his new powers he gained from the Mark of Mastery and glowed in light which allowed him to jump and leap from pillar to wall and finished off the Heartless by preforming a new boomarang plummet by tossing his Keyblade downwards right at the Heartless' head, eliminating it instantly. Sora then caught his Keyblade as he landed safely onto the ground before tackling the other Heartless.

Ven casted Thunderaga at three of the Normal Heartless which paralyzed them to the point where were frozen in electricity which gave him the advantage to toss his Keyblade expertly in the same style Sora used for two years and the weapon hit the Heartless one by one before they vanished into nothing and the blonde-haired boy caught it when it returned to him, then rolled out of the way when another Heartless, a Watery-Jellyfish one that came out of the water, blusted a jet of water at him. Ven then casted Thunderaga again and was surprised that it was eliminated immediately which made him realise that these new Heartless were strongly disadvantaged by Thunder spells.

Mickey knocked away the helmet-Heartless with his triple-sommer-sault combo that did serious damage to the enemy with his Keyblade before he used his agility to slash and swipe at it and five more other Heartless. He then flipped back-wards to avoid their claws and then once he was in the safe distance, he shot out three orbs of light from the Kingdom Key-D Keyblade which lowered the Heartless' health. The King then finished them off with Firaga that melted the Heartless before he went to freeze one of the belly-shield Heartless with the Stopza spell and along with Ven who joined up with him, the two old friends teamed up to deliever severel double-combos at it before they destoryed it for good.

Kairi did pretty good herself, slashing at the Heartless more skillfully than the last time back in the Caribbean. She did her best to mimick the movements from Sora and Riku, as well as Aqua while developing her own battle technquie. She then twirled out of the way before another one of the belly-shield Heartless could squash her flat, and as she quickly raced behind it, she thrusted as many slices as she could while she actually finished it off with a light Thunder Spell she learned from Aqua before they left the Mysterious Tower days before.

Jack slashed and sliced at the Heartless with his Cutlass, before pulling out his pistol and shot one of those annoying Trumpet Heartless in the head as Heartless instruments were getting on his nerves. He then had to run away from another one only to end up stuck in the middle as another one came towards him from the front. Mentally panicking and thinking quickly while thanking whatever Gods that were watching him today from the place he and the others were about to visit, that a vine was there, attatched to a wall. He then grabbed onto it and sliced it from the stone wall, lifting him up just in time to avoid the collision of the two Heartless who were knocked out after crashing into each other. The Pirate Captain then let go and landed safely on the ground after a bit of a stumble, before being confronted by a sword-wielding Heartless who looked ready to cleave him in half. Jack just smirked at this stupid act, and when it lifted it's arms to make the attack, he simply held out his pistol and shot it dead squarely between the eyes, causing it to disappear into nothing.

The stupidity of these annoying monsters never cease to amaze him, it seems.

Donald casted multiple spells at several Heartless that weakened them, while Goofy finished them off by whacking them with his Shield before preforming his Goofy-Tornado skill by twirling around and around and around while eliminating the Heartless as he went before stopping and felt slightly dizzy. Unfortunately, while Goofy was knocked back and had to run out of the way to avoid one of those annoying Flying magic Heartless casted fire onto Donald's tail that got caught on fire, which made the white mage scream hysterically as he ran around in panic, which made him lose his temper once more and madly casted multiple spells of Thunder and Blizzard all over the place that weakened and/or destroyed most of the Heartless around them, though he almost accidently hit Sora, Ven, Kairi, and Jack who cried out when he was nearly turned into a pir-icicle.

"Oi! Watch where you waving that thing!" Jack shouted.

Mickey ducked when a blizzard spell nearly hit him, before crying out to his Royal Magican, "Donald, calm down! You're only making things worse!"

"You can stop now!" Sora called out, after taking notice that all of the Heartless have been eliminated from the area...for now, at least.

Finally, Donald did stop and breathed in and out to calm down from his latest hysterical temper attack. When he did, he realised what just happened and became apologetically and sheepish, "Sorry. It was stress relief."

"What happened?" Kairi asked, as she, Sora, Ven and Mickey began healing the others as well as themselves even for the minor injuries. During the visits to Radiant Garden, she managed to pick up on learning on healing magic alongside Namine after the defeat of Xemnas a year earlier.

Donald pointed at his tail feathers that were covered after he healed himself from the burns, glaring at the spot while grumbling, "I'm gonna strangle the neck of Chaos, that stupid bad guy and sending in all those Heartless!"

"Now now, settle down, Donald." Goofy quickly told him in his efforts to calm his friend down. "This ain't the time to think about that. We still have to find Hercules to see if he's okay."

"If I remember right," Kairi began, thoughtfully as she gazed up the valley, where there was a gap between the wall where a river was flowing that continued the way up to Mount Olympus, "Phil said that we have to then follow the river between the gap in the wall once we past the pillars."

"Quite adventurous, eh?" Jack teased.

The Princess of Heart rolled her eyes and pointed out, "I've been ready to explore the worlds since I was fourteen and after Sora, Riku and I finished up the raft and supplies."

"Good old days." Sora sighed, shaking his head. He still remembered it like it was only yesterday; building the raft only to end up being dragged away from his home and his friends, going on an adventure that changed his life forever, saving the worlds from the Heartless and those who controlled them, finding his friends, saving those who were lost a decade earlier, and now this. It was amazing how time flies so quickly that you don't even notice until then.

" _You mean bad old days, if you really think about it._ " A familiar taunting voice spoke next to him, causing Sora to turn and he forced himself not to groan aloud as the manifestion of Vanitas appeared, leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed. " _I mean, come on. Everything in your life just went from bad to worse, and now you're still trying to fix up this mess? Waste of time, if you ask me._ "

' _Will you just leave me alone already?_ ' Sora told him mentally in sheer annoyance. ' _I decide what I want to do when it comes to my friends. And what do you care? You're just a ghost._ '

Vanitas rolled his eyes, " _Oh, grow up. Unless you change your attitude, I'll always be in your mind._ "

Before Sora could respond in his mind, Kairi's voice snapped him back to reality as she asked, "Sora? What's going on? Are you okay?"

When the sixteen year old boy turned to turn his gaze to the sixteen year old girl, Sora quickly saw the concerned and confused expression on Kairi's face. Still not wanting to tell her or anyone else about his current problem in having the ghost of Ven's darkness in his mind or heart, and said, "Uh, i-it's nothing! I'm okay." sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Just got distracted in thinking back on how all of this happened two years ago."

Sora couldn't help but slightly winch at the suspicious yet hurt look in Kairi's eyes, but she didn't push it. Instead, she just nodded and mumbled an 'Okay' before following Mickey, Donald and Goofy towards the path. That look alone just made Sora's heart ache. He hated lying, but he didn't want to make his friends worry about him or make him think he's gone completely nuts. Ven gazed worriedly at Sora, before following the others.

Jack lingered behind before approaching Sora, and told him in a serious tone, "If you keep hiding something from them, mate...that would just cause suspicion."

"Like you didn't do it yourself, Jack." Sora pointed out, though he had to admit, his pirate friend was right. Jack made the grave mistake in keeping his bargain with Davy Jones a secret and had payed a heavy price. Sora didn't want to go down that path, but what if no one believed him? The only one would solve this problem would be Yen Sid, and the Sorcerer wasn't even around to help this time. He'd been kidnapped by Aced along with Angeal and Genesis who both obviously failed to keep him at bay.

"Which exactly proves my point." Jack replied. "It's almost as worse as Will's honest streak."

"...Guess you're right." Sora sighed in defeat. He just wished Master Yen Sid was there. The Sorcerer would know what to do in this situation. For now, it was all onto the shoulders of Sora and all of his friends and they had to act on their own, along with their friends back in Radiant Garden and Midgar. "Well, let's go!"

Sora quickly raced after the others through the gap of the wall, with Jack quickly following in many hopes to solve all of this as soon as possible.

Though as Sora didn't like to face it, Jack was right. He would have to tell the truth sooner or later, and just hope for the best. He just didn't want to anyone to worry gravely about him. Especially Kairi.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Isa and Myde were handling the Heartless problem that quickly appeared as soon as the five of them arrived back in Thebes. It was almost as though the monsters knew that they were coming, and it quickly became a nuisance.

Lea tossed his Chakrams expertly that flew like very shrap knived frisbees that eliminated five Heartless before catching them with ease. He then spun his weapons around which then created a large swirl of fire that bursted out and handled another four. He then switched his weapon use to his Keyblade and spun around just in time to slice a large Neo-Heartless cleanly in half before repeating the process as fast as he could, finally starting to get used to summoning and wielding his new weapon which was steadily becoming more and more easy.

Roxas and Xion both double-combo the Heartless they were fighting by sharing their Keyblades with each other, and even held hands while Roxas held the Oblivion Keyblade in his right hand while Xion held the Oathkeeper Keyblade in her left hand and the two swiped, slashed, sliced and clashed against the Heartless while leaping in the air as they did before finishing off the two Trumpet-Heartless with a double combination of Light that finished it and surprisingly three other normal sized Heartless instantly.

Isa thrusted his Claymore in an almighty swipe that created a powerful gust of wind that blasted seven Heartless back and send them crashing into five others, before he raced forward and one by one cleaved them with the combination of the Claymore and his new Keyblade with near-flow-motion movements he learned as his time as a Nobody.

Myde, while not one to like fighting, managed to whack and slash the Heartless he was handling with his satyr, combined with his water abilities under his command as a wave of water swirled around before engulfing three Heartless and literally drowned them. He finished off the other three by smacking his weapon and instrument into them while pulling at the strings so that the sounds can burst their hearing, which worked out just as well.

After awhile, the group finally caught a bit of a break once they knew that the Heartless wouldn't show up again anytime soon and all sighed softly in relief. Lea wiped the sweat from his brow, muttering, "Whew...I guess Chaos and Bhunivelze were kinda ahead of us if the Heartless are appearin' a little more lately."

"Lea, look out!" Roxas suddenly cried out, pointing behind his redhaired friend as another Heartless appeared behind him to make a surprise attack.

Just as Lea made to twist around and make to move out of the way, the Heartless, a Neo-Heartless, was quickly and suddenly struck down by a very modern metal-like large sword, wielded by the surprisingly familiar man who grunted as he took down the Heartless, before standing straight.

"Gladio?" Roxas blinked, stunned to see the swordsman whom he and the others briefly met earlier.

"Where'd you come from?" Lea asked, stunned and a little traumatized at how close he'd been to being cleaved in half himself. For a muscle guy, he'd been surprisingly fast and quiet.

"Just noticed you had your back towards one of those things and took it out when I did." Gladio replied, shouldering his sword with ease. "You oughta be more cautious next time when that happens."

The redhead gave a nervous and sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck, saying, "Yeah, well...thanks for the save, man. I owe ya one."

"Hey, just doin' my job in helping others, especially a group of close friends." Gladio shrugged, while suddenly dismissing his sword as though it was a Keyblade, much to the group's surprise. Was this guy some kind of special gifted warrior or fighter like they were? Just who was he, anyway?

Deciding to ask about that later, Lea shrugged and stated, "Well, Myde here is more of a friend. Isa, Rox' and Xi' on the other hand, they're my family." along with Namine, whom he's still worried sick about, but he didn't mention her. Not yet.

"Mr. Gladio, I thought you were going to continue in the Games." Xion spoke up, noticing that Gladio wasn't competiting in the next round at the Coliseum.

"I was headin' that way when those things came outta no where." Gladio answered, "Then I saw you guys and I gotta admit, you're pretty good."

"Thank you." Isa nodded politely.

"So, Gladio..." Myde spoke up, as though he suddenly felt a memory come into mind. "...How come you're competiting in the Games, anyway?"

Gladio looked slightly hesitant to answer, and while Roxas, Xion, Lea and Isa looked they didn't mind not knowing while glaring at Myde who shrunk back a little when he realised that he blurted out without realising and mumbled a slightly terrified apology. Though the more he gazed at the mullet-haired younger man, the more he felt that he met Myde before, but couldn't figure out how or why.

Finally, he muttered, "It's complicated."

All of the sudden, out of the dark cloud, a familiar fire-headed figure appeared which alarmed the group, as it was Hades who said while noticing Isa and Myde, "You two are back? Guess that means you guys split up along with Sora and gang, considering that there's more of you kids."

"No, not you again!" Myde shivered in fear.

Hades only responded by flicking Myde between the eyes, which was enough to knock the mullet-haired young man onto the ground while saying, "Well, hey, I guess this could work out, especially since you got a new swordsman who has great potential in being my nasty warrior to really finish off Hercules."

"And why would I work for some loser like you?" Gladio growled low.

"Fine, okay, it was my best shot." Hades shrugged, "But hey, I know more on a few things than you kids do."

"What do you want this time, Hades?" Isa questioned sharply as he, Roxas, Xion and Lea glared at him.

"Ah, you know. The usual. Taking over Mount Olympus, taking out Wonderboy, and taking out you guys and the rest of your friends as well. Nothing new." Hades commented.

"Speaking of Hercules, what did you do to him and Meg?" Roxas demanded angrily, knowing that now was the time to ask about the absence of the two.

" _Weeelll_ , I did set up a perfect trap for them." Hades grinned evilly, before chuckling as though he suddenly remembered something, "Oh, and you know what slipped on my mind? I've got that bluebird friend of yours, along with the new raven-girl and two new buddies that you'll not be thanking latter."

Hearing this made the hearts of the group freeze in horror. Hades knew that Riku, Aqua, Skuld and Terra went to the Underworld, and how has them captured? Immediately the group summoned their weapons as their glares hardened, with Lea demanding angrily, "What did you do to them!?"

"I'm holding the two little girls along with little nut-Meg somewhere that you can't find them, as I encountered them a little earlier. As for your other two buddies..." Hades then snapped his fingers and as a chariot with a dragon at the reins appeared, to the group's shock and horror, both Riku and Terra were inside, gagged and tied up in chains of smoke.

"Riku! Terra!" Roxas cried out, quickly making to free them with the others quickly following, only for Hades to appear in front of them.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Hades tsked while waving a finger. "See, there's nothing you guys can do right now, because I have some little company for you to play with."

As soon as he said it, the ground suddenly shook violently that nearly made Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Myde and Gladio lose their balance, before they heard a roar coming from behind them. When the group turned to see what it was, a giant horned Heartless with gapping jaws was seen from the distance, already crushing it's way through Thebes and destroying everything.

"What the hell?" Gladio breathed, shocked.

"That'll keep you kids busy, while I take care of Sora and Jerkcules." Hades laughed as he climbed into the chariot, and as his ride took off with him and his passengers, he concluded, "And then I finish off Zeus and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Damn it!" Lea yelled angrily as he and his friends watched Hades leave with two of their friends captive against their will. This was bad. How can they save Aqua, Skuld and Meg in the Underworld without the risk of having the giant Heartless destroy Thebes.

"Looks like I've got some work to do." Gladio grunted, summoning his sword once more as he turned to face the giant Heartless.

"You're not going alone." Isa declared, summoning his Claymore.

Lea shut his eyes, not wanting to leave Isa and Gladio, but at the same time, he didn't want to risk the safeties of Roxas and Xion, and Myde was useless when it comes to fighting giant monsters, and he was completely worried about Aqua, Skuld, Sora, Kairi, Ven, King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Jack, and Hercules as well as Meg, and wanted so badly to even rescue Riku and Terra from Hades' clutches. That's when an idea came into mind; he knew it wasn't a smart one, but what choice did they have.

"Alright, Roxas. You, Xi' and Myde head to the Underworld, save Hercules' girlfriend Meg, Aqua and Skuld, and get your butts to Mount Olympus to help out Sora and the others." Lea instructed to one of his younger best friends.

"But-!" Roxas began to protest.

"We can't just leave you!" Xion protested.

"You want me to go to the Underworld!?" Myde shrieked.

"Don't worry, the three of us can handle that giant thing. This is nothing compared to the Kracken." Lea assured them, before telling them more firmly, "Go!"

When Roxas and the others saw Isa and Gladio(who was admittedly surprised by this) nod in agreeing with Lea, the blonde-haired teenager hesitated a little, before nodding and grabbed Xion and Myde's wrists before pulling dragging them with him to the Underworld to rescue three of their friends and then to help the rest of their friends.

Knowing that Roxas and the others would be just fine, Lea in the meantime summonde his Chakrams and stood by both Isa and Gladio as all three of them glared unimpressed at the emerging giant Heartless, before they took off running towards it to hold it back as long as they can.

* * *

 _ **A little while earlier in the Underworld...**_

Riku, Terra, Aqua and Skuld found it rather easy to find the entrance to the Underworld given the last time Riku was here when he he'd been tricked to work for Maleficent two years earlier. Thanks to Phil's suggestion and Sora having told him of his adventures last year, given how the four Keyblade wielders were already feeling the effects of the Underworld weakening their combat strength, Riku pulled out the Olympus Stone and as he held it up in the air, it began to glow. The light from the stone soon covered him and three of his friends with him as they felt their strength return to them.

"So this is the Underworld, huh?" Terra asked, glancing around at the place. The floor was stone cold, the air felt freezing and dead, the river ahead of them was filled with dead souls, and at the other side of the river, as Riku remembered, was the Underdome which was once again locked.

"This place gives me the creeps." Skuld admitted, rubbing her arms as though she was feeling cold. "No wonder no one wants to die."

"I agree. A place were death awaits." Aqua muttered. She felt the sudden chill in the air of the Underworld, one of the realms of the dead. But there was more to it than that. Gazing up at the Underworld sky, she tried not to cringe as this place reminded her too much of the Realm of Darkness.

"Yeah, Hades runs it like there's no tomorrow." Riku nodded, before gazing at the large gates which he believed he knew was the way to the Lord of the Dead's Chamber. "If memory serves me right, his chamber should be right at the end of this hall."

As the four of them made to begin their way towards the large zig-zag door, Aqua suddenly found herself frozen on the stop, gasping softly as the astmosphre of the Underworld suddenly began to drain away her energy despite having the light from the Olympus Stone protect her from having her combat skills weaken. Her vision swam as she felt her legs wobble as a sense of deja vu' hit her out of no where. Suddenly, a memory which she realised she forgot as not even memories were safe from the Realm of Darkness filled her vision.

* * *

 _ **FlashBack: During the events of Kingdom Hearts 0.2...**_

 _Aqua thought she'd seen the comatose Ven inside the glass Coffen Princess Snow White had been sleeping in until his image disappeared, making her remember that the real Ven's body was sleeping in the Chamber of Waking in the transformed Castle. She felt tears in her eyes, but forced herself to smile as she knew that it was him who was keeping her heart strong, keeping the darkness away._

 _Just then she sensed something materalize behind her and glanced to see a large, ornate mirror floating in mid-air. What was a mirror doing here? Aqua stood up and approached it and placed a hand onto it, only for it to suddenly shine. She recoiled her hand in surprise, but her shock, her reflection suddenly came to life, sticking it's hand out and grabbed hold of her wrist from the other side._

 _"What!?" Aqua gasped, then she screamed as she was dragged right into the mirror._

 _When she finally emerged through another mirror, Aqua managed to catch her breath from the unexpected, and admittedly, terrifying experience. As she stood up from her crouched position, she slowly examined her new surroundings. Many spiral-shaped columns and altars containing runes on their walls populate the room. It somewhat reminded her of a twisted version of the Evil Queen's Chamber. Outside of room around her, was of course darkness, and different colours of glass shards, as though she had just entered Mirrorland._

 _Aqua walks toward the center of the room and sighs. She turned around and was shocked to see that three mirrors surround her, each one showing blue fire instead of a reflection. They spin around her and proceed to affix themselves to the walls inside three of the altars, firmly placed within the perimeter of the runes._

 _What just happened?_

 _Worried, Aqua doubled back to make a quick exit as she remembered how she got swallowed up in here. When she returned to the mirror where she came from, though, to her great confusion and shock, her reflection was not there. That was then she realised that the mirrors that surrounded her must've stolen her reflection that prevented her from escaping._

 _"Those mirrors... Maybe they're a clue." Aqua said to herself. If she entered those three mirrors, maybe she can figure out a way to restore her reflection and escape from this Mirrorland._

 _As she ventured through, Aqua tried very hard to ignore the echoing sound that was hauntingly her own voice, that was making her more and more terrified, though she tried hard to prove the voice wrong._

 _ **"Are you really worthy of being a Keyblade Master? Is there any point in continuing this fight? You'll never see the realm of light again. Your bonds of friendship only tie you down. No one will find you here, and no one wants to. Just let go of everything and fade into the darkness."**_

 _ **"You'll never see the realm of light again...You'll never see the realm of light again...You'll never see the realm of light again..."**_

* * *

End of Flashback.

"Aqua!" Terra's voice snapped Aqua out of her panicked dazed.

Gasping sharply, Aqua blinked and panted as though she had just experienced a terrible nightmare. She didn't even realise that she had grasped her head and had collasped onto her knees until Terra had called out to her. When she gazed up to him, she suddenly realised that Terra was cradling her in his arms in his knelt position, looking very worried. Riku and Skuld both looked worried as well as they were also kneeling on their knees.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked, concerned.

"W-What happened?" Aqua asked, feeling dazed.

"You were trailing behind, and then you looked...paralyzed and passing out." Skuld answered, before asking gently, "Did something happen?"

Realising that what she experienced as one of the most horrible memories of her time trapped in the realm of darkness, something that she didn't want to remember, Aqua gazed down despondently, sighing, "I'm sorry. It's just...a lot of things happened when I was in the realm of darkness. It was getting to me. I guess this place just triggered one of the horrible memories."

"Do you want to head back to the Coliseum?" Terra offered, gravely concerned. He knew that his friend in his arms had suffered due to being trapped in the realm of darkness for twelve years and still blamed himself for it.

After a few moments of taking a few deep breaths to calm her shaky nerves down, Aqua finally shook her head, seemingly recovered, and, for some reason, being held like this in Terra's arms was comforting. "No. I'm alright now."

"Are you sure?" Riku asked.

"Yes." Aqua replied, finding herself steadily calm, before slowly standing up, with Terra's help even though she didn't need it, she still smiled her thanks to her friend.

"Aqua...maybe you really should-" Skuld never got the chance to finish as all of the sudden dark, smoke-like chains appeared and wrapped around all four of them, before they were thrusted straight through the chamber tunnel and were chained up to the wall, their wrists, arms, waist and legs chained to it in iron-like grip. Riku, Terra, Aqua and Skuld struggled against their bonds just as Hades appeared in front of them in the dark cloud of smoke.

"Ugh, you three again so soon? And here I thought you guys and your other friends, both old and new died out already." Hades rolled his eyes, before smirking, "Not that I'm complaining."

"This is your doing, isn't it, Hades?" Aqua demanded angrily, pulling at the bonds around her arms. "Where is Meg?"

"Little Nut-Meg? Eh, I have her tied up at my place, bluebird." Hades waved dismissively. He then turned to see Skuld for the first time and blinked mockingly, "Whoa, there. What have we here? Another pretty face? Dark hair, just like a Raven. Maybe I should call you raven-girl."

"So you're Hades that I've heard about." Skuld grunted, glaring at the God of Underworld. "You caused so many problems in the Realm of Light, tried to kill Hercules and his father, attempted to use Terra, Zack and Riku to turn to darkness and now had caused this."

"And it's another miss smarty-pants." Hades shrugged, turning to both Terra and Riku, "And seeing that you both are experts when it comes to darkness, why not come and pick the winning side for once? Whaddya' say?"

"Why would we ever do that?" Terra challenged, as he and Riku both glared, which only made Hades' smirk grow.

"Because if you don't, then your girlfriends will be ancient history." Hades grinned. With a snap of his fingers, a familiar monsterous growl filled the room. From the darkness of the large entrance towards his domain, out came the familiar giant three headed dog guardian of the Underworld, Cerberus, stomping towards them, and it was sneering dangerously above the trapped female Keyblade wielders who struggled harder at their bonds.

"Aqua! Skuld!" Riku cried out.

"Call it a little pay back for what happened earlier." Hades began, gazing at Riku and Terra, "So, let's cut to the chase, shall we? You both are more suited to work for me and join my army because both of your darknesses are a bit of a power boost up."

"Don't listen to him!" Skuld cried out.

"You be quiet!" Hades snapped, glaring at the raven-haired girl. "You're as big as a loud mouth as that scaredy duck friend of that keyboy. Jeez louise."

"Stay away from them, Hades!" Terra warned in a calm, yet dangerous tone.

"You won't get away with this!" Aqua warned to Hades.

"Sure I can." Hades smirked as he gazed at the blue-haired young woman, before turning back to both Riku and Terra, saying while becoming impatient. "What do you owe these two ladies anyway, huh? I mean come on, you can't seriously care about them more than anybody else right? So, what's it gonna be; work for me...or the little bluebird and raven-girl become Cerberus' next hunk of meat..."

He raised his hand as time ticked, and Cerberus was edging closer, the right head and the middle head opening their dangerously sharp teethed jaws wide as they prepared to swallow Aqua and Skuld whole as the two women had their eyes widen in fear before they closed their eyes and braced themselves to be eaten. Both Riku and Terra felt the last of their calm nerves slip away as two of their friends were about to be chomped. Aqua and Skuld had only just gotten out of the realm of darkness. They can't lose them again.

"NO!" Terra screamed.

"STOP!" Riku exclaimed, just before Hades snapped his fingers and capturing everyone's attention. "We'll do it, work for you."

"Just leave them alone, please!" Terra pleaded.

"Terra...! Riku...!" Aqua gasped, horrified. They were doing this just for her and Skuld's safety, and while she was thankful for the delay, her heart ached at the decision.

"Knew girls were every guys' weakness." Hades smirked, snapping his fingers again and had Cerberus lean back, but also blocked the entrance and still loomed over the trapped women, before he snapped his fingers again and both Riku and Terra disappeared before reappearing in a black-bat wing decorated carriage with the black dragon at the reins.

Both Riku and Terra gave one last look to the two women before being gagged by the smoke chains as Hades climbed in and then took flight. They flew around the Underworld as Hades called up to the Titans who emerged from their slumber.

"Ready for round two, boys?" Hades called down to the giant minions of his. When the Titans roared in agreement, he smirked, "Now, back to the mortal world, shall we?"

Riku and Terra could only hope that Sora and everyone else can find Hercules and solve this crisis on time.

* * *

 **A/N: Still have to wait one more day before I can see the new trailer. *Sigh* oh well, can't be helped. See you in the next chapter!**


	5. CH4: Set on a new Journey

**Author's Note: Most of you probably know already, but it's been offically confirmed that KH3 is coming out in 2018 next year!...unless they announce it's delay to 2019, but let's keep both options open until either one will be true, but I am SO happy that they finally gave us a release year!**

 **And Toy Story is also confirmed as a world in the game as well, with a new story set between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, meaning it's KH exclusive. I might be adding it. Just ignore this if I do decide to add Toy Story into this.  
**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH4: Set on a new Journey.**_

Just when they thought it'll take days before they actually reach Mount Olympus, Sora, Kairi, Ven, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Jack, while having taken out more Heartless through out the valley that had a river which to be coming from the top, the group finally arrived at the mountain slope that seemed perilous, but that didn't bother any of them. From where they were, they could tell they were getting closer, because light was dimly shining through the mist of clouds above them. Though a few flashes of lightning could be seen once and a while, and the closer they got, the more they could hear tale signs of battle, which meant only one thing.

"Sounds like trouble." Mickey said, his eyes narrowing both with worry and anger. Worry because he was concerned about Hercules and Zeus and the other Gods. Anger because he could already tell that enemies were up there, which meant more Heartless.

"I hope everyone's alright." Kairi said, worriedly.

"What do you propose should we find that we're not allowed through where the gods live?" Jack asked, not looking forward in meeting the almighties. His biggest concern was that due to being a Pirate, he would most likely be punished.

"You're asking us?" Donald responded in annoyance, glaring at the pirate. "We can't read minds!"

"I never said you did." Jack argued.

Sora, with his mind on helping one of his good friends as well as figuring out how to handle Chaos and Bhunizelve should the latter ever awaken, responded, "Well, whatever we do find, I think we'd better hurry."

"D'ya think we should knock on their door if there is any?" Goofy asked, shrugging.

"I don't think we'll know 'til we actually get there." Ven pointed out.

But before they could continue on, there was a sudden lot rumble that nearly made everyone lose their balance, as rain began to pour, the sky slowly beginning to darken above them, and then there was a loud roar and huge tremor, coming from behind. When Sora and his friends quickly turned around to see what was going on, they felt a sudden chill coming from the ledge just a few meters from where they were at moments before, followed by a large icy hand appearing, grasping at the hill before being joined by another. The two giant skeletion-ice hands then pulled up a familiar giant ice Titan who roared, and at the moment, oblivious to the shocked group, continuing up it's way through the mists and didn't stop. It was soon followed by the Rock Titan, seemingly larger than normal, but slower to make it's way up.

"What in Gods name are they?" Jack exclaimed, horrified. These giant things were just as terrifying as Davy Jones' eight-tentacled giant fish.

"The Titans!" Sora, Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

"I thought Zeus locked them up last year!" Mickey added, shocked.

"Care to explain?" Jack asked.

"From what Sora told me and Riku, the Titans are evil and dangerous." Kairi explained, backing away a little by two steps. "Hades used them at the Coliseum a few times through the past nearly three years."

Sora grunted as he summoned his Keyblade, knowing that Hades had something to do with this. "Looks like Hades is definitely at it again!"

"Oh, bugger." Jack grumbled.

None the less, the others responded by summoning their weapons once more and took fighting stances with Ven declaring boldly, "We can take 'em!"

"Can't we just negocite with them?"

"No." Sora, Kairi, Ven, Mickey, Donald and Goofy all responded, giving their pirate companion annoyed glares, in which Jack, knowing that he was outnumbered, decided to forgo his cutlass since he felt that it would be useless, and instead, summoned his own Keyblade with slight difficulty considering that he hasn't fought with it before. On the other hand, his cutlass would most likely be snapped in half and rendered completely useless against a giant...moving rock with two heads.

Unfortuntely, more Heartless appeared surrounding them in their path, which meant that they had no choice but to fight them as well. Which was what they did with combinations of their usual combo skills, swordsman skills, ect. as Sora then led his friends up the path as they fought, hoping to catch up to the Rock Titan and slow it down so that they could reach Mount Olympus before it was too late.

Sora then noticed the Rock Titan pulling itself up onto a flat large ledge, making it look like it was ruling everything and gritted. Nodding to himself, he turned to his friends and told them, "You guys handle the Heartless! I'll try and slow that guy down!"

Despite the protests, Sora then concenrated and soon glowed in blue light, before rushing towards the wall and then leaped up, running up towards the Rock Titan who gazed down and for the first time, noticed one of it's old enemies racing up straight towards him. Not impressed, the giant Titan then grabbed hold of part of the wall behind it and pulled out a large boulder, before tossing it down towards Sora who saw this coming and spun out of the way while careful not to lose his footing. He was nearly hit a few times and nearly fell, but the young Keyblade Master refused to back down.

He then flipped upward the rest of the way and then tossed his Keyblade right at the Titan's leg, causing it to roar in agony before moving to punch him with it's rock-fist. Sora dodge-rolled and then chanted Blizzard at it's face before being knocked back and hit the wall when it whacked him. It was a hard collision, but Sora, while feeling a huge bruise forming on his body, rolled out of the way before it could grasp him. He then used his powers of Flowmotion once more, leaping onto the Rock Titan who was struck by confused shock when it saw the teenaged boy do this. It attempted to strike him again, but Sora was well prepared, colliding his Keyblade at it's fist which knocked it back and nearly caused it to stumble backwards.

However, it successfully caught Sora off-guard and tossed a smaller boulder right at him, causing the Keyblade wielder to be shoved back and flown back, crashing near the edge of the platform, and nearly knocked out. Sora grunted as his body felt sore and stiff, barely even having enough strength to use Cure on himself. He'd forgotten how difficult fighting Titans were, despite having recently become a Keyblade Master. But he couldn't give up now. Everyone was counting on him.

While Kairi and the rest of the group were fighting off the Heartless on that below, as she slashed the Heartless she was fighting against in half and caused it to vanish into darkness, she suddenly sensed and then heard Sora's scream, causing her to quickly look up and gasped in horror when she saw him being knocked out, calling out his name. Before she could even think of what she was doing, as her friends were very important to her, considering how he tried to save her from the Kracken just mere days before, she took off onto thankfully a path leading up towards the platform, despite the others seeing what she was going and shouted at her to stop.

"Donald, Goofy!" Mickey quickly began his command, "Go help Sora and Kairi!" once he, Ven and Jack quickly found themselves enclosed by more Heartless which blocked both Donald and Goofy from reaching the three of them.

Despite the great worry for their king and two friends, Donald and Goofy quickly knew that the three of them can handle themselves, while Sora was knocked out and needed them, and Kairi was putting her own safety at risk and didn't even think. Her main concern was Sora, and he needed her. In the end, the two friends nodded and then raced as fast as they could to reach their other two friends to help them as quickly as possible.

Kairi managed to reach the platform and gasped as the Rock Titan was about to crush one of her dear friends into paste, much to her horror. "SORA!" She screamed.

This exclaimation caught the Rock Titan's attention as it paused in it's attack, before turning to gaze at the Princess of Heart who realised that it was now quickly paying attention to her. Despite the sudden fear a the scary two-headed rock giant monster, Kairi stood firm as she held a tight grip on her Keyblade, doing her best not to be afraid.

"You leave him alone!" Kairi commanded, glaring at it. She had to keep Sora safe and get to him without getting killed herself. She quickly chanted a blizzard spell at one of the heads, and while it did small damage, it still causing distraction enough for her to race towards Sora while jumping forward to avoid it's gasp while it slowly recovered.

She reached him just as Sora pushed himself up with his elbows, before sitting on her knees and cried out, "Sora! Are you okay?"

"Kairi? What are you-?" Sora began, shocked that Kairi had actually come up when now was a bad time for her to be here, and he quickly became worried for her safety while she quickly used Curaga to heal most of his injuries and restore most of his strength.

But he wasn't able to continue the question when the Rock Titan made to attack again and Sora was caught-off guard when Kairi pushed him out of the way and was about to follow, only to be grabbed by the iron-like right hand in a strong grip. She struggled with all her might against the titan, but it's grip was too tight as it lifted her to it's chest level, much to Sora's horror, as well as the horror of Donald and Goofy who saw this just as they arrived onto the platform.

Before Sora, Donald and Goofy could do anything, the Rock Titan punched the platform which caused it to shake before it began to crack. Sora, Donald and Goofy only had enough time to grab onto the ledges of the wall while down below Mickey, Ven and Jack jumped out of the way to avoid in becoming buried in the small but still dangerous rockslide.

Laughing lowly and evilly, the Rock Titan then turned and climbed up to the rest of the way of Mount Olympus, with Kairi captive in it's grasp in one hand while the other was used to make it's way up.

"Let me go!" Kairi shouted as she continued to struggle, glaring up at the Rock Titan, though she was becoming very afraid now. "Let, me, go!"

"Kairi!" Sora screamed out in horror, watching helplessly as Kairi disappeared up through the mist, trapped in the grasp of the giant rock monster. She was captured and taken away from him yet again! And this time, she risked her life to save him from getting killed, and all he could do was punch at the wall in strong guilt. It was his fault that she sacrificed herself.

"We gotta save her!" Goofy cried out, worriedly.

Donald, seeing Sora's guilt-ridden expression, rushed over towards him and grabbed him by the shoulders before shaking him while yelling, "Come on, Sora! Snap out of it! We can't save Kairi if you're sitting there blaming yourself!"

Sora shut his eyes and forced himself not to give into the sudden anger or do anything stupid like push Donald away, forcing himself to calm down. He was right. Now wasn't the time to blame himself. Kairi was now in danger and along with Hercules and the other gods, needs to be rescued. Pantining, Sora opened his eyes nodded.

"Right...Sorry." Sora muttered, smiling weakly in his gratitude to his feathered friend for snapping him out of his guilt-trance.

As Sora stood up with Donald sighing in slight relief and worry and Goofy joined them, the trio glanced at each other before joining hands as they did when they first met in Traverse Town, before quickly racing the rest of the way up as fast as they could. Though flying past over them was a black carriage and as the trio looked up, their eyes narrowed as they spotted Hades inside before gasping in shock and horror, as with him, were Riku and Terra, tied up and gagged.

"Riku! Terra!" Sora cried out, horrified, before feeling fresh anger. Of course Hades had to go capture two more of his friends and had caused the Titan's to return, which he quickly realised that something must've happened to Aqua and Skuld in the Underworld. "That lowlife's gotten way too far!"

"How are we gonna get there fast now?" Goofy asked, worriedly.

Fortunately, just as Hades and his captives disappeared through the mist above, Sora and his two companions heard a familiar horse whinning and out from the clouds came a familiar white horse with wings and blue mane descending towards them. When Pegasus saw three familiar faces, he whined happily before landing near them.

"It's Pegasus!" Donald exclaimed happily and relief. It seemed that Pegasus either managed to escape or was sent by Hercules to call for help.

"Great timing!" Sora greeted, before requesting, "Hey, do you think you can carry us to Mount Olympus?"

The horse nodded before gesturing the trio to climb on. Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped onto Pegasus before the four of them took off through the mist faster now than they would've if they had to continue climbing, intended on saving their friends from the God of the Underworld.

Down below, as Mickey, Ven and Jack cleared the way more Heartless while having noticed what just happened and having been horrified that Kairi had been captured, when the trio saw the flying horse descend and then carried Sora, Donald and Goofy the rest of the way up by flight, Mickey smiled in relief, while Ven was amazed and Jack was dumbfounded in having seen Pegasus for the first time.

"Wow!" Ven gapped, stunned.

"...Horse." Jack said, blankly. "It was a flying horse."

"Oh, that was Pegasus. He's Hercules close pal since they were babies. Zeus gave Pegasus to them as a present." Mickey explained, attempting to get most of the confusion from Jack's expression.

Captain Jack Sparrow still held a blank expression, before finally getting the point and nodded, half-understanding. "Oh. Well, out of all the unusual things I've seen so far...I'd rather the horse."

"I've never met Pegasus before." Ven admitted, "Hercules sure is pretty lucky."

"And speaking of the lad, I suggest we get a move on just in case Sora and the others still have trouble. Savvy?"

"Right." Mickey nodded in agreement, "C'mon, fellas!"

The king then led the Keyblade wielder and the Pirate Captain up further while battling more Heartless along the way, and so another huge battle was about to take place.

* * *

Meanwhile, Roxas, Xion and Myde had no trouble in getting to the Underworld, even though Myde was complaining about it constantly.

"Seriously..." Myde grumbled, "You guys are such workacholics."

"Well, if you weren't just as lazy as Axel was, it wouldn't have been a problem." Xion replied. Feeling the pressure, and luckly just in case they did had to come here, Phil had given all three groups the Olympus Stones which Xion holds one and as Riku did earlier, she held it up and the stone's light then covered her, Roxas and Myde, restoring their strength back to normal.

As soon as that was done, the three of them then all heard a familiar deepening growl, coming from the slightly opened doors to the path where it led to Hades' Chamber. The three former Nobodies shared a worried glance before slowly crept their way towards it. As soon as they did, they could hear familiar voices, grunting as though they were struggling, one of them being muffled, though. As soon as the trio carefully peaked through, they could see why as their eyes widened in shock.

Cerberus was still guarding the captured Aqua and Skuld who were both still struggling against their bonds that Hades left them trapped in, and dangerously close to becoming the three headed dog's meal.

"We have to get Aqua and Skuld away from that thing." Xion whispered, careful so that Cerberus couldn't hear her. She was good in combat, but she doubted she was actually ready to take on Cerberus, given the Kracken's attack back in the Caribbean.

"Easier said than done." Myde whispered, quivering at the sight of it. He still gets nightmares from the three-headed mutt that was the pet of the Lord of the Underworld and had hoped to never have to encounter it again.

"How are we gonna get through that thing and free Aqua and Skuld at the same time?" Roxas whispered worriedly. On top of that, Meg was still most likely trapped in Hades' main chamber, so obviously Terra, Riku, Aqua and Skuld didn't even get that far before Hades captured them.

Xion closed her eyes to think quickly before a memory came into mind as well as an idea, before tugging Myde's vest, and whispered, "Myde, you still can make clones of yourself briefly, right?"

"Yeah...why?" Myde asked slowly, hesitating. Whatever Xion had in mind, he had a feeling he was part of her upcoming plan.

"If you can make a single clone of yourself and have it lead Cerberus away, we can rescue Aqua and Skuld and then find Meg before heading back to help Lea, Isa, Gladio and then Sora and the others." Xion whispered.

"Good idea." Roxas whispered, already getting what his best friend was planning, before adding to Myde, "So that way, you don't have to risk in becoming Cerberus' dogfood."

"Sounds kinda easy." Myde admitted once he thought about it. Plus, as Roxas said, he wouldn't have to confront the three-headed dog at all. He then stood back a few paces and summoned his styer, declaring, "Leave this to the professonal."

* * *

Unaware of their three rescuers, Aqua and Skuld still struggled and pulled at their bonds, but at that point, they were only hurting themselves. It didn't help when Cerberus still hasn't left, and was still growling softly at the two trapped young women. Aqua, while still struggling against the chains, felt her heart ache. Terra and Riku had risked everything in order to keep her and Skuld alive, and blamed herself for it.

Maybe the phantom of herself in the realm of darkness was right. Maybe Aqua wasn't worthy of being a Keyblade Master after all and Master Eraqus had made the huge mistake in naming her Master, when she'd still been inexperienced just as Terra had been. That very thought made the aching in her heart worse and tears began to form despite doing her best to force them back.

To her and Skuld's horror, Cerberus's stomach then growled so loudly that it sounded more like a monster's roar, and now the three-headed Guardian crept closer to them, no longer able to keep it's distance and now were approaching the two helpless Keybearers for an easy meal.

"No, please, stop!" Aqua pleaded, renewing her attempts to free herself, as was Skuld, but they were trapped, and had no hopes of escaping. As Cerberus now towered over them, the two could only close their eyes and as terrified as they were, they were helpless. ' _Terra...Ven...everyone..._ ' Aqua thought in her mind. Just when she'd finally been reunite with them, she was about to become seperated from them once more, this time forever.

"Yo, doggy!" A familiar voice called out. "Over here!"

Cerberus paused in what it was doing, such as it's right head was just two inches from engulfing Aqua in just one gulp and would've then just eaten her and swallowed her whole. Fortunately it didn't happen. It turned around to see, to it's displeasure and Aqua and Skuld's shock, Myde standing there near the entrance where the two women, Riku and Terra had come from earlier. Something was odd about him, though, because rather than being terrified out of his mind, he made taunting faces at the Guardian.

This made Cerberus see red in fury, as it roared at Myde who shrieked and then made a run for it, with the three-headed dog giving chase, much to Aqua and Skuld's horror. However, just as the duo exited through the gates, the two women then heard him call out, "Ha! Sucker!"

Half a second later, yelping and roars of agony along with clashes, hits and whacks, along with sounds of water and blizzard echoed the entire area until Cerberus admitted defeat and came back in, before continuing on through the tunnel and yelping in terror before it's cries faded. Aqua and Skuld were stunned in shock and confusion. What in the world just happened?

That was answered as Roxas, Xion, and surprisingly, two Mydes appeared, until one of them turned into water and disappeared, the real Myde sighing in relief.

"Glad it was the clone and not the real me." Myde muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Roxas! Xion! Myde!" Aqua sighed, as the three of them approached her and Skuld while she asked, "Where are Lea and Isa?"

"They're back in Thebes defending the town from a giant Heartless Hades sent." Roxas explained as he and Xion used their Keyblades to unlock the bonds that kept the two women trapped, freeing them. "Gladio's helping them too."

"We saw that he captured Riku and Terra too." Xion added, "And I can see why. That mean bully."

"Hades forced them to join him in order to me and Skuld safe." Aqua confirmed, "He caught us off-guard, and we didn't even get the chance to reach Meg."

"Considering how the chick's not here, that explains everything." Myde nodded, before shuddering, "Though my guess is that she's history if she's really stuck here."

"No, we're not leaving until we rescue Meg." Roxas said firmly with determination.

"Should you get back to Thebes?" Skuld pointed out, concerned.

Xion smirked, "Lea and Isa will be fine. They don't go down that easily. And I have a strong feeling Gladio's just as strong."

Roxas nodded in agreement, "They'll be fine." before adding as he gave Myde an annoyed look, "It's Myde I'm worried about."

"Then let's make this quick." Aqua finally decided. "We'll rescue Meg, and then we'll help save Thebes, and if we're fast enough, we'll head to Mount Olympus to help Sora and the others and save Hercules, Riku and Terra."

The others nodded in agreement(despite Myde's whimpering), and the five of them raced through the tunnels of the Underworld to rescue Meg, fighting off more Heartless as they went.

* * *

Kairi was still struggled against the tightening grip of the Rock Titan that currently has her trapped in it's massive giant hand and if calculated right, to the giant rock monster, she was no taller than it's thumb, if not two inches shorter. She could hear thunder booming, and then suddenly screamed when a lightning bolt nearly hit her. As she gazed up when the Rock Titan emerged, it was coming from a glowing muscular man with white hair and beard, blue eyes, orange skin and purple robes with one strap with a gold medallion on it. He was glowing and she guessed that he was a god.

There were other people all glowing in different colours, and to her shock, were fighting a large army of Heartless that didn't seem to end. Among them was a young man who was the only one who wasn't glowing. Despite not having met him, Kairi instantly knew that it was Hercules who kept on fighting the Heartless and was now busy taking on the Ice Titan.

The Rock Titan, with it's left hand as it's right was still holding Kairi captive, tossed a boulder at the gates, violently smashing it into pieces before stomping it's way through. To her horror, the Ice Titan then began to freeze the other Gods and actually knocked Hercules back, causing him to crash into his father who tumbled into the pillar behind him.

' _No..._ ' Kairi thought, desperately, renewing her attempts to escape. By then, she saw that the Ice Titan had now captured the powerless Hercules and Zeus in it's icy grasp and slowly began to freeze them.

"Well, this turned out a lot better than I expected." An unwelcoming familiar voice called from the clouds. Kairi, Hercules and Zeus looked up to see Hades flying above them, and to her horror, were the captured Riku and Terra who were just as horrified and guilt-ridden to see her trapped as well. "First I managed to get the two best guys better use for darkness by threatning little bluebird and raven-girl, then my Titans obviously finished off the Keyboy and his friends, and now I've finally finished off Wonderboy and Zeus and got the princess as a beauty prize!"

"You won't get away with this, Hades!" Hercules shouted, shivering violently at the cold while struggling to free himself, but by then he'd become exhausted due to having spend a lot of time fighting for the last two days without rest.

"Sora wouldn't give up just like that!" Kairi exclaimed as well, still struggling. "Once he and the others get here, you'll regret it!"

"Oh please, Princess. Hate to disappoint you, but they're all dead by now, and I even probably got that other redhead and his buddies down to count as well, along with that other guy-Gladio, was it?-who probably isn't as tough as he claimed to be." Hades laughed, while creating a dark throne for himself that it materalized, and shoving both Riku and Terra to the ground as they were still captive. "Besides, I got the best two warriors of darkness to fight along my side, so I hope they enjoyed their freedom."

Zeus narrowed his eyes angrily at Hades, demanding, "Let those you people go Hades, this is your final warning!"

"Or what? What'cha gonna do, toss a frozen bolt at me?" Hades smirked, "Few years ago was a failed attempt, but this time, I'm the victor here, and not even your sunspot brat can stop me!" materalizing a drink for himself as he took sastifaction of his ultimate victory. All of the Gods, the two warriors of darkness and the Princess of Heart were captured, the Keyblade brat and his friends are gone, the heartless were doing their jobs, and Zeus and Hercules were powerless. What could possibly go wrong?

Too bad he spoke too soon.

"No, but _we_ can!" A familiar voice suddenly shouted. Hades nearly choked and spun around, his eyes widened in shock as Sora, Donald and Goofy came parrelling through the gates on Pegasus's back. Those three brats were here, still alive!? Hades thought the Titans had actually killed them!

"Sora!" Kairi cried out, relieved.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Hercules cried out, relieved as well.

"So they are the new true heroes." Zeus muttered, relieved. He knew what the boy and his friends had came here for, but at the same time, followed their hearts in rescuing those who needed them.

Sora and his two companions then leaped from Pegasus's back and descended to join the battle. Donald casted Firaga at the Ice Titan's head, which melted parts of it and causing it to roar in anger, which gave Hercules a chance to punch his way out and shattering it's arm, while Zeus blasted the other arm and it's left leg with another Thunder Bolt, freeing the father and son. Hercules then didn't waste time in using his sword to break the chains on the other Gods which disappeared instantly, and one of them, a blue skinny god named Hermes whacking Pain and Panic, the two minions, with his stick. Sora and Goofy both whacked at the Rock Titan's heads, distracting it enough for Kairi to wriggle loose and jump down. When Sora landed on the ground, he unconsciously and surprisingly caught Kairi in his arms that nearly made him lose his balance.

The two blushed heavily when this happened before Sora gently lowered Kairi who stood after she was put down, and smiled her gratitude at one of her best friends. The two of them, Donald and Goofy quickly then raced away from the Rock Titan before it could capture them, and they hurried to where Riku and Terra were. Sora and Kairi then raised their Kingdom Key and Destiny's Embrace, the beams of light from the weapons hit and disintegrated the smoky chains from their two friends, forcing Hades to poof away before he could be attacked.

"Are you two okay?" Goofy asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, we're fine." Terra replied, lowering his head in guilt, as did Riku. "I'm sorry. Riku and I had no choice. This is my fault."

"It's okay. None of us blame you." Kairi told him kindly. "You only did it to keep Aqua and Skuld safe."

Sora nodded in agreement, patting Riku on the shoulder. "I would've done the same thing."

"Thanks." Riku smiled.

"Besides, this is all Hades' fault this happened!" Donald added.

"Hey, Pegasus is usin' those two as punchin' bags." Goofy suddenly said, pointing at the the side where the horse had Pain and Panic caught by the tails and used his front legs to punch them like boxing bags.

Hades by then appeared in front of the group along with Hercules who quickly joined them. "HOW DARE YOU!? This is utterly unfair that you guys have beaten me AGAIN!" Hades roared, fully red and yellow in sheer anger which returned to their normal colours, but he was still furious.

"Nobody likes a sore loser, Hades." Both Hercules and Sora chorused.

The Lord of the Dead was about to retort when the Titan's panicked roars echoed, which caused him to turn and see to his shock that Zeus had blasted two Thunder Bolts at the Rock Titan, smashing away it's heads and rendering it headless and the Ice Titan, seeing this, made a quick exit...only to be caught in the crossfire of fire magic and then fought along with the Rock Titan by the timely arrival of Mickey, Ven, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Skuld and Aqua, while both Myde and Jack who also arrived focused on getting rid of the Heartless.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting!" Lea greeted with a wave, before leaping out of the way to avoid in getting hit by an ice attack by the Ice Titan.

This allowed Sora and the others to try and attack Hades who moved out of the way before he blasted a jet of flames right at them. The group dodged the attacks before both Sora and Hercules charged and knocked Hades back by the combination of the Latter's Godly Spheres of light and Sora's Keyblade whacking them to weaken the God of the Underworld.

Realising that he was out-numbered with so many and that the Titans had been defeated and the number of Heartless quickly decresing, which was added by a newcommer, a pirate who, shockingly, was also a Keyblade wielder, Hades growled before teleporting away and by the far end of the area, while the Titans were weakened once more but stood by the God's side.

"This isn't over yet!" Hades warned, "Next time, I'll finish you brats!" before poofing away along with the Titans, which also had all of the Heartless disappear for now.

"Phew! Sure glad they're gone for now." Mickey sighed, before quickly adding cautionly, "But we'd better not push our luck."

"Very ill tempered, that what I assume is Hades." Jack commented, before asking in slight confusion, "And why is his hair made of blue fire?"

"I don't think you wanna know, because I certainly don't." Lea shrugged.

"Where's Gladio?" Xion asked, worriedly.

"He'll be fine." Isa responded, "We managed to defeat the Heartless in town and he told us to go on ahead. I don't think we should be worried."

"Is everyone alright?" Aqua asked, worriedly, becoming relieved when all of her friends replied that they were perfectly fine.

"Aqua? Terra? Ven? Is that you?" Hercules spoke up, catching sight of three old friends he hasn't seen in twelve years and was quite shocked. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Good to see you too. You sure grew up fast, and stronger." Terra greeted, even though he hasn't known Hercules as long as everyone else has.

"So you made it? You're a true hero now, right?" Ven asked, eagerly wanting to know as he greeted his old friend with an arm-pat who smiled in return.

"For a few years now." Hercules replied.

Aqua smiled warmly at Hercules who had grown from a young boy into a brave and strong young man. "I'm really happy for you, Hercules." She replied, quickly adding, "And don't worry, we saved Meg. She's at the Coliseum with Phil."

"That's a relief." Hercules sighed, with feeling. He then caught sight of the newer additions and while he was surprised to see Roxas, Xion, and Lea again as well, it was Isa, Jack, Skuld and Kairi he didn't recongise.

After a few introductions to the newer members of the team along with Kairi, Mount Olympus was fixed up instantly thanks to the power of the Gods, before Zeus took a seat at his throne, gazing down at the young mortals who had helped to save their world and kingdom, while happily greeted Mickey who still showed respect for his old pal. Sora and the others felt a little nervous and imitidated to be the pressence of the Gods.

Zeus cleared his throat before standing, and despite of the imitidating aura, he had a kind smile. "I would like to thank all of you for all that is done today." He adressed to the group. "All of the gods and I give you our graditude."

Sora and his friends smiled at this. It wasn't often that they would be thanked by one as powerful as any mortals.

"Now then, is there anything I can do for you?" Zeus asked the group. Sora shared a glance with his friends, and while most of them were hesitated though knowing that it had to be done, Jack was gesturing his head in a silent saying to go on and say what they came here for in the first place. The Pirate nodded at Zeus several times.

Finally, Sora decided to say what they wanted, and carefully began, "Sir...it's sort like this..." and explained the situation that was happening.

When it came down to Chaos and Bhunivelze, the group braced themselves to be yelled at. Instead, all they rechieved were shocked and slightly horrified expressions. In the end, Zeus muttered with a serious frown, "So Bhunivelze was behind all of this right from the beginning. I should've know."

"Zeus, who is Bhunivelze and what did happen?" Mickey asked carefully to his old friend.

"He is one of the most dangerous Gods never meant to be released." Zeus explained, "Unlike Hades, Bhunivelze's goal may be similiar, but he has the power to kill all of us Gods and trick anyone with vulerable hearts to do his bidding with false promises. He is extremely powerful and dangerous."

"Doesn't sound any better than most villians we're facing." Jack grumbled sourly in disappointment.

"So how did he get defeated a long time ago?" Roxas asked to Zeus.

"A young woman from a certain world, along with her sister and allies, fought against Bhunivelze with the strength they found. She goes by the name of Lightning." Zeus explained, "From my understanding, Bhunivelze had used her and turned her into a demigod to take place of Etro. But she turned against him once she realised the truth."

"And there's nothing there can be done to stop him and Chaos if Bhunivelze does come back?" Sora asked.

"I can't, Sora. But you and your friends can." Zeus answered, which filled hope immediately right into the hearts of the companions. "If you all prove yourselves to all worlds, everything will be alright, and by your hands, Sora, the Realm of Light will be returned to peace."

"Okay, got it." Sora nodded, smiling.

"Uh, just exactly how do we do that?" Myde asked, confused and dumbfounded.

"First, you must find Aced. His heart is in a dark place, and if he is not stopped, then he will only make things worse." Zeus instructed.

The group nodded. At least they were getting somewhere, so this adventure wasn't as different as any of their previous ones. Mickey smiled warmly at the King of the Gods, "Thank you, Zeus."

"Any time, Mickey." Zeus laughed.

"I guess that means you're leaving already, huh?" Hercules thought with an emotional smile.

"Don't worry, we'll be back." Sora promised, adding, "And we'll bring Cloud and Zack with sometime soon when everything's back to normal for a match!"

While Hercules was surprised to hear that Zack was alive, he smiled none the less, looking forward to it. After a fond farewell, Sora and his companions left Mount Olympus and silently returned to the Gummi Ship after Sora locked the World's Keyhole to keep it safe from Darkness for the time being, with a promise to return for an update and just in case Hades would show up again.

For now, the group's goal was to find Aced and stop him from doing anything too drastic, as well as make sure Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis were alright.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that the ending of the chapter wasn't as good, but in this story, Olympus Coliseum will be sort of like Radiant Garden, Traverse Town and the Mysterious Tower. The next world will be given what I think, so I'm not sure which one to do next, and before any of you ask, I'm sorry to say, but I'm not taking any requests and no, I'm not using any other contents. This is Final Fantasy and Disney world contents only.**

 **See you in the next chapter as soon as I'm able!**


	6. CH5: Not so Groovin'

**Author's Note: Been driving myself crazy on which new world I should do even before I finished off the first district of Olympus Coliseum. The original plan was to have the world based on Emperor's New Groove later on in the story, but between deciding either to do Tangled next, or Frozen next, or another idea which I still plan to have it later on, or even considering of maybe adding Toy Story(probably won't but if you're not happy with me not adding it, I'll add it), but I've admitted defeat and decided to go with this next.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH5: Not so Groovin'.**_

In a world not too far from Olympus Coliseum, Maleficent was looking out of the window of a large, golden palace which recently has ben redecorated in dark purple tapestries and terrifying statues. The witch was still doubting that what Hades told her was true, considering how he has a history of being a liar, even towards other villians back two years ago. On the other hand, he had his hands full, but she was fully aware that Sora and his friends would no doubt meddle yet again. But as long as those fools were unaware of her current plans, they'll be too busy, which gave her full advantage.

She dismissed her thoughts for the time being and turned back to the conversation she was having with Beckett who came along for this special trip as Pete had gone off under her orders. The Lord of the EITC was speaking with an old woman with pale wrinkled skin, wearing a dark purple dress with a plumage collar, matching head dress and huge purple earrings, and looked as though she owned the place, which, given the latest development that's happened just recently, she did.

"Quite astonding that you managed to take over the Palace and declaring yourself as a rightful leader to this world, Yzma." Beckett told the woman who grinned at him.

"Oh please, Mr. Beckett." Yzma waved off, "This is nothing compared that you and Maleficent have accomplished."

"In which case, perhaps it's best to get down to business." Beckett replied, politely gesturing at Maleficent to speak.

The witch nodded, and said, "How would you like to go even further, if you agree to help me in the goal of finding two powerful artifacts? A Book of Prophicies and a Black Box, perhaps?"

"I don't know anything about those two, but I might lend a hand." Yzma said, while behind her, a tall muscular young man with black hair dressed in blue and yellow was busy cooking on a small barbeque behind her. "After all, I can always send my henchman to do it."

"Are you talking about that man who foolishly turned the Emperor into an animal?" Beckett scoffed.

The old woman smirked, "Well, I must admit, I was worried when Kronk mixed up those potions, but now that Kuzco is dead, all is forgiven."

This made Kronk shake, as he accidently began to mess up the cooking and accidently burnt the cleaning cloth before quickly putting it out, and pretended to be innocent, which, unfortunately, caught attention of the other three. So, he said, nervously, "Ah. Oh, yeah, yeah. He's...heh. He's dead, all right. I mean, you can't get much deader than he - than he is right now. Unless, of course, we killed him again."

This immediately made Yzma suspicious and approached him before he could distract himself, grabbing him by the cheeks and asked, "Kuzco is dead, right? Tell me Kuzco's dead. I need to hear these words."

"Do you need to hear all those words exactly?"

Yzma froze at this response, before growling through her teeth, "He's still alive!?"

"Well, he's not as dead as we would've hoped." Kronk admitted in embarrassment.

"Kronk...!" Yzma snarled, her face turning red.

"I just thought I'd give you the heads-up in case Kuzco ever came back."

"He can't come back!"

"Yeah. That would be kind of awkward - especially after that lovely eulogy." Kronk recalled.

Not responding to that, Yzma grabbed Kronk by the collar and pulled him down to her level. "You and I are going out to find him. If he talks, we are through! _Now,_ _let's,_ _**move!**_ "

When she regained her posture, she noticed that Maleficent and Beckett were watching her. The latter then cleared his throat and told her calmly, his expression not having changed even the slightest, "I believe you may need to calm your temper and focus on what you need to do."

"The Heartless will help you in retrieving Kuzo. The darkness can help as long as you don't seep too deep into it." Maleficent suggested.

Yzma growled at the two of them, before sighing and grumbled while placing her hands on her hips, "Oh, well. It's a start, I suppose."

She then clapped her hands, and a small army of Heartless appeared, in forms of Jagulars with the Heartless symbols on their chests, their eyes yellow, fur all purple, and claws black. "Find Kuzo and either bring him here or finish him off!" Yzma ordered.

The Heartless bowed their respect before vanishing into the darkness. Yzma in the meantime dragged Kronk out of the Palace without giving a farewell to Maleficent and Beckett.

"Very ill tempered, that woman." Beckett admitted, with slight annoyance.

Maleficent could only nod in agreement.

* * *

 _ **{Kuzco-Topia}**_

Having traversed through the worlds between gate-ways now that Sora had a better idea how to get across once more, he and his team had left Olympus Coliseum behind and travelled in the Gummiship to really begin their quest per Zeus' advice. Though all of them knew that this journey will be three times difficult as the last time, much to their dismay, but they were not backing down now.

They now found themselves in a new world with a large Palace, a Jungle, and a Hill-Top village before Mickey declared to make landing. Soon the beams of light rained down in the middle of a hilltop village as Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Skuld, Myde and Jack Sparrow appeared as the lights revealed them. The sixteen travellers glanced around their new surroundings as they took in the sight of the night sky, lush green lawns and small huts decorating the hill. All seemed quiet.

"Where is everyone?" Terra asked.

"Maybe they're asleep right now." Skuld suggested, "It is pretty late."

"Maybe not everyone, 'cause I don't think people up on the top had gone to bed." Myde pointed out as he pointed up at the hill, where lights from the window of the hut at the very top were still on.

The others nodded in agreement, before Kairi tried and failed to cover a soft yawn behind her hand, looking quite sleepy.

"You okay, Kairi?" Xion asked.

"I'm okay. Just really sleepy." Kairi responded.

"Me too." Sora complimented, stretching his arms up as he yawned himself, and the others suddenly realised just how really tired they were. He then suggested, "Maybe they'll let us stay the night. I bet all of us could use a rest."

"I agree. Let's go ask." Aqua replied.

Lea stretched his arms up, commenting, "Man, would I give for a nice soft bed and warm fire."

"And a nice soft bed. With a soft pillow..." Myde yawned.

"Not sure I would be getting much sleep with the movement underneath me." Jack grumbled. He was in for a rough night. He was certain of it. It's been years since he slept in a bed on dry land and that'd been before he ran off when he was a teenager.

The others didn't say anything and instead all of them made their way up the hill. The walk was peaceful without a single heartless in sight as off yet. No one said a word, as they were all tired and were glad for the peace and quiet. Soon they arrived at the top of the hill where one of the natives was sitting on the edge of a small stone pond. He was an overweight man in a green hand-made poncho, sandals and a brown hat. He had a pet white llama who was grazing with a cart still attached to its back. Sora and Ven looked towards the man and noticed that he looked sad. Without a second thought, the teenagers walked over to the man. Feeling that he wasn't alone anymore, the man lifted his head up and looked at the world-travellers with a confused expression on his face.

"Sir, are you okay?" Ven asked kindly.

The man nodded, "Oh, y-yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired from my trip." Before asking, "Who are you? I don't think I've ever seen any of you around here before."

"I'm Ventus, but you call me Ven." Ven replied.

"And I'm Sora." Sora added, before indicating the rest of the group behind him and Ven, "These are our friends; Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Myde, Skuld and Jack."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Pacha, I'm the village leader." Pacha replied with kindness as he shook everyone's hand. "So where are you all from?" At his question, the entire group tensed up and looked around at each other. No one said anything until Jack spoke up.

"Pretty far away, mate." The pirate responded, shrugging, "We've been travelling quite a lot that we haven't had much thought on where we came from, and it's kind of annoying sometimes, really." being exceptionally good in being a liar that easily makes people believe that he'd been telling the truth.

Sora and the others did their best not to be too surprised by this. Mickey had been seconds behind Jack in responding to Pacha's question, but held it off. Instead, he and the others nodding in agreement with Jack's fib.

"I see. Do you need anywhere to stay? I'm sure my wife won't mind; she loves house guests." Pacha asked, understanding.

"If that's alright with you." Aqua replied kindly, "We don't want to be intruding on you or your family."

"Or make things inconvienent." Skuld added.

"Well, no one else is going to be much help this late at night. And we have more than enough blankets. It'll be a bit of a squeeze though, if that's alright." Pacha responded. Sora and his friends looked at each other, before making their final decision.

"Gee, that's real nice of ya', Pacha." Mickey said, speaking for everyone.

However, before anyone else could respond, everyone noticed one of the bags on Pacha cart was moving. Myde approached it and began poking at the bag before he asked, "What's in here?"

"I don't know." Pacha replied, scratching his head in confusion as he approached the moving bag. "I don't even remember this bag being here."

"Maybe someone accidently dropped it in the city and you didn't even notice?" Roxas suggested.

"Most likely, now that you mention it." Pacha agreed, as he couldn't think of a better scenario, as he undid it. And out of the bag, to everyone's surprise, was another dizzy, black and red-furred llama. "Where'd you come from, little guy?" Pacha asked

"No touchy." The llama slurred, almost as though he was drunk. Everyone jumped in surprise at hearing the llama talk. Jack squeeked, Pacha and Lea both stumbled into Isa, Ven and Mickey, causing all four of them to fall onto the ground, Terra and Aqua both stood in defence stances, Roxas and Xion gapped and froze, Skuld gasped, covering her mouth, Donald jumped into Goofy's arms and the two clinged onto each other, Sora and Riku both stood protectively in front of Kairi and Myde shook violently in fear.

"AAHHH!" Myde screamed hysterically, pointing at the talking llama, before exclaiming, panicking, "Demon Llama!"

"Demon llama!? Where?" The llama asked, panicking himself as he turned to face the normal llama who screamed in fright. He in turn screamed in terror before the talking llama ran out of the bag, surprisingly on two legs before he lost his balance and tripped and rolled right into the wall of a small pond, and layed dazed upside down on the ground. "Ow, my head..."

"Very unusual demon llama..." Jack muttered, still stunned beyond belief.

"Gawsh, I hope he's okay." Goofy said, worriedly.

Pacha stood up and slowly approached the llama, saying to it slowly and calmly, "Okay, demon llama. Just take it easy. We mean you no harm."

The llama shook his head, shaking off the dizzyness, before asking the man, "What are you talking about?" before realising as though he recongised him as rightened himself up on his hooves and glared, "Oh, wait, I know you. You're that whiny peasant."

Pacha gasped at this response, suddenly realising why the voice sounded awfully familiar. But how could this be? "Emperor Kuzo?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. Who do you think you were talkin' to?" Kuzco replied, not getting why the guy who he just met earlier was so shocked about now. What was it with peasents?

"Eh?" Jack asked, shocked even further.

"What?" Everyone else asked, shocked and disbelief.

"Wait a minute-this guy is an Emperor?" Myde asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Can somebody please explain to me what's goin' on?" Lea asked, hardly believing what was happening. The rest of the group looked upon Kuzco the llama, all with equal expressions of shock and confusion.

"How did this happen?" Aqua wondered, just as at loss.

"He wasn't like this the last time I saw him; I don't know how this happened." Pacha replied honestly.

"Hey! I'm right here!" Kuzco snapped, unaware of he hooves he was using to balance himself, "You show me respect and speak to me when I'm around!" unaware that he was standing on his hooves.

Everyone shifted around uncomfortably, looking between each other until Pacha stepped foward, trying to explain as nicely as he could to break the news, "Uh, how did...You don't look like the emperor."

"What do you mean I don't look like the emperor?" Kuzco demanded, rudely.

"You're not even noticing the difference?" Isa asked, skeptically.

"What difference? How can I be different? I'm the same young empe-" Kuzo was saying as he pointed at Isa while raising a hoove to point at him, but cut himself off and gasped in shock when he saw that his hand had turned into hooves. "It can't be!"

Instantly, he turned to the fountain that he'd crash into and looked into his reflection and cried out dismay before turning and began to rant. "Agh! My face! My beautiful, beautiful face! I'm an ugly, stinky llama! WAH-HAHA! Llama face!" Kuzco was pulling at his cheeks before he began screaming and crying after collasping onto the ground.

"Wait, okay, your Majesty. Shh." Pacha said in an effort to calm the young emperor down.

Jack rolled his eyes and finally became very annoyed, before grumbling at the hysterical emperor-turned-into-llama, "Oh, shut it, and calm down." only to be smacked on the back of the head by Aqua who glared at him for being disrespectful, despite Kuzco's apparent rude personality.

"Okay, calm down and think slowly." Terra suggested, before winching when Kuzco slapped himself in the face to snap out of it.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"I'm tryin' to figure it out, okay!?" Kuzco snapped.

Mickey approached Kuzo and said calmly, "Can I suggest that you calm down and think slowly?"

"What was the last thing that you remember?" Kairi asked, gently.

"I-I don't know." Kuzco panicked a little, but then seemed to recognize something about Pacha. "Wait a minute. I remember you. I remember telling you that I was building my pool where your house was."

"Wait, you were going to built a pool where Pacha's house is?" Roxas demanded, "Why would you do that!?"

"It's going to be a birthday present to myself." Kuzco retorted while brushing Roxas off and continued to Pacha while going back into his memories, "Then you got mad at me-!" before gasping and then accused him, "And then you turned me into a llama!"

"What?" Pacha demanded angrily, "No, I did not!"

"Yes, and then you kidnapped me!"

"Why would I kidnap a llama?"

"Yes, why would anyone kidnap a llama?" Jack pipped up to make point of the rather useless argument.

"I have no idea." Kuzco replied to Jack, pointing at Pacha, "He's the criminal mastermind, not me!"

"What!?" Pacha yelled, glaring at him.

"Alright, that's enough, you two!" Mickey told both Kuzco and Pacha as he, Donald, Sora and Kairi stepped between the two of them. "No ones to blame here!"

"Fighting isn't going to solve anything!" Kairi added. "And everyone's positive that Pacha is innocent."

"Not to mention that we have more important things to worry about; like how to get you back to normal. Savvy?" Jack concluded, quickly joining them, and added to Kuzo, "What say you to that plan, your highney?"

Kuzco thought about this plan, and as much as he hated to agree with these peasents, he had to admit that this drunken guy did have a very good point. "You're right, me getting back to normal is important."

"Okay, so now that's settled," Sora began, asking, "Is there anyway to reverse this?" while Riku, Aqua, Isa and Terra all felt headaches developing.

"There is." Kuzco replied, quickly getting into the plan, "Okay, first, gotta get back to the Palace. Yzma, my ex-advisor has this ' _Secret_ _Lab_ '. I'll just snap my fingers and order her to change me back!"

"If you had any." Riku muttered under his breath, and Donald nodded in agreement.

Thankfully, Kuzco didn't pay attention and instead started wobbly walking down the dirt trail. "Hey, all of you! No time to waste. Let's go." The llama-emperor snapped at the people surrounding him. But no one made a move to follow him. Kuzco noticed and pointed towards the trail. "Hey guys, I want to get out of this body. Wouldn't you? Now, let's go!"

Still, no one moved, or even said anything, until Pacha told him firmly, "Build your summer house somewhere else."

"Wanna run that by me again?" Kuzco asked, turning to glare at Pacha at this response while starting to march back towards him.

"I can't let you go back unless you change your mind and build your summer home somewhere else." Pacha spoke calmly, but was surprised when Kuzco smirked.

"I got a little secret for you. Come here. No, closer." Kuzco smirked, Pacha leaned in close to him but was unprepared when Kuzco screamed right into his ear, "I DON'T MAKE DEALS WITH PEASANTS!"

"Well, then I guess I can't take you back." Pacha replied stubbornly while crossing his arms, after cleaning his ear out from the sudden ringing.

"And don't even think about asking us until you change your attitude and your decision." Aqua added sharply, glaring at Kuzo along with everyone else who nodded in agreement. She was understandably angry with the fact this emperor was attempting to destroy the kind man's home all for a swimming pool.

"Fine! I don't need any of you." Kuzco huffed. "I can make my own way back." turning once more towards the dirt trail, only to be stopped by Pacha when he said this.

"I wouldn't recommend it." Pacha warned, standing in front of him. "It's a little dangerous if you don't know the way."

"Nice try, pal." Kuzco smirked as he walked past him and into the jungle.

"No, really, I'm telling you, there are jaguars and snakes and quicksand!" Pacha called after him when Kuzco started singing.

"La la la la. I'm not listening!" Kuzco sang off-key as he walked further and further away.

"I'm not kidding! Listen, you cannot go in there!"

"La la la-oh-omph!" Kuzco grunted when he nearly lost balance before rightening himself and still wandered off into the jungle, and called back in a sing-song tone, "Still not listening!" before he disappeared through the foliage of the jungle and Pacha was steaming with irritation.

"Aw, you... Fine. Fine. Go ahead!" Pacha roared after him.

"Are you really just going to let him go on his own like that?" Ven asked, concerned.

Pacha just shrugged as he replied, "If there's no Kuzco, there's no _Kuzcotopia_. Takes care of my problem."

"His funeral." Jack shrugged in agreement, before smirking and said, "Then again, it's not our problem if he wants to do something stupid."

"We can't just leave him like this!" Kairi protested, "He could die out there!"

"Aw phooey! He'll be fine." Donald scoffed, "Who wants to help a brat like him?"

"But what if he gets attacked!? We can't just sit here and not do anything!" Kairi argued.

"She's right." Pacha sighed, after his conscience had been arguing with him and he did always listen to it. "I know I'm probably going to regret this, but we need to at least help Kuzco through the jungle."

"In other words we're going in there, right?" Lea asked, folding his arms behind his head.

"Yep." Donald grumbled.

"And we're going to save the whiny emperor who doesn't like us?"

"Pretty much." Jack nodded, in a tone of that of a tired parent.

Lea groaned as he slumped lower, "So much for a good night's sleep."

"Well, c'mon! We gotta catch up to Kuzco!" Mickey cried out. Pacha took the lead and everyone else, even the reluctanted Lea, Isa, Donald, Jack and Myde, quickly followed into the jungle.

* * *

Meanwhile deep within in the damp, dark, cold jungle, Kuzco wandered along a dirt path, laughing at the scenery and mocking Pacha's warnings.

"Scary jungle. Right. _Ooh, a leaf. Ooh, it might attack me. Oh, it's a scary tree. I'm afraid._ Ha ha. Please. Never find my way? I'm the emperor, and as such, I'm born with an innate sense of direction. Okay, where am I? Wha-" Kuzco started to get nervous as he asked himself this, noticing how scary the jungle really was.

A fly then zipped past him before it was caught in a spider web above him, calling out for help until the fly met it's doom when the spider then gobbled it up instantly. Kuzco cringed in disgust, before admitting to himself, "Oookay, that was the freakest thing I've ever seen."

He then heard bushes rustle and it becoming louder and louder, meaning that whatever it was in the bushes was coming closer and closer and Kuzo froze still. He then gasped, before becoming annoyed when a small, cute squirrel holding an acorn jumped out of the bushes. Well, that was humilating.

Grumbling to himself at the over reaction, Kuzo then asked rudely to the small animal, "What do you want?"

The squirrel only held out his acorn for Kuzco. "Oh, for me? Why, I don't know what to say." The squirrel blushed before Kuzco threw the acorn hard on the squirrel's head, causing him to release a yelp of pain.

"Hit the road, Bucky!" The emperor snapped as he began walking away after giving it a raspberry, but Kuzco was stopped dead in his tracks by the jaguar heartless, appearing out of dark shadows, surrounding the stunned llama. "Uh-oh." He squeeked.

The squirrel smirked before appearing near him again, pulling out a red balloon before shaping it to that of a llama, held out and also pulled out a sharp needle, threatening to burst it, muttering in squrriel gibberish.

"No, no. No, no, no, no. No, no. No, don't." Kuzco practically begged. The squirrel popped the balloon with a big bang, but the heatless didn't move. "HA!" Kuzco laughed, before gasping as the Heartless suddenly moved and growled at him.

He immediately made a run for it deeper into the jungle, screaming. The Heartless were about to chase after him but were suddenly blocked when a couple of them were hit by a shield. A second later Goofy jumped up, grabbed his shield and stood protectively where Kuzco ran off into. Most of the others also appeared in fighting stances as well, while Pacha, Kairi(who was told by Sora and Aqua to go with, mainly for her safety after the Rock Titan and she hesitatedly agreed), Myde and Jack(much to the two's dismay) raced into the jungle to find and rescue Kuzo.

Sora, Riku and Terra swiped at the Heartless with their Keyblades before the three of them and Ven teamed up and delivered impressive team-work of whacking the Heartless somewhat pinball style until Sora finished it off by tossing the Heartless into the tree where they vanished. Mickey and Ven joined hands and spun around while firing out orbs of light at the Heartless that tried to attack them but were hit by the lights as they did until the monsters faded. Lea and Roxas combined fire-spells and while the redhead spun his Keyblade in a new trick like he would with his Chakrams before sending it out, Roxas tossed a fire-ball that combined with Lea's Mini-Firenado that caught eight Heartless off-guard.

Isa, Skuld and Aqua did the similier thing, only using Wind Spells that created a tornado of sorts that trapped five other Heartless before the three of them leaped into it, and whacked the defendless Heartless several times before landing as they let the spell finish them off. Donald casted Thunderaga that electrocuted two Heartless before jumping out of the way as he didn't want to get scourched again like last time. Xion glared at the Heartless she was facing before she leaped into the air and thrusted her Keyblade down at one of them, slashing forward and backwards at the other two Heartless despite quickly getting exhausted as were everyone else. Goofy whacked the remaining Heartless with his shield like a one-handed club that always did some damage that he did several times until his opponents were defeated.

In the meantime, Kairi and her group searched around for Kuzco as all they had to do was follow his screams, before the four of them were confronted by more of the Heartless. Jack was slicing at them with his Keyblade the same way he would with his cutlass, starting to get used to it as it started to feel a bit less heavy. Myde whacked them with his styer and water elements, and Kairi twirled around as she whacked and slashed at the Heartless before jumping away before one could poison her while protecting Pacha.

The group soon found themselves cornered towards a high cliff despite defeating the Heartless, and down below them, was Kuzco at another cliff, surrounded by more Heartless Jaguars, and he muttered nervously, "You killer jaguars..."

"We have to get to him!" Kairi cried out, worriedly.

"And how do we do that?" Myde asked, skeptically.

Jack and Pacha both glanced at the two younger people, then noticed a vine near them that was long enough to swing across the long gaps of cliffs, then at each other, as a crazy came into mind. Finally, deciding that he was faster and far more lighter than Pacha, Jack grumbled as he took off his coat and accessories, "At least I don't have to worry about getting arrested this time." and handed them to Pacha and Myde, telling them firmly, "Do not lose these."

"Jack, what are you-?" Kairi asked, before cutting herself off once she realised what Jack intended to do.

Without responding, Captain Jack Sparrow grabbed hold of the vine and jumped and leaped, allowing it to hold him as he swung down, yelling(and slightly screaming considering how high it actually was), towards the petrifized Kuzco and in the nick of time, the pirate snatched the emperor bodily with one arm.

"Aaaaggggh!" Kuzco screamed as he gazed down at the vastness of the jungle below him and saw how high it really was, clinging onto Jack in paralyzing fear.

"Oi, will you shut it already!?" Jack winched at the loud screaming at his ear. "I saved your life!"

"Jack, look out!" Kairi's voice echoed, as from where she, Pacha and Myde were standing, they saw where Jack and Kuzco were about to crash into.

But by then, it was already too late as the vine struck into a tree spinning them around and around in a fast ring before finally stopping leaving them all tied tightly upon it as it snapped off leaving them in an extremely awkward position, with Jack on the top while at the bottom facing the impending doom below was Kuzco. By then, Sora and the rest of the group arrived on the lower cliff Kuzo was at earlier after finishing off the Heartless, before Kairi, Pacha and Myde joined them and when they saw what happened, they began to really panic and worry.

"Do I want to know?" Isa asked.

"I don't think so." Myde muttered, worriedly.

Somehow recovering and having grown tired of the screaming feast, Kuzo then asked to Jack, "Maybe I'm new to this whole rescuing thing, drunk guy, but this to me might be considered kind of a step backwards, wouldn't ya say?" clearly annoyed.

Jack felt a bit embarrased by this, before admitting, "First time I got tied up by a tree while swinging." then quickly added, "But like all sticky situations which I happen to so get out off, we can get out of this one. Savvy?"

Unfortunately, the moment he said this, the tree trunk began to crack making it bend downwards making them all freeze in seconds, Kuzco sensing what was going to happen after his moment of shock said, "You know what? I hate you already."

"Feelin's mutual, mate." Jack responded with a sigh.

Much to the horror of Sora and everyone else who tried to reach the duo, they were too late as the tree snapped entirely making them all fall into the depths below making Jack and Kuzco scream, so immediately the rest of the group raced down, knowing that Aqua, Terra and Ven couldn't use their Keyblade armors. The tree smacked into rocks left and right until rolling onto a ledge of some kind that propelled them forwards into the water of the river. Jack and Kuzo spouted bubbles of air. Twisting in its depths they finally broke the surface again as they breathed hard all spluttering out water that had got into their mouths, however it wasn't over yet as they then suddenly rushed down the current of the water, smacking into more rocks before being flipped over once more down a small waterfall into another calmer river.

The two coughed and spluttered water their little exhilarating experience Jack and Kuzco at last had the chance to recover themselves, breathing hard from exhaustion as the log spun them around slowly. Kuzco still in his dampened annoyed mood spoke again, "I don't know about you, but I'm getting all funned out."

"Could be worse." Jack tried to say opimistically, only to gaze ahead of him and Kuzco, quickly realising that it was already worse. Eyes wide in horror at the sight before him, he muttered in an anxious tone, "Oh, bugger."

"Don't tell me," Kuzco began, seemingly calm and unfazed. "We're about to go over a huge waterfall."

"Yep." Jack answered, in the sudden same unfazed expression as the Emperor.

"Sharp rocks at the bottom?"

"Probably."

Still with the stotic and unfazed expression, Kuzco then muttered, "Bring it on."

Then at once before they toppled, Jack screamed at the top of his lungs, while Kuzco yelled out, "BOOOOUUUU-YAAAAAHHHHH! WOOOO!" As the tree fell from the waterfall and crashed into the bottom down into the depths below.

* * *

The moment they saw the two of them go down, they feared for the worst as they reached the shorelines of the river below the waterfall. Just when they thought all was lost as broken shards of the log floated up, Goofy then pointed at something at the water, "Look! There's Jack!"

True to Goofy's word, Captain Jack Sparrow resurfaced, spluttering and quite amazed that he was still alive. Next to him briefly, an unconscious Kuzo floated up and Jack quickly grabbed hold of him before the llama could sink. He then pulled him along the water towards the shore, and was thankful that the others were there. Lea, Isa, Terra, and Pacha raced forward and pulled both of them out of the water.

"Easy, easy." Lea muttered as he and Pacha pulled Kuzo onto the ground, while Isa and Terra pulled Jack to his feet while the pirate was soaking wet.

"See that?" Jack began, before ranting a bit, "Because I will _not_ be doing that again!"

"What are you, crazy!?" Sora snapped at the pirate. "You guys could've gotten killed!"

"It's not my fault the Emperor was the one stupid enough to ignore Pacha's warning!" Jack snapped back. "Someone had to rescue the bloody llama from the Heartless!"

"Yeah, but you could've just looked where you were goin'!"

"Says the one who recklessly puts himself in danger constantly just like Will!"

"At least I look where I'm going!"

Both Jack and Sora glared at each other angrily, prepared at any minute to strike before Kairi stepped between them, while Ven and Riku pulled Sora back and Mickey, Donald and Goofy restrainted Jack.

"Stop it, both of you!" Kairi shouted. "This isn't the time to be fighting!"

Once both Sora and Jack stopped resisting, after their friends let them loose, the two of them pouted and looked away from each other angrily, their arms crossed to their chests, not willing to even glance or speak to one another at the moment. The others all sighed.

"This is exasperating." Donald groaned.

"Now now, while things did get out of control, the important thing is that everybody's alright right now." Mickey told the two irritated boys as calmly as he could. "Relatively speakin'."

"Uh, guys?" Myde spoke up, worriedly, "I hate to break this up, but Mr. Whiny Prince's not breathing."

When everyone else heard this, they all immediately turned their attention to Kuzo who still layed unconscious, as Aqua, Lea, Isa, Terra, Skuld and Pacha hovered around him, while the latter tried to get him to respond. "Come on, breathe. Breathe!"

The women of the group gasped in horror when this didn't happen and the rest of the group suddenly feared that they'd been too late. In desperate measures, while at the same time not liking this method, Pacha then cautionly moved his hands forwards as he then opened his mouth and at once as his teeth were moved back a tongue sprouted up almost like a springy toy, much to everyone's disgust.

"Ah, yuck." Lea groaned, feeling a bit green as his stomach turned. Even Pacha repelled back, before bravely began to attempt the heroic act and moved forward to press his lips to Kuzo's, while everyone else cringed and were unable to look, turning away from the sight.

But then suddenly at once as Pacha came within an inch of his lips, Kuzco's eyes opened up as he looked up to see him and his kissy face. Once Pacha felt something that made his eyes open and saw Kuzo's eyes looking at him, alarmed. The two then immediately pulled away from each other in seconds and cried out in disgust before they began to spit and rub their lips. As Sora and everyone else turned to see the preformance, they cringed awkwardly, while Kuzo and Pacha slowly looked at each other before looking away again, groaning in disgust once more.

"I'm not even going to comment." Terra muttered, cringing.

"Took the words right out of my-uh, n-nevermind!" Lea quickly cut himself off when he realised what he was about to say and actually felt nauesous at what just happened. "Think I'm gonna be havin' nightmares tonight."

* * *

A little while later, after recovering, the group stopped at a small area near a rock and a lake to rest for the night as they were tired and it was far too late at night to head back to the village. Kuzco was busy gargling getting rid of the germs that he thought he supposedly had got from Pacha's 'kiss', however he was getting annoyed as everyone stared at him, while Pacha told him for the umpteenth time, "For the last time, it was not a kiss." while he was busy trying to make a campfire to warm themselves from the cold jungle air.

"And at least you were not wearing a corset." Jack added, busy drying himself off while referring to the time when he rescued Elizabeth Swann who nearly drowned thanks to the extremely tight corset she'd been wearing that day, which unfortunately brought back memories of when she forced him to join Sora's group in order to keep him safe but had also exiled him from their world and now was stuck as a much bigger fugitive than ever.

But just as Pacha managed to get the fire started, Kuzco approached, still disgusted as ever as he spoke, "Well, whatever you guys call it," He then spat much like a llama does and then put out Pacha's hard worked fire in seconds, much to everyone's annoyance, "It was _dees-gust-ing!_ "

"And that _wasn't?_ " Isa asked skeptically, referring to what Kuzco just did.

"Touche." Kuzco dryly responded.

"Ah, no sweat, Pacha. I got this." Lea smirked at Pacha, before snapping his fingers as softly as possible while aimed at the log, and in the matter of seconds a new campfire was lit due to the redhead's nature of being using the power of fire.

"Wow. Thanks, Lea." Pacha smiled, delighted.

"Perks of bein' a fire wielder." Lea joked with a wink. "No prob."

Annoyed that the attention was taken from him, Kuzco then continued to Pacha, "And if you would've done what I ordered you to do in the first place...we all could've been spared your little _kiss of life._ "

"You will please stop it with that attitude of yours, _your highness?_ " Skuld groaned, rubbing her forehead. She was sick of the Emperor's personlity and it was driving her nuts.

Kuzco didn't respond, and instead shook his woolly coat which caused the water to spread everywhere and Lea's fire was put out which made him cry out in sheer annoyance, "Hey!"

The Emperor then walked off while Pacha again tried to relight the fire, and as the llama made himself at home near the rock, he continued, smuggly, "And now that you're all here, you will take me back to the palace!" The group of world-travellers slumped in defeat. "I'll have Yzma change me back, and then I'll start construction on Kuzcotopia. Oh, yeah!"

Taking a deep breath while controlling her anger, Aqua then spoke calmly, "Your Majesty, I think we've all had a big misunderstanding."

"Mmm-hmm." Kuzo muttered, uninterested as he was using Pacha's poncho as a towel to dry himself off.

"If you really think about it, you might suddenly decide to build your vacation house on another, more empty hill-top that's for free." Myde perked up, helping Aqua and the others. "You know, that doesn't already have people on it."

"And why would I do that?" Kuzco asked as he tossed the poncho onto the fire that was put out yet again instantly.

Pacha sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing for the others as he hung up his poncho to dry off, "Because, deep down, I think you'll realise you're forcing an entire village out of their homes just for yourself."

"And that's...bad?" Kuzco asked, the entire group nodded.

"Of course it is." Donald said, getting a bit more irritated. "And they wouldn't have anywhere else to go after that!"

Kuzco nodded, as though realising it. Apparently he still didn't get the memo before ultimately told them, "Now take me back."

This made everyone else furious, as Pacha retorted angrily, "What? Wait, wait. How can you be this way? All you care about is building your summer home and filling it with stuff for you!"

"Uh, yeah. Doy. Me. Everyone else in the kingdom gets it. Though you guys are the ones that doesn't seem to be with the program? Wouldn't you say?" Kuzo snapped in return.

"You know what? Someday, you're going to wind up all alone." Pacha told him with serious disappointment in his eyes.

"And you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Isa added.

"And by the time you try to find people who really do care about you, it'll be too late." Aqua concluded, though she tried to get the message into Kuzo's head to make him understand, because deep down, she really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Kuzco rolled his eyes at these pathetic future predictions, before commanding as he pointed his hoof at the group, "Thanks for that. I'll log that away. Now, for the final time, I order you all to take me back to the palace!"

However then acting with the same cool uncaring attitude he'd given them, Sora was the first to react as he told the llama, "Well, looks like you're stuck out here, because unless you change your mind, we're not taking you back."

"And neither of we." Mickey added, crossing his arms.

Seeing that he was being ignored and turned down this way didn't please the young llama emperor as he then uttered in a mocked weenie-annoyed voice behind everyone's backs as they turned back to the fire, " _Because unless you change your mind, we're not taking you back._ Mee mee mee, mo mo mo."

He then picked up a small rock and threw it directly at Pacha's head. The group of seventeen instantly turned around and glared at the llama who was trying to look as innocent as possible. "Huh? What? I didn't do anything. I didn't - Somebody's throwing stuff. You going to build a fire or what? What's going on?" Kuzco mumbled, slinking off against a rock.

"Ugh, he's the snobbiest guy I've ever met." Myde grumbled as he sat on the ground.

"Forget it." Pacha sighed, "He's never going to change his mind."

"We should sleep in shifts." Isa told them, standing up, "I'll take the first one."

"I'm after you." Lea decided, laying down, placing his hands behind his back to use as a pillow, yawning.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, the remaining others getting ready to sleep. Myde, Goofy and Donald collapsed on the ground and instantly started snoring, Mickey yawned and curled up on a patch of grass. Jack layed on the ground, trying to get comfortable before the exhaustion of the day claimed him and he was fast asleep himself. Roxas and Xion layed against one tree, Ven and Skuld did the same by another, Sora, Kairi, Terra and Aqua inched towards the fire, Kairi shivering in her short sleeveless dress, wishing she had a coat or a long sleeved shirt at least.

"Cold?" Sora asked, Kairi nodded looking up at him.

Xion, seeing this, stood up and approached the two, taking off her Organization Coat which revealed her clothes Merlin had lend her, and wrapped it around Kairi's body. The former replica smiled with a shrug, "It's better than nothing."

"Thank you, Xion." Kairi replied, while snuggling against Sora, falling asleep in his arms. It took Sora a moment to register what had just happened before smiling down at the beautiful angel curled up against him. The keyblade master brushed aside Kairi's bangs before lightly kissing her forehead and lying down on the ground, brushing Kairi's auburn hair with his fingers. Next time she was in danger, he would protect her and not fail like he did when the Rock Titan attacked.

Apparently Lea saw that Aqua was shivering too, because he sighed before standing up and took off his coat, revealing his clothes Merlin lent him before offering it to the two who gazed at him questionly. He just shrugged with a smile, silently indicating that she needed more than he did against the cold.

"Not much, but at least it'll keep ya' warm." Lea said, as Terra took it and wrapped it around Aqua's body.

"Thank you, Lea. You're sweet." Aqua replied, smiling.

Lea's face turned red by this response, before shrugging again and then returned to his original position.

Soon enough, almost everyone was asleep. Tomorrow would be a new set of challenges.

* * *

 **A/N: Not sure how this one will turn out, but I will do my best. See you in the next chapter!**


	7. CH6: Trouble with Trust

**Author's Note: Well, just found out today that we won't get anymore info on KH3 until next year...which means that it won't appear in anymore gaming events this year. Either way, let's continue on with this story, shall we?**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH6: Trouble with Trust.**_

 _The Keyblade Graveyard was more horrifying now than Kairi had ever imagined. She had no idea what was going on, but all around her were scattered Keyblades, and not only that...to her horror and despair, were dead bodies of many warriors...including those of her friends; Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, even the allies from other worlds, and six other Princesses of Heart...and more horrifyingly, Sora who layed flat on his back, his Keyblade layed next to him, covered in fatal wounds and his eyes closed._

 _No...not them...especially not him. Tears welling up, Kairi raced towards Sora's body before falling onto her knees and gently picked him up by the head and shoulders, shaking him and pleading him to wake up, but he didn't respond. Still, she kept trying, even summoning her Keyblade and casted as Cure as strongly as she could...but he remained lifeless._

 _"No...no please, no...!" Kairi whispered, cradling Sora's head to her chest as she sobbed. "Sora...Sora, don't leave me!"_

 _As Kairi cried and pleaded her friend to not leave her, suddenly a large menacing shadow loomed over her and Sora's body, and the sudden feeling of evil crept up that suddenly started to make her feel drained of energy. Twisting her body to look behind her, Kairi gasped as to her shock, was Master Xehanort and his Keyblade in hand, Chaos glowing bright red, and behind them, was a sillhotte of a giant figure, light glowing behind it, but Kairi could tell sharp teeth as the figure opened it's mouth a little, either sighing or looking at her hungrily._

 _Either way, Kairi quickly became frightened at the sudden appearences and hugged Sora's head tighter as though attempting to protect him despite that he was gone. To her horror, Xehanort and Chaos both suddenly disappeared and were then absorbed and merged right into the shadowy figure who suddenly grew larger to the size of a Titan, turning into a menacing hybrid monster._

 _"_ _ **Your heart is nothing more than a broken fragment of the X-Blade. Your body is nothing more than clay and a vessel. Your soul is poisoned with emotions.**_ _" The figure bellowed, sounding chorused and monsterous as though it also adopted the voices of Xehanort and Chaos._

 _Kairi was speechless and terrified, helpless as she was alone. She gasped as the figure then reached out it's massive hand to grab her and Sora. She quickly turned away while hugging him tighter, her eyes squeezed shut as she braced herself to be captured..._

* * *

Kairi gasped as she shook rather violently the moment her eyes opened, feeling disorintated and terrified as she tried to figure out where she was, until someone's arms that was holding her shook her to get her out of her dazed state.

"Kairi! Are you alright?"

Gazing up and to her relief, was a very alive but very worried Sora who looked as though he just woke up and was now looking at her with concern. It took Kairi a moment to remember and realise where she was, as everyone else were still asleep, well, except for Riku who took apparently took Lea's place to keep an eye out for danger at some point, as both the redhead and Isa were asleep. Apparently a little while earlier or so, Pacha had given his poncho to Kuzo to keep him warm, though what neither of them had noticed that Kuzo had woken up and had been quite surprised by the act of kindness before having fallen back asleep himself.

It took her another moment to realise that she'd been having a nightmare and tried her best to will her heart to calm down even though the rawness of the intensed fear was still grasping her almost as though she was still trapped within the grasp of the Rock Titan.

Still, she couldn't help but snuggle herself more into Sora's arms, almost too afraid to leave him and Kairi soon found herself wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head onto his chest, shivering, not by the cold as Xion's coat and Sora's embrace did keep her warm, but by the terror of her dream.

"I-I'm okay." Kairi eventually answered. "Just had an awful dream."

"Oh..." Sora muttered, before hugging his friend closer to him, and rubbed her arms soothly to calm her down. It wasn't fair that she went through so much in the last near month and couple of years. And in just the last few days, Kairi went through a lot that nearly made him lose her. Xehanort, Chaos, the Kracken, the Rock Titan, and now nightmares. When he suddenly noticed that she was sniffling and saw the slight signs of tears, it ached his heart in guilt.

"Shh...Kairi, it was just a dream. Everything's okay." He whispered as comfortingly as he could.

Kairi willed herself to calm down, though Sora's words made her feel better. He was right. It was just a dream, though she feared that it was a future prediction. But no, it couldn't be. Xehanort is gone, and although they have Chaos and possibly Bhunivelze to worry about, things were relatively calm. She nodded, and sighed. "I'm sorry I woke you, Sora."

"I'm the one who's sorry." Sora unexpectedly replied.

"Huh?"

"You put yourself in danger, all because of me. I couldn't even protect you the last time. What kind of a Keyblade Master ends up defeated and then gets one of his best friends captured by a giant monster like that?"

"It's not your fault." Kairi pointed out, especially when she realised that Sora blamed himself for the previous incident that had her grabbed by the giant Titan. "I couldn't live without you if that thing killed you. I-I don't want to lose you again."

Sora sighed, in guilt, but forced himself to admit that she was right. Still, he responded almost silently, but loud enough for her to hear, "I don't want to lose you again either, Kairi." before suggesting, "It's still pretty late. Try and get some sleep. Okay?"

"Okay." Kairi muttered, the anderline of fear finally fading and closed her eyes once she realised she was feeling sleepy again. Just talking to Sora, and knowing that he was there to keep her safe, knowing that he didn't want to lose her just as she didn't want to lose him gave her comfort.

Sora layed down with Kairi pillowed on his chest, but didn't dare to fall asleep again himself. Instead, he sighed softly and wrapped the makeshift blanket a bit higher to keep her warm. He couldn't live without Kairi or any of his friends either...for some reason, especially Kairi. He liked her the moment the two and Riku met when they were children, the day after she arrived in their home world from Radiant Garden due to Xehanort and Maleficent. He'd do anything to keep her safe, now more than ever.

Little did the two know, Riku had just returned from his turn as he promised to wake Terra up since the latter voulenteered to take the next turn to keep an eye out, when he had heard what just happened, but stayed by the tree and when he noticed his two best friends talking, he decided not to interfere. He couldn't help but feel proud of Sora making Kairi feel better after a nightmare that seemed pretty bad. Sure Riku rescued Kairi a bit better than Sora, but he knew deep down, it was Sora who kept Kairi's heart safe ever since their adventures began. Not only that, Kairi pretty much regarded Riku an older brother.

With Sora...Riku smirked as he shook his head knowing how Kairi saw their spiky haired friend. The two of them had been closer to each other than anyone else, and it was becoming plainly obvious despite that Sora and Kairi denied it out of embarrassment. He still couldn't help but most of times feel...a little jealous. He always liked Kairi and would've done anything to keep her safe, but in the end, ever since her memory of him was restored when Sora's memories returned to normal, Riku knew that he'd never win her heart. It always belonged to Sora, one way or another.

' _I hope you and Kairi admit your feelings soon, Sora._ ' Riku thought to himself. ' _Because if anything happened before that...you might not get the chance._ '

* * *

The next morning, everyone slowly woke up at the sound of birds chirping, bats returning to their caves after a night of meal hunting for fruit or insects, and the sun rising. Pacha was by a pond and splasing his face with the water to wake himself up even more.

"Uh, hey." Kuzco's voice spoke up, and when the villager looked up, the emperor-turned-llama approached, carrying the poncho in his mouth. The younger native of this world sat down beside him, dropped the poncho into his hoove and handed it back to Pacha, "Thanks."

"Oh. No problem." Pacha replied, carefully taking the Poncho.

After a short silence.

"Feels like Wool." Kuzco admitted.

"Yeah." Pacha agreed.

"Alpaca?"

"Oh, yeah, it is."

"I thought so. Feels nice."

"My wife made it."

"Oh, she knits?"

"Crochets."

"Crochets? Nice."

"Thanks."

The two were left in an awkward silence, while a frog croaked in a short distance while it sat on a lilypad. It was then that Kuzco began speaking again, nervously, "So...so, I was thinking that when I got back to the city, we'd, uh...I mean, there's lots of hilltops, and maybe I might, you know...I - I might..."

"Are you saying...you've changed your mind?" Pacha asked, not believing it.

"Oh, well, I-I..."

"Because you know that means you're doing something nice for someone else."

"No, I know that. I know."

"And you're okay with that?" Terra asked from behind them, causing the two of them turn to see him and the rest of the group standing there, shocked and slightly suspicious on what Kuzco just said.

"Yes." Kuzco answered. Pacha in response gave him a suspicious look, before holding out his hand to the emperor, before quickly saying, "Don't shake, unless you mean it."

Sora and the other worldly travellers waited eagerly for Kuzo's response, until the emperor and Pacha shook hands, which had the latter's suspicious look become replaced with a warm smile.

"Welp, let's getcha back to the Palace, Kuzco." Mickey smiled, happily. Everyone then began to walk out of the jungle.

"Oh, by the way, thanks." Pacha said to Kuzco, pulling his poncho back on.

Unaware to everyone, Kuzco smirked smugly, saying, "No...thank you." before following the group.

* * *

A few hours and some fights against the Heartless later, Pacha led everyone out of the jungle and the sun was high. Still, Sora couldn't help but notice something odd with Kuzco, which made him feel like he wasn't completely honest with his 'change of heart' he had hours ago.

Apparently he wasn't the only one.

"Is it just me, or do you find Kuzo's behavior suspicious?" Isa whispered to Pacha.

Pacha shook his head and replied, "I'm sure it's nothing. Kuzco just needed time to realise that what he was about to do was wrong, and I think he managed to do that last night."

' _If only you knew what the other worlds were like...or my time as Saix_.' Isa thought to himself, mentally still guilty over his actions, but he didn't speak out these thoughts. No, Pacha was wrong. Not everyone was that heartless, but there are still many heartless people or monsters out there; Xehanort was the most heartless man alive and he had payed for being cruel to the Realm of Light.

The villager then turned to everyone and told them as they began to cross the old wooden bridge over the large canyon to the other side where a large golden palace stood in the far distance on more hills, "Okay, everyone. Once we cross this bridge, it's only an hour to the palace."

"Cool place, Kuzco." Lea commented, admiring the palace.

"I'm really glad that we're getting you home, Kuzco." Xion said, smiling warmly at the llama.

"Me too." Kuzco replied, "Because believe or not, I need a bath."

"Not as much as Jack, though." Terra chuckled.

"That's true." Kuzco quickly agreed, crinkling his nose at Jack in disgust.

Jack looked a bit hurt, pouting as he came up with an excuse, "That's trifles you're smelling." which only made his worldly travelling companions roll their eyes.

"Could've fooled me." Roxas said dryly.

All of the sudden, one single board underneath Pacha gave away which caused him to tumble through the hole and get caught by vines under the bridge.

"Pacha!" Everyone except Kuzco exclaimed.

"You okay?" Ven asked, worriedly as he and his team rushed to his aid.

"Yeah...at the moment." Pacha replied.

"Don't worry, Pacha. We'll save ya'!" Mickey called out, as he, Terra and Riku grabbed hold of Pacha's shoulders and tried to pull him up. Sora, Aqua and Donald tried using their magnet spells to work even though they were drained from last night's fight against the Heartless. Kairi, Xion and Skuld tried to pull at the ropes to help pull him back up. Lea, Isa, Roxas and Ven were holding Goofy over the edge so that he might reach him. And Jack tried to reach out to him with his hand without falling down himself. Unfortunately, Pacha was far too down for any of their methods to work. The only one who wasn't worried at all was Kuzco.

"Kuzco!" Ven called out as he and the others pulled Goofy back up.

"Yeah?" The emperor asked, lazily.

"Help us out get Pacha up!" Ven requested. To his and everyone else's shock, Kuzco just push past them and hopped over the hole where Pacha was.

"No, I don't think I will."

"You're going to leave me here?" Pacha asked.

"Well, I was going to imprison you for life, but I kinda like this better." Kuzco replied as he smirked while turning to face everyone again.

"I thought you had a change of heart!" Sora growled, angrily.

"Oh come on, I had to say something to get you guys to make me back to the city."

"So you lied to us?" Aqua demanded, furious.

"Well, yeah. Uh, no wait." Kuzco paused, thinking for a moment as he paused, then remembered and said smugly, "Oh yeah, yeah. It was all a lie. Toodles!" turning away and was about to began walking down the bridge again when he stopped at Pacha's voice.

"WE SHOOK HANDS ON IT!" Pacha yelled furiously, as his voice echoed through out the canyon.

Kuzco turned back while grinning sarcastically, pointing out the obvious to everyone, "You know, the funny thing about shaking hands is...you need hands!" showing off his hooves, which made everyone even more furious, before he chuckled and turned to leave again, "Okay. Buh-bye!"

Only to end up falling through the bridge himself and found himself tangled up in vines in a more awkward position at the same level as Pacha was at the moment.

"You alright?" Jack asked, sounding as though he was suddenly concerned.

"Yeah...yeah I think I'm alright." Kuzco answered while he was gazing at the sky. Well, that was unexpected.

"Good!" Pacha responded before punching him right his right fist that sent him spinning, untangling him in moments and glared at him angrily, "That's for going back on your promise!"

"And you deserved that!" Jack added, twice as angry. Normally this sort of thing with those rich people never bothered him, but the way how Kuzo acted drove him completely mad. He was starting to accept the facts that the emperor was no better than Beckett.

Kuzco quickly retaliated now that he was free to move by kicking Pacha hard and sending him flying, while he used the vines as a swing, before relenting to him and everyone else, "Yeah, well that's for kidnapping me and taking me to your village-which I'm still gonna destroy, by the way and also imprison the rest of these guys too." laughing before quickly regretting it as Pacha came zooming back towards him.

"No touchy..." Kuzo muttered, only for Pacha to smash him with his own legs, causing the emperor to smash right into the wall on the cliff behind him. Despite their fury at him, twelve of the worldly travellers winched in slight sympathy at both of them smacking each other like that.

"He had that comin'." Lea deadpanned about Kuzco. Isa, Jack and Donald all nodded in agreement.

None the less, everyone else were just as angry, before Kairi yelled down at Kuzco, hurt by the betrayal, "I can't believe I even convinced everyone to go and save you! Now I'm ever so sorry that I was even worried!"

"How could you do this us, especially to Pacha!?" Sora added, glaring at the emperor.

"It's even a wonder I even bothered in saving your bloody animal skin that you're currently trapped inside in." Jack added, equally annoyed, "That's almost as worse as my bad choices."

Pacha, who had steadied himself at the opposite cliff, yelling at Kuzco furiously, "They're right! I never should've led them to save you! I was always taught that there's some good in everyone, but oh, you proved me wrong."

Neither of these insults affected Kuzco at all, as he just battered his eyelashes as he mocked the guilt in sarcasm, "Oh, boo-hoo! Now I feel really bad. Bad llama." which just angered everyone else even further.

"I could've let you die out there in that jungle, and then Sora and his friends wouldn't have gotten involved and all of my problems would be over!" Pacha carried on.

"Well, that makes all of the girls here gullible, and the rest of you guys ugly and stupid." Kuzco smirked.

"Oh, that little-!" Lea grunted, only to be held back to Xion and Roxas before he could end up doing something incredibly stupid. Too bad no one else could even stop what was about to happen below them.

"Let's end this!" Pacha growled as he gritted his teeth.

"Ladies first!" Kuzco uttered, just as willing.

"This is gonna be bad." Mickey muttered, now worriedly.

(Cue to the battle-bell!; _**DING!**_ )

On cue, Pacha and Kuzco both swung straight towards each other in, yelling away to prepare for battle. Colliding into each other in the middle, their scuffle started in the matter of seconds as both of them kicked, punched, bited, shoved, pulled, face-bashed and shoved hard echoed in the air, and all the while, Sora and his team winched, flinched and cringed at the rather ridiculous but painful fight below them.

"This is complete madness!" Aqua exclaimed.

"This is men-fighting." Jack corrected, knowingly.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think they're gonna be at it for a while." Lea muttered, placing his hands on his hips.

"Maybe we should stop them before things get worse." Goofy suggested, suddenly sensing that something bad was about to happen in the next 2.5 seconds.

"I think you're right, Goofy." Sora agreed. Sure he was still angry with Kuzo, but he wasn't completely heartless in just letting the emperor get stuck like that forever, and he definitely wanted to help Pacha.

Unfortunately, before the group could stop Pacha and Kuzo from fighting, a new dreaded noise filled their ears and the air, causing all eighteen of them to suddenly freeze on the spot. A huge cracking caused those on the bridge and the two hanging below it to look as it suddenly splintered and coming apart, the ropes and pieces of wood flying and falling everywhere until the entire bridge collasped.

"Uh-oh..." Mickey muttered, comically terrified as he, Donald, Goofy and Myde broke the fourth wall by staring at the readers/viewers, dumbfounded, while Sora and most of the others glanced at each other in terror once they registered this slowly.

"Bugger..." Jack muttered.

They then all plummeted down into the abyss of the canyon, screaming hysterically in panic, "AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" and waving their arms like mad, with Goofy screaming his trade-mark, "YAA-HOO-HOO-HOOEEE!"

When the group were about to crash onto the ledge just above the river, Terra, Skuld and Aqua reacted quickly by summoning their Keyblades and chanted gravita spells that slowed everyone's descent and then land slowly and safely onto it, but not before both Myde and Kuzco collided the back of their heads painfully, "Ow! Ow!"

Everyone panted slightly at the close call, checking one another to see if they were okay, especially how Sora was panically making sure Kairi was alright which she replied that she was fine, much to his relief.

Jack glanced up from where they originally were, before stating sourly, "That's the second time I've fallen into the abyss of a canyon."

"When was your first; when we were on that Isle of Dead Meat?" Lea grumbled sarcastically.

"Actually, yes." Jack smirked, before frowning sheepishly, "When I was tied up to a pole and had fruit stuck on, thanks to two cannibal women."

"Gee thanks for tellin' me." Lea groaned, shuddering.

"Uh...speaking of Dead Meat..." Roxas muttered, scaredly. "I think we're in major trouble."

When everyone else stared at the teenager questionly, the former nobody just pointed down urgently below the ledge at the huge expanse of water, and on top of that, a flock of alligators swimming towards them underneath the cliff-ledge, ready and waiting to eat all of them like delicacies. It didn't help that a swam of flying Heartless began to appear and were heading straight towards them, making everyone back away. Most of them had Kairi, Pacha and the now panicking Kuzo behind them while summoning their weapons.

"What're we gonna do? Ah!" Kuzco trembled in fear, and whined, "What're we gonna do? We're gonna die! We're gonna die! That's it for me!"

"Why do we always get end up in this situation?" Donald groaned, exasperated.

As the flock of bat-like Heartless swarmed in, Sora and his worldly companions quickly took action in fighting the monsters while avoiding in getting themselves, Pacha and Kuzo killed by either having their hearts devoured or falling off the ledge and then getting devoured by the alligators. Mickey and Riku leaped up at three of the flying Heartless and the two of them shot out the combinations of Light and Firaga that blasted the Heartless, before landing back on the ledge while leaping out of the way to avoid the knife-like wings. Skuld and Ven tossed their Keyblades at five more flying Heartless before catching their weapons when they returned to their owners. Jack shot one with his pistol, then slashed at another with his Keyblade-the Pirate Codex he decided to call it-only to end up hit by a poison dart from another. Thankfully, after Donald froze a few Heartless with a Blizzaraga, he quickly used Curaga to cure the pirate from the poison. Myde focused on creating a moving river-water that was sent flying that knocked back two Heartless.

Aqua and Terra used their combined elements of power and magic by first thrusting and clashing their Keyblades at several other Heartless before the latter gave the former a boost, sending her gracefully up as she then smacked another Heartless down right into the water where it was disturbingly eaten by a couple of alligators. Isa and Xion stood back to back before they held hands and the former spun the latter around while she used her Keyblade to attack their enemies. Lea and Goofy both tossed the Chakrams and Shield at the Heartless they were facing which were thrown like frisbees that hit them head on before reclaiming their weapons. Sora and Roxas did a twin attack-combo of sending out Orbs of Light at the Heartless before the two joined hands on Sora's Kingdom Key and thrusted it out at a surprisingly slightly larger Bat-Heartless. Sora then raced forward and leaped into the air while glowing brightly blue and ran along the wall before flipping backwards and twirled his Keyblade at ten other Heartless while midair before desending back onto the ledge.

When some of the Heartless managed to sneak past the group and head towards Kairi, Kuzco and Pacha, the former summoned her Keyblade and whacked and slashed at the Heartless, before she held out her weapon and a beam of light suddenly appeared, which came from her heart when she refused to give in and wanting to protect and help her friends. A beautiful glittering Orb of Light of white and pink was shot out and engulfed two Heartless which then vanished. Pacha actually managed to grab hold of a small log near them and tossed it at another Heartless, sending it backwards and losing it's balance, falling into the water where it drowned. Kuzco, in panic, turned around and unconsciously kicked it in the face with his hind-legs, knocking it down unconscious. Realising what he just did when he saw that he was still alive, Kuzco then saw the knocked out Heartless, and then in panic, trampled onto it until it disappeared, much to his surprise.

Though just when they thought they could relax, ten more flying Heartless appeared and swooped right underneath them and surprisingly lifted all eighteen of them up and right into the air, sending them flying and somersaulting and were about to get hit by the ten remaining Heartless had Sora, Mickey, Aqua, Skuld and Ven shot out orbs of light that finished the Heartless off. The next thing they and everyone else knew, they all landed right at the other side of the canyon, back to where they started before they even had crossed the bridge in such a standing stance it was as though the previous endevour never happened.

Everyone glanced at each other in surprise, especially since the Heartless had unexpectedly helped them get back to soild ground and to safety, leaving them chuckling nervously and dumbfounded at something completel absurd. But at that moment, the ground underneath Pacha gave way. Reacting quickly, Kuzco grabbed him by the poncho and pulled him back away from the edge just as the fallen pieces of earth fell into the abyss.

"Whoo! Yeah!" Kuzco cheered, "Oh, look at me and my bad self. I snatched you right out of the air!" before he looked down at the abyss and did some sort of prayer, " _'Oh, I'm a crumbling canyon wall and I'm taking you with me'_." before returning to normal and smirked smugly, "Well, not today, pal! Uh-huh! Uh-huh, uh-huh. Uh-huh." as he went into some kind of a weird dance moves.

As he was doing this, Kuzco was unaware that everyone else was staring at him in complete shock and astonishment of what just happened. "You just saved my life." Pacha gapped, in utter disbelief.

"Huh?" Kuzco asked, before realising that the villager was right. He then looked uninterested, "So?" as though his actions didn't happen.

"I knew it." Pacha smirked.

"Knew what?" Kuzco demanded.

"That there is some good in you after all."

"Oh, no!"

"Admit it!"

"Wrong!"

"Yes, there is."

"Nuh-uh!"

"I think there is."

"Nuh-uh!"

"You could've always let him fall, mate." Jack joined him, smirking.

"Come on, what's the big deal? Nobody's that heartless!" Kuzco cried out in annoyance, before biting his lips when he realised he blurted it out without thinking. When everyone else held slightly smug expressions that said, 'Told you', he quickly returned to his smug self, saying with a smirk to Pacha, "Don't read too much into it. It was a one-time thing."

Pacha only smiled. "Right, sure. Well, we better get going. With that bridge out, it's a four-day walk to the palace." as he began to walk back up-hill.

This statement made Kuzo surprised, walking up to Pacha and asked, "What? You mean you're still taking me back?"

"I shook on it, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah, uh, but I hope you realize that doesn't change a thing. I'm still building Kuzcotopia when I get back."

"Well, four days is a long time." Aqua pointed out, "Who knows? Maybe you'll change your mind."

"You guys are still coming too?" Kuzco blinked, surprised once more, in which the worldly travellers nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and with the Heartless around, it'll be too dangerous for both of you." Skuld replied.

"Anf if you do have a change of heart, I wanna be there to see it." Kairi smiled as she and her friends followed Pacha up the hill and down the dirt path leading away from the jungle.

"Uh-huh." Kuzco rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Four days...what are the chances of either of you carrying me?"

"Not good." Terra grumbled.

* * *

Meanwhile, in deep part of the jungle, Yzma had been searching for the last couple of days trying to locate Kuzo as well as waiting for the Heartless to show up with him. So far, no luck, and she doubted that he was dead at all. Given Maleficent's warning of a boy with this so called Keyblade, Yzma had a feeling that that brat was already here.

"No! NO! _NO!_ " Yzma said in irritation as she squibbled each of the surrounding villages with black ink to scratch out the locations with her quill. "We've searched every village surrounding the palace and I've sent more Heartless than I can count to find him and still no sign of Kuzco!" She sat back in her chair, getting more and more frustrated. "Where is he!?"

Getting irritated for sitting for so long, she then pulled down a mouthpiece and spoke to it, "Kronk!"

Outside of the blue tent Kronk was carrying as he replied, "Kronk here!"

"I'm getting tired! Pull over!" Yzma ordered from inside.

"Sure thing. Kronk out." Kronk replied before he stopped and crouched down as a makeshift staircase.

Having stopped, Yzma opened the curtains of her tent looking angry and irritated. She stomped onto Kronk who grunted in pain, "OH! AH!" before she she stepped onto his hand, " _AH!_ " he squealled, then rubbed his sore hand while Yzma walked off.

Ymza, trying to get through the jungle, unfortunately she was walking through the mud, making her even more displeased as she was struggling against the gooey mess. She tried to pull out of the horrible mess, but it was futile. This made her growl as she pulled out from her now ruined shoes, "Perfect! These are my best shoes!"

Growling, she then flipped her scarf around her neck as she grumbled softly, "I hate this jungle." while it smacked her in the face, the bottom part of it wed with mud.

Apparently, the jungle's feelings were mutual, because seconds later, a swarm of flies swarmed all over her and began attacking her. She then ran around screaming like a banshee, madly waving her arms as the flies chased after her back and forth...all the while Kronk was studying a small yellow pudgy bird which made a strange chirping noise that was burble, and not noticing the commotion that was happening behind him.

While she was still running away from the flies and wondering furious why her idiot of a henchman wasn't helping, Yzma wasn't looking where she was going and tripped against a tree-root, falling forward face first into the mud..

She pulled herself up, gasping for air as if she nearly drowned. Just then, she noticed a small squirrel who was looking up at her with a smile on his furry features on another tree root in front of her, as he reached up a small acorn to her as he spoke to her in squirrel gibberish.

After a pause, Yzma shrieked, "Get away from me!" which scared the Squirrel in a matter of seconds and he ran up to Kronk and shivered in fear, before the small animal shook an angry fist at her as he spoke on. But then Kronk said, "Yeah, tell me about it."

Then he saw the squirrel was gesturing at himself while speaking squirrel gibberish, Kronk somehow understood what the little guy was saying, and replied, "No, no, it's not you. She's not the easiest person to get close to. There's a wall there. Trust me."

Yzma looked at him in annoyed disbelief as she asked, "Are you talking to that squirrel?" while she cleaned off the mud off her.

Kronk nodded and he explained, "I was a junior chipmunk. I had to be versed in all the woodland creatures." then turned to his new little friend, "Please continue."

With that the squirrel did just that. Yzma just facepalmed herself as she was surrounded by idiocy, pleading to the sky above her, "Ugh! Why me? Why me?" This was not her week.

Kronk, seeing Yzma walk away, stated, "Hey, it doesn't always have to be you. This poor little guy has had it rough. Seems a talking llama gave him a hard time the other day."

Suddenly Yzma returned after hearing this and grabbed Kronk's arm making the squirrel jump in moments as it scurried all over him before ending up behind his neck as she said, "Ah! Oh! A talking llama? Do tell."

But the Squirrel whispered something in Kronks ear, so the tall man explained to the others, "Uh, he really doesn't wanna talk to you guys."

"Well, then you ask him." Yzma ordered, annoyed.

Kronk sighed in annoyance and mumbled, "Hate being in the middle." before he and the squirrel began the conversation, and the smaller male explained to Kronk about what happened, demostrating. "Scary looking Jaguars? And a bunch of kids and other guys fighting them with large key-like swords? No kidding. Brutal."

As Yzma tried to listen into the conversation while leaning in close to the two, in which her earlier prediction was proved right; key-like swords and children meant Keyblades, and that meant that boy Sora and his friends were here, obviously now with Kuzco. However, before the squirrel could continue, he noticed Yzma and stopped, looking away in annoyance, which Kronk noticed and knew what to do.

Kronk asked, "Uh, could you all give us a little room please?"

At this her smile still there looking a little awkward Yzma apologized as she said, "Oh? Sorry."

But the Squirrel waved off the woman, making Kronk request, "Um, a little bit more please?"

Yzma was obviously irritated as she then made a huge stride between all three of them about a metre away. "How's this?" She asked, clearly annoyed.

The little squirrel uttered in his ear as Kronk told her, "Yeah that's good."

Yzma then shouted out to him, getting more and more impatient. "Now ask him which way the brats with the key-swords and the talking llama went!"

Right on track, Kronk asked to the squirrel about the llama, and the small little guy pointed in the direction the llama, Sora and his friends went.

With that, the two villians set off once more, Yzma eagerly to not only kill Kuzco, but to also get rid of Sora and his friends at the same time so that she wouldn't have to worry about them ruining her plans. Not only that, she would also be on Maleficent's good book by doing her a favor.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this chapter was shorter than the last one, but I didn't want the third/last part of Kuzco-Topia shorter in the next chapter.(Just hope the real KH3 story won't be so dark that it'll end up in a cliff-hanger, because I hate cliff-hangers).**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	8. CH7: Revolations

**Author's Note: Whoa, we've been a lot of KH3 news this week. I think the reason for that is to make up for the lack of news last year. Though at the same time I have to admit...this week also had saddening news too, especially since a relative of mine passed away a day or two ago.**

 **So I'm in a mixture of emotions this month, though the mourning is more important to me. At least she's in a better place now.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH7: Revolations.**_

By a few hours of walking, everyone has grown exhausted. By the first hour, Kuzco had given up walking, which led Lea to carry him, after the redhead wasn't able to handle the constant whining any longer. Though that still didn't lift his sour mood.

"Why do I _always_ get stuck with the icky jobs?" Lea groaned, moodily as the llama lounged in his arms.

"You still haven't figured it out yet?" Isa asked, somewhat incrediously, before stating the obvious when his childhood friend glared at him. "Lea, the reason for that is because you _always_ voulenteer."

"Well, that explains everything." Sora laughed, with Kairi giggling.

"Ha, ha." Lea deadpanned, as soon as Roxas, Xion, Ven and Aqua giggled as well while Terra, Myde and Riku smirked. "I forgot how to laugh."

"Maybe you need some laughing lessons." Kuzco teased, before glancing at Sora and Kairi who were walking side by side. Suddenly sensing something going on between them, he then asked to the two teengers, "By the way, how long have you two been dating?"

"Wait, what!?" Sora and Kairi both exclaimed.

"Where'd this come from?" Sora asked, wide eyed, while he and Kairi both blushed dark pink hue on their cheeks.

The emperor rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't tell you're going to deny it."

"Of course they still are." Jack answered for the two embarressed teens. "They don't want to admit it despite that it's painfully obvious."

"You guys are wrong." Kairi quickly shook her head. "Sora and I are close friends."

"Yeah, w-what she said." Sora added.

However, Kuzco, Jack, Donald and Lea were laughing almost hysterically as they caught on Sora and Kairi blushing. "Nice try, guys. You're in _looooove_!" Kuzco said, smugly.

" _~Sora and Kairi, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!~_ " Donald, Lea, and Kuzco sang.

"Guys, stop teasing them. It's not funny." Aqua scolded them, glaring at the four.

They did cease their laughter, but still held small smirks, even as Lea replied sarcastically to Aqua, "Yes, Mom." only to shrink back a little in fright with Kuzco when the blue-haired woman's glare hardened slightly.

After another ten minutes, they were starting to get a little hungry. Okay, not a little hungry. Try a lot.

"Man, I'm starving." Myde groaned. His stomach grumbled audibly. "Is there any place to get something to eat nearby? I'm gonna collaspe!"

"I already collasped two hours ago, and that was due to hunger." Kuzco piped up.

"I'm rather surprised you're thin, with what living a luxary life as most rich, lazy people live." Jack commented.

"That's because I have a low blood suger."

"Low blood suger, huh?" Pacha asked, smirking.

Kuzco nodded, smirking in return, "Yeah, it's a curse."

"Well, there's a resturant up ahead." Mickey pointed up, turning to face everyone else, "Anyone else hungry?" almost instantly everyone nodded.

"Totally famished." Lea said.

"Not as much as me!" Myde and Kuzco both said.

"Yeah, well, as soon as we get something to eat, you're walking the rest of the way." Pacha said sternly to Kuzco.

"And don't even _think_ of asking anyone to carry you." Isa said firmly to Myde who shrank back a little.

As the group once it to the diner's door and Lea lowered Kuzco to the ground(much to his relief), they stopped in their tracks when they noticed the 'No Llamas' sign. The group groaned, stumped at this problem.

"Problematical." Jack commented, disappointed.

"Great. I was looking forward to take a break." Sora groaned.

"Well, it's definitely a problem with me." Kuzco grumbled.

"Too bad we can't just disguise Kuzco and hide the fact that he's a llama." Myde said sarcastically.

However, when he said this, this made everyone else glance at each other and then got an idea.

* * *

Ten minutes flat, they were welcomed into the Mudkas. Kuzco was cleaverly disguised as a woman, wearing Pacha's poncho and hat, his hair curled up and they used dirt to use as make-up along with flowers. The group of eighteen were now sitting at a booth near one of the windows, as Pacha had ordered everyone everyone the special.

When they all heard the witress call out to the chef of the place, "I need eighteen heartburns and a deep-fried doorstop on table twelve!" most of them bursted out into hysterical laughter while the women giggled madly.

They all forced themselves to calm down before they would burst with hernias, taking deep breaths before returning to normal. Myde wiped tears of laughter from his eyes as he muttered, "Man, that was the best joke I've ever heard in ages.

At that moment, the witress returned with eighteen orders of what looked like giant blue beetles that'd been cooked in a pot or oven. Everyone looked at the meals in disgust, except for Pacha who grabbed a straw and tapped at the beetle, which unrolled itself and revealed yellow gooey...stuff, that was molten and steaming. He smelled it happily as it smiled delicious to him.

"Oh boy!" He said, before he began sucking the gooey stuff like a milkshake as though it was the most delicious thing in the world.

Kuzco sticked out his tongue out slightly in disgust, before turning to see the reaction of what the others think. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one thinking the 'meal' was disgusting. Everyone else all had expressions of utter disgust and some of them looked ready to eject whatever they ate previously.

Mickey hesitated until finally he just pushed his plate away, before chuckling nervously, "Ha-ha, um, on second thought, I'm not that hungry."

"I've lost my appetite." Sora groaned softly in a whisper, his eye twitching in disbelief and disgust. "Wonder who would really have this stuff?"

Despite that he was in agreement, Jack unfortunately was familiar with people's different tastes in other places in his world. He glanced over to Sora and whispered, "Clearly, you've never been to Singapore."

"Think I'm gonna be sick..." Myde shook, until he bolted out of his seat and rushed into the men's room, closing the door behind him. Thankfully, the walls were thick enough to block out the noise of him vomiting his guts out into the toilets, so no one else except for most of his friends knew what was going on.

Half a second later, Skuld bolted out of her seat, announcing, "Me too!" and went into the women's room, doing the same as Myde was doing in the men's room.

"Where did they go?" Pacha asked, with his mouthful of food.

"You don't want to know." Riku muttered.

Kuzco took one last look of his beetle, and while he was tempted to join Myde or Skuld, he decided that he was still hungry and decided to take another easy route. He slid out of the booth.

"Oi. Where are you going?" Jack asked, raising an eye-brow.

"I'm just going to slip into the kitchen and have a word with the chef." Kuzco replied.

"You're gonna get us kicked out." Terra warned in a whisper.

Kuzco rolled his eyes and smiled smugly, "Please. With this disguise, I'm invisible." before moving down on four hooves into the kitchen, Thankfully, no one noticed this either, though it did make the rest of the group uncomfortable.

At that moment, an old, wrinkly, skinny-scary looking woman and a muscular black-haired man strode into the diner and took a seat at the booth behind Sora and his friends. It was Yzma and Kronk who had stopped by here to get something to eat themselves.

"We've been walking around in circles for who knows how long. That is the last time we take directions from a squirrel." Yzma was grumbling in irritation. "I should have done away with Kuzco myself when I had the chance."

That last statement made Pacha nearly choke on his beetle and Jack to nearly drown himself with his glass of wine that he'd ordered, while the rest of the group gasped softly in shock.

"That's who turned Kuzco into a llama?" Ven exclaimed in a whisper so that the two villians couldn't hear him. Isa, Lea and Jack slowly turned to look at the old woman and immediately their expressions turned to disgust and slight fear.

"That is the ugliest woman I've ever seen." Isa shuddered.

"That's enough to give me nightmares for the rest of my life." Lea stated, eyes wide.

Jack cringed before turning away, muttering, "That woman is scary beyond all reason."

"Oh, you really gotta stop beating yourself up about that." Kronk said to try and cool her down. Yzma only bend her fork in anger since his words didn't effect her mood at all. The group decided that now was the time as good as any to get going. Sora, Ven and Pacha went to the kitchen to retrieve Kuzco. Lea and Isa went to the men's room to grab Myde who, along with Skuld, weakly walked out of the restrooms before the two men grabbed them both. Everyone else moved to head out of the door. Jack, however, lingered as he paused to gaze at the witness, then gazed at the unaware Ymza.

An idea came into mind, as to delay the female villian, and thought of his chances of success. So, while the others left, he casually approached the witness and whispered to her, "Beg your pardon. You see that lovy lady in purple?..." before whispering what he had in mind.

At the end of the suggestion the waitress still in her bored tone answered him with thumbs up and then a wave of her hand, "No problem, hon, we do that all the time."

"Thanks very much." Jack nodded, before slowly walked past Yzma and Kronk as innocently as possible as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Yzma though, seeing the man slink past her and Kronk, noticed something quite odd about the way the man moved and raised an eyebrow, turning to watch him head out the door. There was something quite strange about the way that man was walking. Jack made the mistake to turn back and cringed slightly when he caught Yzma's eye, and quickly turned and quickened his pace in slight panic.

"What's the matter?" Kronk asked, noticing his boss's attention.

"There's something quite suspicious about that long-haired man." Yzma muttered.

However, before the two of them could could talk further, however, suddenly though all at once, "One! Two! Three! Four!" startling Kronk while scaring Yzma nearly out of her skin and caused her to scream as a couple of waiters and a few waitresses carried out a cake with numerous candles as they all celebrated with confetti raining down, "~ _Happy, happy birthday from all of us to you. We wish it was our birthday so we could party, too. Happy, happy birthday, may all your dreams come true_ -~"

While Yzma was even more annoyed by this, Kronk began laughing, thrilled, "It's your birthday?" as the waiters and waitresses continued to sing.

* * *

Thankfully, Sora, Ven and Pacha managed to drag Kuzco and climbed out of the back window, meeting up with the rest of the group as Jack joined them seconds later, while Kuzco demanded, "What're you guys doing?"

"Yeah, what's goin' on?" Myde asked, just as confused as Kuzco, while Skuld sensed that something was up. If the others wanted to leave urgently, it must've been bad.

"There are two people looking for Kuzco!" Sora told the three of them.

"A large man and an old woman." Aqua described.

"Wait, was this woman scary beyond all reason?" Kuzco asked.

"That's what I said when we first saw her." Jack confirmed while the others except for Myde and Skuld blinked in surprise.

Remembering the scary and old woman, the llama exclaimed happily as he wiped the make-up off and straightened his hair, "That's Yzma and Kronk! I'm saved!"

"Wait, the old lady everybody else saw is your ex-advisor?" Myde asked, wide eyed in sheer disbelief, and slight terror. "No wonder you fired her." he muttered.

"Look, they're not here to save you!" Terra warned.

"They'll take me back to the palace. Thanks for your help. You've been great. I can take it from here..." Kuzco said, about to walk away, when Jack quickly stepped in front of him.

"They're not here to rescue you, mate." Jack warned quickly, "They've come to finish off what they started, and that is to kill you."

"Kill me? Their whole world revolves around me." Kuzco laughed.

"But they're the ones who turned you into a llama!" Mickey pointed out.

"He's right." Pacha said, pulling Kuzco back, "You can't go with them!"

"What's that supposed to-" Kuzco cuts himself off, before coming to a conclusion of his own, glaring at Pacha accusingly, "Oh! Oh, I get it! You don't want to take me back to the palace. You want to keep me stranded out here forever."

"No!" Pacha denied.

"It's all been an act, and I almost fell for it!"

"Will you just listen to-"

"No, no no. You listen to me. You all of you people care about is that, that stupid hill-top!"

"What?"

"You don't care about me. Now, just get out of here. All of you!"

"But-"

"Go on! Get outta here!"

Fuming, Pacha then grunted, "Fine!"

Kuzco then turned and walked away, around the diner and stormed off. Sora and his his group watched him go, and all sighed. All they could do was hope for the best, but at the moment, was still too stubborn to even listen.

"He's a sitting duck." Myde stated.

"Oh, shut it." Jack groaned at the mullet-haired younger man.

"What do we do now?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"There's nothing we can do." Aqua sighed, guiltily. "He won't listen and he doesn't want us with him."

"Gee, I hope Yzma and Kronk don't find him." Mickey said, worriedly.

Kuzco in the meantime, was waiting at the bushes as Yzma and Kronk were walking out of the resturant, with Kronk carrying birthday balloons and a plate that had a piece of a birthday cake. "This entire mess is your fault!" Yzma growled.

"What'd I do?" Kronk asked.

"If you hadn't mixed up those poisons, Kuzco would be dead now!" Yzma's statement caused Kuzco's expression fall instantly into shock and horror, which made him quickly hide back into the bushes sliently while she continued, "There'll be no more diversions until we track that llama down and kill him and those brats with the Keyblade!"

"Said I was sorry. Can't we just let it go? Not even on your birthday?" Kronk asked.

"Kuzco must be eliminated. The empire will finally be rid of that useless slug."

"You've got a point. Nobody really seems to care that he's gone, do they?"

Once he knew that they wouldn't see him, Kuzco came out of his hiding place and watched the villians leave, unable to believe what was happening. It was true; they'd been the reason that he turned into a llama, and now that he remembered that the three of them were having dinner at the palace, and that's when the truth hit him hard. Desperate, Kuzco raced back to the spot where he had last seen his companions, calling out, "Guys! Anyone?"

He finally spotted them walking down the dirt path an hour later after he briefly gave up and then called up when the group paused and turned when they heard him calling. Kuzco approached the people who he quickly realised that, given what they'd been trying to tell him and that what he'd just heard made him realise that he was at fault for his attitude, and it made him realise that these guys in front of him were possibly the only ones who truly cared about them and he'd been extremely close in losing them.

"L-listen guys, you know, what I said to you back at the diner, that - that - I - I didn't really..." before the llama could continue, Pacha held up a hand for Kuzco to stop walking and gave him a smile of forgiveness, as did the rest of the group, even Jack.

"So, you tired of being a llama?" Pacha asked.

Kuzco sniffled emotionally and sobbed, "Ye-ee-ee-es!"

* * *

At the same time, Kronk was again carrying Yzma in the tent, before he suddenly realised something and skid to a stop.

"What are you doing now!?" Yzma growled.

"I just remembered something." Kronk realised, thinking.

"That's wonderful." Yzma rolled her eyes, dryly.

"When I lost that bag with Kuzco, the villager he saw didn't notice and the bag was in the back of his cart." Kronk continued, not having heard that dry comment.

"Your point is?"

"He must have taken him back to his village, so if we find the village, we find him, and if we find him, we find Kuzco."

Yzma had to admit, this was probably the next best thing Kronk said all day and given to their search, this was starting to get them somewhere. Well, this was the next best clue.

"Well, what are you waiting for!? Get moving!"

* * *

Unaware of Yzma and Kronk being slightly ahead of them, Pacha lead Kuzco and the worldly travellers back towards his village as they all agreed, given that they still haven't had anything proper to eat yet, to get supplies.

"Okay, we're just gonna stop at my house and get some supplies." Pacha said as he and the others ran through the jungle.

"And we'll be on our way, right?" Kuzco asked.

"That's the plan." Sora said, as they ran around the corner of the jungle and out into the open and entered the peaceful and nice looking village. But as they ran up the stairs toward's Pacha's home, a couple of elderly villagers who were playing chess called out to Pacha.

"Hey, Pacha. You just missed your relatives." Said one villager.

The group paused in confusion, as Pacha asked, "My relatives?"

The skinner old man replied, "We just sent them up to your house."

"What did they look like?" Pacha asked.

"See, there was this big guy, and this older woman who was..." he turned to his friend and asked, "How would you describe her?"

The other man thought deeply, then answered, "Scary beyond all reason."

"Yeah, that's it." The skinner guy recalled.

Sora and his friends glance at each other worriedly, while Jack muttered worriedly, "Not good."

* * *

Inside Pacha's home, his wife Chicha was serving Yzma some tea, with a skeptical expression, feeling like she shouldn't trust the people who claimed to be her husband's relatives.

"So, remind me again how you're related to Pacha?" Chicha asked.

Trying to be polite and nice, Yzma lied, "Why, I'm his third cousin's brother's wife's step-niece's great-aunt...Twice removed." sipping her tea.

"Uh-huh." Was all Chicha said, still skeptical.

"Isn't that right, Kronk?" Yzma turned to Kronk, only to roll her eyes when Chicha wasn't looking, because the young man was playing with Pacha and Chicha's two children, their daughter Chaca, and her little brother, Tipo, playing skipping rope.

" _~Ninety nine monkeys jumpin' on the bed!~_ " Chaca playfully sang.

" _~One fell off and bumped his head!~_ " Kronk continued, seriously having fun like a big kid that he is.

Yzma nearly growled in irritation, before smiling innocently when Chicha spoke again, "You know, I am so sorry that you had to come all this way, but as I said to you before, you may recall, Pacha is not here. I'll be sure and tell him you came by."

"Oh, would you, please? That would be just great." Yzma replied, but accidently hit her cup which fell onto the floor, spilling tea all over the place. "Oops! Silly me."

Chicha then replied dryly, "No, no...allow me." and began bending down to pick it up, but since she's pregnant, it was such a difficult task, but that didn't stop her from trying.

Seeing that the woman was busy, Yzma used this chance to have a conversation with Kronk who was still playing with the younger children. They played paddy-cake while still playing jump-rope, having a silent conversation.

"She's hiding something. When I give the word, we search the house." Yzma whispered.

"Okay, but I still have ninety four monkeys to go." Kronk whispered back, much to Yzma's annoyance, before she quickly returned to her original position before Chicha turned back to her.

"So, while we're waiting for Paca-" Yzma began.

"Pacha." Chicha corrected.

Yzma nodded, "Oh, yes. Perhaps we can have a tour of your lovely home."

Chicha, still having suspicions about the old woman, suggested, "You know, why don't you just come back when Pacha gets home? I'm sure he'd love to show you the..." but she trailled off as out by the window behind Yzma, was her panicked looking husband who made a silent gesture to have a conversation at the back before disappearing.

Now having a feeling that something was seriously going on, Chicha made a panicked gesture, lying, "Excuse me, won't you? I think I left something in the oven." and dashed off.

Now seeing her chance, Yzma went back to Kronk who was saying to the children, "This is my variation of double dutch. On the signal, we switch places."

"Kronk, it's time!" Yzma whispered when she returned.

But as usual, he was oblivious and said, "OKAY!" and switched, now jumping again, whiel Yzma was stuck in the middle, waving the ropes for the three of them in irritation. Why couldn't he tell the difference of the timing of anything?

* * *

Meanwhile, Pacha and Chicha met in the kitchen as Pacha was explaining everything that's been happened, about Kuzco and the kingdom in danger, and about Sora and his friends helping them.

"So, we have to get back to the palace, find the lab, and change him back." Pacha explained in a whisper.

"'Ello!" Jack suddenly appeared out of the window, as did Kuzco, while the others appeared behind them, shaking their heads. The response the pirate got was Chicha smacking him in the face with a frying pan, causing him to stumble back and collaspe onto the ground. Kuzco, Sora and the rest of the group, including Pacha, winched in sympathy.

"Um...that was Jack." Pacha winched.

"Whoops." Chicha winched, looking over the unconscious man.

"Uh, hi there!" Kuzco waved at Chicha, a bit more nervously.

"Hello." Chicha replied, careful not to suddenly smack anyone this time.

"Sorry about that." Sora sheepishly said to Pacha's wife. "Jack's a little crazy sometimes."

"A little crazy?" Lea repeated skeptically at the comment.

After explaining further on the situation and some introductions, everyone came up with the plan after gathering supplies for their trip back to the palace. Chicha decided to remain behind with the children.

"Go, I'll stall them long enough for you guys to get a head start." Chicha encouraged, in a silent voice that said that she and their children will be fine.

"Thanks, honey." Pacha smiled, kissing his wife before turning to leave once more.

"Thank you so much, ma'am." Kairi nodded kindly, following her friends who all gave their nods of appreciation.

"You have a lovely wife! She's tough and very nice." Kuzco commented.

Jack, having awoken, shook his head to rid the dizziness before cracking his nose to put back into place, before apologetically suggested to Chicha, "Should we just call that equal, then?"

"Come on!" Lea grunted, pulling Jack by the back of the shirt and dragged him along with the others.

As Sora and everyone else made a mad dash back towards the Palace as fast as they could, Mickey asked the village leader worriedly, "You're just gonna leave your family to those two?"

"Oh, don't worry." Pacha replied, though he was a bit worried about his wife and children, before adding after reassuring himself that they'll be fine, "They can handle themselves."

* * *

As it turns out, the group didn't have to worry, as Chicha, Chaca and Tipo had Yzma and Kronk locked up in the closet and had even pulled out the handle which was now in Chicha's hand, leaving nothing but a hole in the door.

"What do you mean the door is stuck? Try jiggling the handle." Chicha suggested, smirking.

"There _is_ no handle in here!" Yzma pointed out, irritated.

"There's not? Are you sure?" Chicha asked, while her two children laughed at their mother's cheekiness, something that they were enjoying, especially for the sake of their father.

"Alright!" Yzma growled, "I've had enough of this. Tell us where the talking llama is and we'll burn your house to the ground."

"Uh, don't you mean 'or'?" Kronk corrected.

Sighing heavily, Yzma tried again, this time correcting herself as she, poked her eye out the hole where the handle was, "Tell us where the talking llama is **or** we'll burn your house to the ground."

"Well, which is it?" Chaca shrugged. "That seems like a pretty crucial conjunction."

Now even more frustrated, Yzma finally had enough, standing away from the door and ordering her henchman, "That's it! Kronk, break the door down!"

"Break it down? Are you kidding me? This is hand-carved mahogany." Kronke protested.

"I don't care, you fool! Get out of my way!" Yzma pushed him out of the way, attempting to do so herself, "I'll break it down myself." then she started counting to three.

Chicha was expecting this, and gazed at her children, smirking, "Okay, kids, you know what to do."

Giggling away, knowing that they were allowed now to cause trouble, Chaca and Tipo replied, "Right, Mom!" and dashed off to begin their fun.

"Three!" Yzma shouted, and just as she was about to break the door down, Chicha replaced the handle and yanked it open, causing the older room to run in high speed.

The moment Yzma did that, she went sliding on a wet floor done by Tipo and those electric floor-cleaners, sending her flying out the front door into a wheel barrow which sped right down the hill. Tipo held up stick with a bee's hive which Yzma zoomed past, covering her up in honey while she threw away the beehive. Further down the hill Chaca was holding up a pillow. Yzma smacked it face first and is now covered in feathers that made her look like a chicken. The wheel barrow then crashed a rock that sent Yzma flying towards a tree where a pinata is hanging up for the children to hit at a party.

"Okay, children, on your mark, get set..." The teacher counted, as Yzma knocked it out of the way, making her now the pinata.

"Go!" The teacher cheered, and the kids began bashing her with the sticks while blind-folded, unaware that they weren't getting any candy.

"Ow! Ow! Stop it, you little brats!" Yzma grunted, before looking up and saw several footprints leading up on a hill. As her eyes followed it, she saw Kuzco, Pacha, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Skuld, Myde and Captain Jack Sparrow disappearing on the other side. "Ow!"

Realising what was going on, Yzma called out to Kronk, "There they go, Kronk! They're getting away!"

At the house, the family and Kronk stood together, while Kronk laughed and said gratefully, "Ha ha ha! Well, I had a great time. Let's not wait until the next family reunion to get together." to which Chicha found that she can at least trust Kronk with her children and that he was stupid yet kind.

" _KROOONNKK_!"

Winching in realization, not to mention embarrassment, Kronk waved an apologetic hand and said, "I, uh, I gotta run." and ran off to help out Yzma.

* * *

As Sora and his friends ran through the jungle as fast as they could to reach the Palace while fighting off Heartless that stood in their way, they reached another ledge. Thankfully, Pacha and Terra had an idea and shot out an arrow tied up by a rope to the tree on the other side of the canyon before tying the rope tightly on the tree on their side. One by one, everyone slid to the other side to safety.

Just as all of them reached the other side, while Jack cut the rope with his cutlass, Goofy cried out all of the sudden, "Uh-oh! Here they come!"

They caught sight of Yzma and Kronk running straight towards them and to their shock, the two villians put on goggles like pilots used to wear and Kronk hits a button and wings pop out, and began flying straight towards them.

"I'll handle them!" Donald exclaimed, summoning his Staff and aimed it at Yzma and Kronk, chanting, "Thunder!"

A split second later, multiple giant bolts of lightning hit Yzma and Kronk who were just partially over the canyon, causing them to turn comically crispy black. Another second later, the duo fell down into the canyon below.

"Good goin', Donald!" Mickey congratulated, before he and everyone else immediately ran to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

* * *

Having finally made it back to the Palace, with rain and thunder pouring and booming outside, Sora and his group made it inside and Kuzco led them the way to Yzma's lab. Thankfully, it wasn't guarded, which made things easier. Though with more Heartless in the building, the worldly travellers took care of them.

In another hallway, which was darker than the one they'd all previously been at, they arrived in a dark, misty room full of broken statue heads of Kuzco that was littered all over the floor, next to a large wooden sledge hammer. They ignored this, however, as Kuzco lead them to the two levers, and Myde pulled one of them, only for a trap door to open underneath Jack and causing him to fall screaming, landing in the water with a splash.

"Oops. Wrong lever." Myde winched.

"Okay, why does she even have that lever?" Kuzco asked, raising an eye-brow. At that moment, a sliding door opened and a soaking wet Jack Sparrow stepped out of the murky water, an alligator biting on his coat with a happy-looking expression.

"Care to explain why that woman bloody even have that lever?" Jack grumbled, before turning to see the alligator, before pulling out his pistol and pouted at it, "Oi! My coat!" and smacked it on the snot with the butt of the weapon, causing the alligator to scamper away, whimpering like a dog.

He then shooed Goofy away, "Move." as Jack rejoined the others. As he, Pacha and Kuzco stood at the levers, Jack pulled the other lever and soon enough, the floor pushed the three of them through the invisible door.

"I guess we found our secret lab." Aqua said, pulling the lever herself, before she, Isa and Terra disappeared through the door. Next were Mickey, Ven and Riku, then Donald, Skuld and Goofy, then Lea, Roxas and Xion, and then finally Sora, Kairi and Myde as the latter gulped nervously before he pulled the lever.

The floor flipped the trio right into the invisible entrance and into what looked like a dark evil rollercoaster seat. The next thing Sora, Kairi and Myde knew, the bar snapped down onto their laps before they could even react, and then they heard a robotic voice echo around them, " _ **Please remain seated and keep your arms and legs in at all times**_."

"Man...I hate rollercoasters!" Myde whimpered. He and the others then screamed as the coaster send them spirialing with many twists and turns and then sent running down a huge spiralling lane down into the deepest reaches of the lair, before it came to a violent stop and sent them flying out of their seats. While Myde crashed right on top of Donald and Goofy, causing all three of them to be seeing stars circle around their heads, Sora and Kairi both landed safely and sighed in relief.

The teenagers quickly rushed over towards the table where the others were. All of them tried to find the right potion to turn Kuzco back into a human, but it was turning out to be a more difficult task.

"What does it look like?" Sora asked, as he looked at stray bottles and tubes, looking for a label or something that would help.

"I don't know. Just keep looking!" Kuzco replied.

Isa found an owl statue before opening it's wings to reveal that it was a cabinet with several potions with labels.

"Over here!" He called out to the others who joined him immediately. "It has to be one of these. Lions, tigers, bears-" only to stop when all of the vials of humans were all completely gone.

Then their blood chilled when they heard an awful familiar voice speak behind them, "Oh, my. Looking for this?"

When the group turned around, out of the darkness, was Yzma who was holding the last potion with the human label. Their eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"Oh no!" Mickey gasped. "It's Yzma!"

"No! It can't be!" Kuzco gasped.

Sora stood in defense, demanding, "How'd you get back here before us!?"

Yzma was about to explain when she paused, realising that she had no idea either.

"Ah...Uh, how did we, Kronk?" Yzma turned to her Henchman for some help.

Kronk, who was standing nearby with a burnt tent on his back, shrugged cluelessly, "Well, you got me." before pulling down a chart out of nowhere that showed Sora's team and Yzma's team routes, including them falling when Donald's spell hit them. "By all accounts, it doesn't make sense."

At this response, Yzma merely shrugged and turned back to the group. "Oh well. Back to business."

"Okay, I admit it." Kuzco laughed nervously, "Maybe I wasn't as nice as I should have been...but, Yzma, you really want to kill me?"

Yzma smiled, sastified by the llama's reaction before she told him evilly, "Just think of it as you're being let go, that your life's going in a different direction, that your body's part of a permanent outplacement." which caused Kuzco to gulp at his words, and even Pacha and the worldly travellers were horrified by this statement.

Kronk somewhat ruined Yzma's moment as he remarked, "Hey, that's kind of like what he said to you when you got fired." as he shrugged off the crispy tent.

"I know. It's called a cruel irony-like my dependence on you." Yzma grumbled.

"This is what it's really all about?" Riku asked, shocked and somewhat dumbfounded, as were his friends and companions.

"I have to admit, that wasn't the kind of reason to kill someone I had in mind." Jack thought, just as dumbfounded as his companions.

"Well, then I suppose you weren't expect this, either!" Yzma grinned, beginning to lift her dress.

"AHH!" Most of them screamed, covering their eyes, while most of the boys held out one hand to get Yzma to stop as they all thought of the most horrible thing she was about to do; such as show off her awful wrinkly old legs, which was a sight that would give them nightmares.

"No!" Sora, Riku, Kuzco, Pacha, Mickey, Terra, Ven and Jack pleaded.

"Please, no!" Kairi, pleaded, covering her face with her hands.

"No way!" Myde screamed.

"Not that!" Goofy pleaded.

"NO!" Donald screamed.

"Anything but that!" Lea cried out.

Yzma smirked and pulled her skirt up, revealing a knife on her garter and grinned, "Aha!"

Seeing this, everyone relaxed and sighed in relief, as Kuzco said, "Oh, okay."

"Not as bad as I thought." Roxas sighed in relief.

Yzma laughed, before tossing the knife to Kronk who caught by the handle as she ordered him, "Finish them off."

But Kronk seemed to be torn by this, gazing back and forth between the knife and the group. He didn't know what to do. While he knew he had to follow orders, it still felt wrong to hurt Kuzco, Pacha and the people he never met. It wasn't until a voice rang through his head, "Hey, you're not backing down now, are you, big guy?"

 **Poof!** His bad-side conscience appeared on his left shoulder, wearing a devil costume. Puzzled, Kronk asked, "Uh, where's the other guy?"

The shoulder angel shows up and he's having his hair done. He's sitting in a hair dryer like in a beauty salon. Seeing this, The shoulder angel stood up and apologuised, "Sorry I'm late. So, what'd I miss?"

"Well, Yzma just tossed me this knife and asked me to, you know, take them out." Kronk explained to his shoulder angel. But while Kronk was having a conversation with his consciousnesses, the others could only see that he was talking to himself and were dumbfounded, especially since they couldn't see his consciousnesses.

Yzma turned to the others with a dumbfounded look while jerking a thumb at Kronk behind her, silently asking for an explanation, only to rechieve shrugs from Sora and his friends, just as clueless as she was.

"And you lot thought I was crazy." Jack commented to his worldly companions.

"Then this guy popped up and we waited for you, and quite honestly-" Kronk continued.

"Kronk!" Yzma snapped, getting Kronk and his consciousnesses' attentions. "Why did I think you could do this? This one simple thing. It's like I'm talking to a monkey."

"Whoa now." Angel-Kronk stuttered, shocked.

"A really, really big, stupid monkey named Kronk!" Yzma continued.

"Ouch." Devil-Kronk gasped, just as shocked.

"And do you want to know something else? I've never liked your spinach puffs."

Kronk and his consciousnesses gasped in horror, as Yzma finished, "Never!" with a smirk. Heartbroken, Kronk whimpered while Angel-Kronk tried to comfort him, as though it was most horrible thing he's ever heard.

The Devil-Kronk had another idea, though, as he aimed his trident at Yzma, grunting angrily, "That's it! She's going down!"

"Now, now, remember, guys. From above, the wicked shall receive their just reward." Angel-Kronk pointed out.

While Yzma was looking at Kronk impaitently, Kronk and his consciousnesses looked up to gaze at the very heavy metal chandelier hanging right above her. The three of them thought of the very same idea, and chorused, "That'll work."

Instantly, Kronk cut the rope and the entire chanderlier falls towards Yzma who gasped in shock when she saw this about to crush her to death.

 _ **CRASH!**_

This caused everyone to turn away. But when they looked back, they all shivered with horrified and dumbfounded faces...as Yzma, very skinny, managed to squeeze herself right through the middle of the chandelier, perfectly unharmed at all.

"Strange. That usually works." Kronk thought.

"And so does this!" Yzma replied, as she went to another lever that looked like a vile and pulled it down, which revealed a trap door underneath the traitor.

"Ah. Should've seen that coming." Kronk remarked, before falling down, screaming, "WHOOAAA!" while the Angel-Kronk and Devil-Kronk clinged onto each other and fell down as well.

That was when things were about to get a bit ugly.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so the Kuzco-Topia world will be four chapters long, because the last battle against Yzma is in the next chapter. I'll see you in the next chapter when I'm able. Maybe it'll be tomorrow as my family and I are making arrangements for the funeral.**


	9. CH8: Battle for the Potion

**Author's Note: Sorry, Mysterygirl145. I meant to reply to your review in the previous chapter, but I completely forgot. Thanks, by the way, glad you're liking this story so far, and no, I haven't seen POTC 5 yet. As for Jack, I think he'll be the bit of the comic relief in this story, but I will try to make the comic relief out of some of the others including the villians too.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH8: Battle for the Potion.**_

Ymza was so focused on grinning at where Kronk had fallen that she didn't even notice Pacha had approached her until he snatched the vial out of her hand. When she did, she immediately climbed onto his shoulders and whacked his head, shouting, "Give me that vial!" and he ends up letting go of it.

However, Aqua grabbed it just in time, only for Yzma to grab hold of her wrists and the two of them were struggling in a tug-of-war for the potion until Jack stepped up and grabbed Yzma's arm, making the older woman look up to his disapproved look.

"That's not very nice." The pirate simply said.

Yzma responded by elbowing him in the stomach before kicking Aqua in the stomach as well, forcing the Keyblade Master to let go of the potion. However, the villianess's victory was short-lived as Skuld body-slammed into her in the gut, causing the older woman to grunt while dropping the potion, but once again grabbed it before the young woman could even take hold of it. Now incredibly annoyed, Yzma clapped her hands and a large giant Heartless that looked like a beetle-like Demon llama appeared, fur all black and fuzzy, legs all green and poison-like, teeth sharp as a Jaguar's fangs, and it had...horns?

"Now that's a Demon llama!" Kuzco muttered, scaredly.

"Just focus on getting the potion!" Sora told him and Pacha, summoning his Keyblade as everyone else also brought out their weapons.

Kuzco and Pacha, both worried for their friends, nodded and resumed their potion battle against Yzma, struggling to retrieve it as neither one refused to give it up. The worldly travellers in the meantime, focused their attention on the Heartless who attacked first by spat out a large posion slime right at the group who leaped out of the way just in time, watching it steam and melt the chandelier almost instantly. Knowing that they had to be careful in avoiding it, Sora and his companions responded in fighting it.

"Dance, water, dance!" Myde chanted, playing a tune on his styer and severel clones of himself appeared and attacked the Heartless by the legs while he focused on them to at least weaken it. Unfortunately, the legs were not the weak parts, and the Demon-llama-Heartless raised it's right foot up and stomped the ground hard, causing a small tremor that hit everyone-even Yzma-and destroyed Myde's watery clones in an instant.

Donald and Skuld both chanted Thunderaga at the Heartless's head, zapping it and causing it to stumble back, but it responded by charging and knocked them and some of the others into the wall. Kairi chanted Blizzard at it's face before jumping out of the way when it leaned down and tried to chomp her but missed. This gave her and Sora to whack and slash at it's face with their Keyblades until they moved before it could whack them in return with it's head. It charged again but this time everyone was prepared for it. Terra, being a wielder of physical strength, thrusted his Keyblade at it's side when he had leaped up and done so, before he was unexpectedly knocked back when it kicked him in the stomach.

While Terra crashed onto the ground before he pushed himself up, Riku run underneath it and ran his Keyblade right through it's chest and belly as he went, causing it to roar in agony before he made it out just as it made to squash him flat with it's stomach. He then used his Flowmotion and glowed in a mixture of light purple, leaping up and thrusted out his Keyblade at it's body while he and the others avoided it's attacks of stomping, crunching and poison spitting-acids before it unexpectedly stood up and spun around which knocked them back down, though they noticed that it was at least starting to slow down.

Jack, seeing how he was running rather low on his ammo in his pistol and not having any gun powder, noticed the potions at the table where he was, before picking one up and then with much of his strength tossed it at the Heartless's face. Apparently, it was a poison potion, because the side of it's face was starting to disintigrate. Well, that helped a little. He then slashed at it's right leg with his Keyblade and just as it was about to lift, he kicked it in the shin before running out of the way as it fell forward slightly.

Lea, Roxas, Xion and Isa teamed up and preformed a new skill of Lea thrusting out a large fire-nado from his Keyblade and one of his Chakrams combined, Roxas casting Thunderaga, Xion firing Blizzaraga and Isa thrusting his Claymore of the Wind Spell, all four spells managing to successfully burn part of it's fur off and starting to fade.

Ven and Aqua preformed a D-Link with each other and while Ven thrusted his Keyblade in the air and spun around hitting the Heartlessin the head while avoiding it's chomping mouth, Aqua expertedly twirled her Keyblade cheer-leader style as she and her weapon glowed in light on the other side of it while hovering in the air, lowering the Heartless' health even further.

Goofy tossed his shield like a frisbee at the Heartless's horns and actually managed to slice one off. To his surprise, it immediately started to severally weaken faster than the other hits it had on it's body while his shield returned to him.

Sora and Mickey both noticed this as well, because the two of them nodded and the two Keyblade Masters raced towards the Heartless who, while slowly losing the fight, still managed to blast another poison slime at them. They dodged it and then leaped up onto it's body while they glowed in a mixture of blue and gold. The King flipped around while holding his Keyblade out, ramming it right at the eye and then slashed at it's face, while Sora, using his flowmotion, sliced at it's remaining horn while spinning around and around and around at it until it sliced off. The sixteen year old along with Mickey leaped into the air and held out their Keyblades where two orbs of light shot out from the weapons, hitting directly at it's back.

The two, along with all of their companions, finished it off with the team work of slashes and spells before Sora and Mickey sliced it at it's chest when it's chest when it's head lifted up while he roared in agony. The direct hit from the two Keyblades finally caused it to collaspe forward onto the ground. A heart appeared from it's back before drifting up, vanishing into the darkness, while the Heartless itself faded away into nothing.

At the same time as the Heartless' defeat, Yzma had landed hard onto Pacha's back, forcing him to let go of the vial he'd managed to retrieve. Though Yzma laughed in victory, Kuzco rammed hard into her back, causing her to fly across the room and drop the vial onto the floor, while Yzma landed in front of the cabinet as a few vials fell. As she noticed this, Yzma gazed at the Cabinet above which, which gave her an idea how to distract her enemies and prevent Kuzco from turning back into a human. When the others saw the vial being dropped, Sora and his companions hurried to help Kuzco and Pacha retrieve it.

To their horror, Yzma stood behind the cabinet and shoved it foward, knocking most of the other vials of animals onto the floor, all around the human vial, and as such none of them had labels, and all looked exactly the same, none of them had any idea which is which.

"Oops! Clumsy me." Yzma smirked, evilly.

"Oh no! Which one is it!?" Mickey cried out, as he and his friends searched fractically to figure out which was the human vial.

"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, really bad!" Myde panicked.

"Man, I wish these things were labeled!" Lea said, panicking himself.

"Bugger!" Jack cursed.

"Which one, which one?" Yzma mocked, before pulling a string that hang from the ceiling, and the siren blared through out the room while the group searched desperately. "Better hurry. I'm expecting company."

The group looked up to see three doors slide up open and revealing at least six guards, armed with various weapons, and looking very angry.

"Oh no." Donald muttered, eyes wide in panic.

"Kill them! They murdered the Emperor!" Yzma commanded.

The Guards foolishly believed this and charged, bellowing angry yells in every intention to 'avenge' the Emperor, fully unaware that they were about to kill him and would not believe him as Kuzco cried out, desperately, "No, wait! I'm the emperor! It's me-Kuzco!"

When they didn't respond, Kuzco panicked, "They're listening to me!"

"Just take 'em all!" Sora cried out, helping Pacha to scoop up the vials into his poncho, before they all attempted to make a run for it, only for them to be split up when more Heartless appeared, seperating Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Pacha and Kuzco from the rest of the group who ended up being forced to fight them.

During the panic, Goofy accidently got knocked into the table with various potions which all crashed into the six guards, turning into various animals such as an Ostrich, a Gorilla, a Lizard, an Octopus, a Bear and a Cow.

"Guys!" Sora cried out, worriedly.

Lea, slashing one Heartless with a Chakram, looked back briefly and called out hurriedly, "Just go! We'll meet up later!" before blocking another Heartless Attack while being forced into the room where three of the guards had come from along with everyone else in the group.

Despite wanting to go help, Sora nodded hesitatedly and dragged Kairi by the wrist. Even Mickey hesitated, but forced himself to run with Sora, Kairi, Pacha and Kuzco, hoping for the best for their friends.

"Get them!" Yzma ordered the guards, deciding that she'll worry about turning them back into humans later as long as Kuzco didn't turn back and Sora and his friends were taken care off.

However, the Cow-Guard spoke up as he realised the situation he was in, "Hey, I've been turned into a cow. Can I go home?"

"You're excused." Yzma offered, gesturing the guard to leave. Plus, what could can a Cow do anyway? She then asked the other animals, asking in slight annoyance, "Anyone else?"

"No, we're good." The other guards responded, deciding to worry about turning back into humans later, much to Yzma's relief.

"GET THEM!" Yzma repeated her order.

* * *

As Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Kuzco and Pacha ran quickly down the long stairways as the guards chased after them while worry for the safety of Riku, Donald, Goofy, Ven, Skuld, Terra, Aqua, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion and Jack who could be anywhere by now in the Palace either fighting the Heartless or probably the Guards due to them being intruders, while desperately trying not to break the vials.

"We gotta change Kuzco back!" Mickey cried out, hurriedly.

"Try giving him the vials!" Kairi suggested.

"I vote for that!" Sora replied, randomly grabbing one, flicking the cork off and shoved the bottle in Kuzco's mouth, saying, "Try this one!"

There was a sudden explosion of pink smoke and red light the bellowed everywhere. The other four heard tapping before they heard Kuzco softly call out, panicking, "Uh, Sora? Guys? A little help!"

Then they turned, their eyes widened as the vial Sora shoved into Kuzco's mouth turned the Emperor into a turtle, and the Guards were quickly catching up. Kairi quickly scooped the turtle-emperor up in her arms and hurried back to the others as they continued to run. The group paused at the long stairway below descending into the darkness and hesitated. But they quickly made up their minds and jumped, sliding down on it's banisters in high speed while narrowly missing the swords, and axes the Octopus-Guard had been wielding. As the two teenagers and two young rulers were screaming, though at some point the group were using Kuzco's shell as a make-shift skateboard, at the bottom to their horror were the guards. How they managed to get there quickly, none of them will know.

"Look out!" Mickey cried out, horrified.

Pacha then had another idea and pulled out another vial, silently pleading, "Oh, please be something with wings!" flipping the cork and shoved it into Kuzco's mouth once more.

As the pink and red smoke exploded around them, the five of them were sent flying into the air and avoiding the guards' weapons. Now in the air in his new transformation, Kuzco cheered proudly, "Yeah! We're flyin'!"

Unfortunately, this was short-lived as what he turned into wasn't a giant eagle, but instead, and tiny red bird with small wings, and Sora, Kairi and Mickey were clinging onto Pacha who held onto Kuzco's feathers. They all then plummeted to the ground. Fortunately, Sora casted Aero of wind below them to slow their descend and all landed softly and safely onto the ground. They then immediately ran once more, across a stone bridge over a large lake of water that was about a hundred feet down.

"I don't think we're getting anywhere with this!" Kairi stated as she and her friends ran.

"At least not with these guys picking the vials!" Kuzco added in annoyance, "I'm picking the next one!"

"Fine by us!" Sora and Pacha both chorused.

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea!" Mickey protested, uncertain. He had a terrible feeling what was about to happen next, and he was about to happen in the next 2.5 seconds.

"Give me that one!" Kuzco told the others, ignoring Mickey's protest. As soon as Pacha shoved the vial into his mouth, the smoke covered everything again, and as soon as it cleared, Pacha, Sora, Kairi and Mickey stood leaning against Kuzco who now turned into a large red and pink whale with a massive mouth.

As the bridge began to slowly crack due to Kuzco's Whale-weight, he glared at the other four, muttering, "Don't any of you say a word."

"Not plannin' to." Sora blinked.

The bridge then finally gave way crumbling and soon all five of them fell screaming and landed into the water below just as Yzma and the guards came down via the stairs at the indoor lake. Her impatience in wanting to kill the heroes getting the better of her, she ordered to the guards, "Quick! Drain the canals!"

Sora and his friends resurfaced, the four of them coughing and spluttering water while Kuzco sighed in relief. Kairi then sighed, having enough as she asked Pacha, "Can I have vial, please?"

"Uh, sure." Pacha replied, randomly giving one to the teenaged girl.

"Kairi, what're you doing?" Sora asked, wide-eyed.

The Princess didn't answer as she swam up to Kuzco before telling him, "Okay, open wide!"

Kuzco did as he was requested, before to his and everyone else's shock, Kairi climbed up onto Kuzco's bottom lip, hurriedly pulled off the cork and then poured the potion into the whale's mouth before jumping off just as red and pink smoke exploded all over the place once more.

As the smoke distupated, Kuzco emerged from the water, once again a llama, patting the water happily, "Yay, I'm a llama again!" before realising what happened, "Wait..."

"Sorry." Kairi shrugged, apologetically.

However, before anyone else could say anything else, the water suddenly surged and soon Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Kuzco and Pacha were all drained down into a whirlpool underneath them, screaming as they were sucked into the abyss. As all of the water was drained out from the nose of the Palace that made huge waterfalls down the steps, the five of them managed to grab onto the rim of the hole they'd emerged from.

"We gotta climb up to safety!" Mickey informed his friends.

"Right!" Sora nodded, while holding out a hand to Kairi, "Kairi, grab my hand!"

Kairi hesitated, terrified in losing her grip if she let go with one hand, before finally did so and grabbed her friend's wrist as he grabbed onto hers, slowly and hurriedly making her way towards him, knowing that he was going to help her climb up.

Back inside the palace, Yzma saw her five enemies hurriedly trying to escape, before turning to the guards, commanding, "There they go! After them!"

"Come on, men! Nobody lives forever!" The Lizard-Guard commanded. "Charge!"

All of the guards soon jumped, but since the empty pool was still wet, they all slid down and since Sora and his friends were already climbing up to the safety ledge on the face of the Palace outside, the guards all fell to their deaths, some of them screaming like women. Yzma saw this and gapped, before growling in fury, darkness starting to become visible on her body before fading. In desperation, she yanked the curtains nearby off, tied them together as a make-shift rope and tied it onto the pillar. She then bungy-jumped down while hanging on. Amazingly, she gave out a crazed-maniac yell while running up and over, above the unaware group who panted, who were down to two potions.

"Okay, only two left." Mickey told the others, "It's gotta be one of these!"

Suddenly, Yzma appeared and kicked surprisingly the five of them away into opposite directions, causing Mickey to drop the vials that bounced before landing into the ledge. Kuzco saw this and leaped to grab the two vials, though Yzma leaped as well to grab them first. This caused the two to collide into one another and spun in the air before falling...with Yzma landing on top of one of the vials.

"No!" Sora cried out, but it was too late. The moment Yzma's butt crushed the vial, it exploded and causing a massive cloud of dark hue of red, mushroom form and forcing everyone else to look away and shield themselves with their arms.

In the darkness of the clouds, a sinister face laughed manically as dark red eyes leered, worrying Sora and the others. What could have Yzma turned into? The question was answered as the smoke faded, revealing...a small white, cute, fluffy kitten? She mewed softly. It was adorable, but extremely awkward since it was really Yzma.

"Okay...?" Sora blinked, his expression blank, as were everyone else's.

"I'll take that." Kuzco grinned at Yzma, taking the remaining vial that he and everyone else now knew it was the human vial, and before Yzma could do anything else, Kairi, sensing that the villian-turned kitten was still trouble, quickly grabbed hold of her and wrapped her firmly in her arms, pinnning the cat's arms to her sides.

"Don't even think about it. Bad kitty!" Kairi scolded, as Yzma struggled to free herself from the teenager's arms.

"Unhand me, you little brat!" Yzma squeeled in fury, only to pause incredulously when she realised that her voice sounded like she sucked in balloon helium, coughing as though trying to regain it, but it didn't seem to help. "Is that my voice? *Cough!* Is that _my_ voice?"

Everyone else sighed in relief, as Pacha then pulled the cork off for Kuzco who nodded, smiling his thanks to his friends. The emperor than drank it as his body sparkled before a small explosion of pink exploded before it faded. In the llama's place, was a young eighteen year old man with short smooth black hair, round tortoise earrings, short red and gold robes, and sandles.

"Does it feel good to be me again." The young man in Kuzco's voice sighed in relief.

"So this is what you look like." Sora smiled in realization.

"Yup!" Kuzco nodded.

"It's good to have ya back to normal, Kuzco." Mickey said happily.

"I just hope Riku and the others are alright." Kairi spoke up, while the struggling Yzma was horrified that her only chance to return to normal was now dashed and so the villan slumped and scowled in defeat.

"Oh, right..." Sora muttered, as he and the others lowered their heads in sadness. Anything could've happened to their friends. What if something horrible happened to them?

"Hey, fellers!" Goofy's voice called up from above them.

Stunned, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Kuzco and Pacha glanced up and to their relief and more to Yzma's annoyance, up on a ledge above them, were Goofy, Donald, Xion, Ven, Roxas, Skuld, Riku, Lea, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Jack and even Kronk as they all emerged from the trap door.

"You're okay!" Sora called out, happily.

"Aw, thank goodness!" Mickey added with relief.

Lea shrugged, "Hey, did'cha guys really think those Heartless would finish us off?" before asking, "Uh, and Kairi, where'd that cat come from and where're Kuzco and Yzma?"

Kairi giggled, answering, "Well, in that sort of order, the cat is Yzma when she accidently crushed the cat vial. Kuzco was right here, by the way." gesturing at the human-emperor who waved happily at the group.

"Oh, so that's what Kuzco looks like." Ven muttered, amazed.

"That explains what he said a few days ago at Pacha's village." Myde shrugged, remembering how Kuzco called his own face beautiful.

"Okay, now what are the odds of that trap door leading us out here?" Kronk spoke up, both confused and amazed.

* * *

A day later, everything returned to normal for this world...well, almost everything. Sora and his companions along with Pacha were offered to stay for the night at the palace as Kuzco's graditude for helping him and taking care of Yzma. They were even pardoned after Kuzco explained to everyone most of what happened and even apologuised for his behavior, much to the entire kingdom's surprise in the sudden change in him.

Sora and the others watched as Kuzco was making his apology to an old man he had one of the guards throw out of the window days earlier, the two becoming friends as the old man left for home.

"I'm glad to see that Kuzco changed his attitude." Aqua said with a warm smile. "I'm really proud of him."

"Well, first time adventures can do that sometimes." Sora said, placing his hands behind his head, smiling. "You learn a lotta things along the way."

"That's true." Riku nodded in agreement, his arms folded to his chest. "I'm just relieved that Kuzco knows better."

"So, Klunk," Jack spoke up to Kronk while getting his name wrong. "What do you intend to do now that your former superior is...a cat?"

"It's Kronk, and uh...I have no idea." Kronk shrugged while correcting the pirate, gazing down at the trapped Yzma who was in a cat cage, grumbling. "Personally, I'm just upset that she never liked my Spinich Puffs. Guess I'll have look for a new job."

Hearing this, and remembering the disgusting 'meal' at the Mudka's earlier, Lea suggested, "You could always go work at the Mudka Resturant, if ya' love cooking." and the rest of the wordly companions nodded in agreement.

"Besides, you're a good person, Kronk. I think you'll fit perfectly there." Skuld added.

"Aye, and also to add that..." Jack began, pausing for a moment before commenting, "...It desperately needs a new chef."

"Good idea." Kronk nodded after thinking about it grabbing Yzma's cage and waving goodbye to the group, "And I'll take her with me to join a Junior Chipmunk camp along the way!" before taking his leave out of the palace.

"Junior Chipmunk camp?" Roxas asked, confused. He glanced at his friends who all shrugged in confusion, none of them having any idea what that guy was talking about.

"I'm surprised you even agreed to the idea for Kronk, Jack." Xion said to the pirate who smirked.

"I happen to like Spinich Puffs." Jack replied, "But I couldn't say that, because otherwise we'd be taking him along with us which would be a terrible idea. Savvy?"

"That makes sense." Myde grinned.

"Are you okay, Pacha?" Kairi suddenly asked, as the villager sitting on a chair in front of the miniture display of his village, gazing at the one paticular object in his hand in sadness. When everyone else noticed this, they all became sorrowed in sympathy for their friend. On top of the hill was a display of a statue that hogged the entire hill.

Apparently, so did Kuzco in sensing this, and he felt guilty for it. He knew immediately what to do now that he learned the most important thing of life. So, the younger man approached the villager whom he'd come to accept as a friend and spoke up, "So, you lied to me."

Thinking the question strange, Pacha and the others gazed at the emperor, the villager asking in confusion, "I did?"

"Yeah. You said when the sun hits this ridge just right these hills sing." Kuzco explained, demostrating at the hill display, before adding, "Well, pal, I was dragged all over those hills, and I did not hear any singing."

Sora and everyone else suddenly realised what Kuzco was doing and all smiled, while the emperor took the golden statue off the hill, concluding to Pacha, "So...I'll be building my summer home on a more magical hill. Thank you."

Pacha smiled, handing the hut he was holding to Kuzco when the younger man held out a hand for it, before asking, "Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?"

"No, no, I'm sharp, I'm on it. Looks like you and your family are stuck up on that tuneless hilltop forever, pal." Kuzco replied, placing the hut back where it belonged with a smile.

"Wow...that was nice of you, your majesty." Donald said to Kuzco, in which Mickey, Goofy and everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Gotta start fresh, right?" Kuzco shrugged, before adding as he gazed at his other friends, "You guys are welcome to come and visit, though."

"We'll be looking forward to that." Lea chuckled, smiling warmly.

Just then, the display then began to glow in light, and Sora's Keyblade suddenly appeared. Quickly realising what this meant, the Keyblade wielder held out his weapon, the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the display model. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

Kuzco whistled an impressed whistle. "Now that was a cool light show."

"Well, I guess we'd better get going." Sora said, dismissing his Keyblade.

"You're welcome to visit the village too." Pacha offered, a little sad that they had to leave. "I have so much to tell my kids."

"Hey, Pacha. That's kind of embarrassing." Riku chuckled.

"Thanks for everything, guys." Kuzco waved, before winking at both Sora and Kairi, adding teasingly, "You two play nice."

"Wha-hey!" Sora blushed furiously, as did Kairi, while everyone else in the room chuckled at the display of the two slightly embarrassed teenagers.

After that, Sora and his companions said their goodbyes to Kuzco and Pacha, and once they walked down the dirt path outside of the Kingdom, the sixteen beams of light returnde the group to the gummiship where they flew off to their next destination.

 _ **{Kuzco-Topia}**_

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dark, stone brick chamber dungeon, Yen Sid, without his hat, was sitting slumped against the wall, his arms held up as the cuffs were clampsed around his wrists. His head was slumped forward as he was unconscious. For how long, not even the powerful Sorcerer knew. Finally, after what seemed like weeks, his eyes finally drifted open, groaning as he then gazed around his surroundings.

After a few seconds of disorientation, it didn't take long for Yen Sid to realise where he was and remember what had happened. The fact that his wrists were cuffed and chained to the wall and for the first time in decades, rendering him powerless to free himself, only confirmed his suspicions as memories of what happened returned to his mind, causing him to close his eyes again in self-disgust. It's been years since he failed miserbly in a fight.

He could only hope that Mickey and everyone else were alright. None of them would likely know where he was or what had happened, though Yen Sid had no illusions that they wouldn't figure it out. His former apprentince's protective streak and friendship streak are what made him to be trained in the first place, and Mickey would've no doubt been devastated to discover his mentor just...gone. The young mouse may have been reckless years earlier, but his personality never changed, and has respected the sorcerer, even to this day when he was no longer an apprentince.

In retrospect, Yen Sid did not regret in training Mickey Mouse. Despite the latter not being human, he was human at heart and was also a young friend...and somewhat like a son.

Maybe that was why he wasn't surprised at Sora's personality when he first met the boy a year ago. The teenager's was just like Mickey's, only unlike Mickey, Sora had learned self-taught on his first journey as a wielder and grew mature in that year. None the less, the two had a lot in common.

Just then, the door to his prison opened, causing the old sorcerer to glance up, closing his eyes briefly to avoid in becoming blind, before his sight adjusted to the light from outside of...wherever he was held at. The sillhotte of the person became more clear, giving his visitor the appearence of a young woman, with short blonde hair, her fringe looking like ant antennas, her sharp blue eyes and sinister smirk gazing down at the captive. She wore a white top with a black vest that had pockets, short jean-like shorts, long leather boots that went up to her knees, and black fingerless gloves.

"Well, lookie here." The woman grinned. "Mr. Tough and Powerful is awake. Sure took you're sweet time, old man. I'd honestly thought you landed in a coma, which is understandable for old people."

"As anyone ever taught you manners, young lady?" Yen Sid questioned firmly in return. Being a sorcerer, he knew who this woman was. Another one of those who recently regained their hearts.

"What do I look like, a princess?" The woman rolled her eyes, "In case you haven't noticed, you're the prisoner. Couldn't even take on my new boss. All those rumors about you being the supposedly 'Powerful Sorcerer' is all a bunch of false news, if you ask me."

"I will pretend I didn't hear that." Yen Sid grumbled, turning his head away to avoid in gazing at her.

This only made the woman smirk, as she leaned down and mockingly cooed, "Awww, what's the matter? Did I hit the nerve, grandpa? You must be losing your touch."

Yen Sid just rolled his eyes. He then decided to change the subject and quired, "I assume that you will not tell me where I am nor will you say why you are working for this Aced."

"Ding-dong! You got it right!" The woman cackled as she leaned up. "You're a lot smarter than I thought, old man."

"I am a Sorcerer. I have years of experience."

"Whatever. It's too bad it won't help you now."

Yen Sid narrowed his eyes, "If you wish to eliminate me, I am rendered powerless as of this moment."

The woman grinned evilly, "Well, I could do that." Before scowling, "Only problem is, boss wants to keep you, and the other prisoners alive, so I'm not allowed to kill you...much to my severe annoyance."

"And should you disobey Master Aced because of your temper, Arlene, you'll be severely punished." A new voice spoke behind the woman, causing her to turn around as she and Yen Sid noticed a young man with pink short hair that touched his shoulders, blue eyes and wearing a silver coat that resembled to the black coats. One would mistake the pink-haired man as a woman, especially how there were pink flower petals fluttering all over the place.

"Are you trying to act like Vexen and ruin my fun, Lamuria?" The woman, Arlene, formally known as Larxene of Organization XIII, asked the man who was named Lamuria, the Nobody of Marluxia. She then waved off the petals away and grumbled, "And can't you flutter those petals somewhere else without _me_ around? They're annoying!"

"Are you trying to act like Axel and ruin _my_ fun, Arlene?" Lamuria mocked with a grin, causing his co-worker to snobbishly pout and look away from him.

"Please don't ever mention that jerk." Arlene growled. "I still don't forgive him what he did with Namine back at Castle Oblivion. It makes it worse that now he's with the good guys, along with Saix, Roxas and that stupid replica who _"got her own heart and made human"_." she quoted the sentence Xion with two fingers on each hand.

Lamuria smirked, before changing the subject and said, "In which case, the Master wishes you to join us in an important assignment. Then later, he would like to meet our prisoners and chat with them."

The blonde-haired sighed, "Alright, alright. I'm comin'." before turning and smirked at Yen Sid who glared at both of them. "Well, looks like we'll have to catch up later, old man. Toodles."

With that Arlene and Lamuria left, locking the door behind them as they went and left Yen Sid once again on his own. Just as he feared; Aced is aware that Sora and the others were already on the move to try and sort things out once more. He could only hope that Bhuniveze would not awaken or else things would just make things more dangerous and catastropic.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the gummiship, Sora and his friends took that time to somewhat relax a little while keeping an eye out for any signs of danger and also to spot out any up coming new worlds thanks to the new way of traversing through out the Lanes Between. Some of them were chatting, some where relaxing into their thoughts, and in Myde's case, he'd fallen asleep in his chair, snoring.

Though his snoring did catch their attention which made everyone stop what they were doing and just gazed at Myde's sleeping form which was an awkward position. But the young man didn't seem to care, being far too deep into dream land.

"As you were, lad." Jack muttered, deciding not to bother the younger man sleeping.

"How could anyone sleep like that?" Skuld asked, softly so that Myde wouldn't awake. "It's awkward."

"At least he's not sleeping while standing up." Lea shrugged as he relaxed in his chair. "Seen that too many times when the five of us were in the old Organization." referring to himself, Roxas, Xion, Isa and Myde.

"I don't think I wanna know." Riku said.

"You know how long and boring Xemnas' speeches usually are?"

"Now I know that I don't wanna know."

Aqua rolled her eyes, saying in a lecture tone to the redhead, "If you pay attention to classes at school, you would know more about things of life."

Lea shook his head, "Are you kiddin'? Xemnas would only rant on about 'Kingdom Hearts', 'Nobodies', 'Keyblade', 'Hearts', same old song and dance and it didn't change much at all."

"No wonder Myde would just fall asleep like that." Donald commented.

"Well, we still have time before we reach the next world. Let him sleep." Terra suggested, "Because none of us have any idea when we'll get to relax once we reach the next world."

"He has a point." Ven agreed.

Sora was about to join in the conversation when he noticed that Mickey had been staring out at the stars that surrounded them as they flew. In the king's arms, much to the teenager's surprise, was Yen Sid's hat that was left behind when they discovered that the sorcerer had been kidnapped by Aced along with Angeal and Genesis. Mickey shifted his gaze to old teacher's hat once more and that's when Sora realised that he was sad as thoughts of finding the sorcerer just...gone was still too fresh on his mind.

It didn't take a scientest to figure out that Mickey had been paticularly close to Yen Sid, given their history together and Mickey's amazing power of light within his heart. In fact, Yen Sid was Mickey's first friend outside of the latter's home world.

So, being the boy that he was, Sora stood from his seat and approached the sad king, asking softly, "You okay, your majesty?"

Slightly startled out of his thoughts, Mickey gazed up at the young man, before replying, "I-I'm okay, Sora. I'm just really worried about Master Yen Sid." before sighing and gazed at the hat once more. "I just wish I'd been there in time to save him."

"I know how you feel." Sora sighed with sympathy. "We'll find him. Plus, I'm sure he already has a fair idea what we're doing anywhere, and as far as know, he doesn't go that that easily. Especially since how he trained you to be so cool."

"Gee, I guess you're right." Mickey smiled a little. "Master Yen Sid went through a lotta things through his entire life as a Sorcerer. Hah, even training me when I was a trouble-maker of an apprentince."

"I have trouble picturing you in causing trouble." Sora smirked.

The king shrugged, "Well, I was really young and foolish. I acted far too rashly and never really payed much attention to the lessons until the last minute."

' _That explains why the tower was flooded._ ' Sora thought to himself, thinking back of his Mark of Mastery when he entered a sleeping world of the tower in the past where he met past-dream self of Mickey.

"I don't really deny it. I guess I was kind of a nightmare back then." Mickey continued, chuckling in slight embarrassment. "Still, he saw a lotta potential in me and taught me so much. I really wanna repay him for that, and...and to make sure that he's okay."

"I know." Sora nodded in agreement, placing a comforting hand on the mouse's shoulder. "You're not in this alone, your majesty. We're all in this together."

Mickey smiled somewhat emotionally, "Aw, you're a swell pal, Sora."

The Gummiship's rader than blared, getting everyone's attentions. The noise also awoke and nearly scared Myde out of his skin as he tumbled before falling off his seat and crashed onto the floor, grunting, "Ow!"

"Looks like another world's come up." Isa commented.

"Isn't that obvious?" Jack asked, sarcastically.

"Gawrsh, I wonder what kind of world it is." Goofy thought aloud.

Mickey gazed at the rader as Donald was flying this time. "Welp, we're about to find out. Better prepare ourselves for our next stop, fellas." He told the group.

"Already?" Myde yawned, disappointed, "I was having a nice dream of chocolate pudding with ice cream." rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"You can go back to sleep." Xion told him, rolling her eyes. "Right now, we're going into the next world."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up, I'm up." Myde groaned as he stood up.

So much for a good decent sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Haven't made up my mind on what the next world will be, so it'll take a while. So far on my list of worlds for this story are Atlantis, the Jungle Book, Agrabah, Tangled, and Port Royal. I might add Frozen into this, but I'm not certain yet.**

 **See you in the next chapter, and sorry for the delay and that it's shorter than the last chapter.**


	10. CH9: Snow in Summer?

**Author's Note: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Been sick with a nasty cold and while it's not as bad as it was last week, I still have it but at least the coughing doesn't occure as much. *Cough*. Just wish I was back to normal right now, though. Anyway, here's world No.3!...And I still suck at battles.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH9: Snow in Summer?**_

 _ **{Arendelle}**_

The new world that Sora and his friends had landed in was covered in snow, from a kingdom to all parts surrounding it. When the sixteen worldly travellers disembarked from the gummiship and were teleported into a forest where the snow was nearly an ankle deep, it was like they entered a winter wonderland. For those who haven't seen it outside Radiant Garden before, it was a beautiful sight.

Roxas and Xion marveled on the breath taking sight all around them.

"Whoa!" Roxas breathed.

"This is so beautiful...how does this even happen in places like this?" Xion asked, scooping up a small clump of snow in her gloved hand and gazed it even as it began to melt due to the heat of the palm of her hand.

"Freezing tempretures, guys." Lea said with a fond smile. "Radiant Garden ain't the only place that has winter. It's more amazing on hills and in forests."

"Yeah, even we have snow, believe or not, on the islands. It makes our play island turn into Christmas Land." Riku chuckled, only to be smacked in the side of his face by a snow-ball, startling him as the coldness trickled down his neck. He whirled around to see who did it, only to have another one land squarely right in his face. "Hey!"

Sora snickered as he tossed and catched a snowball in his hand that he no doubt made, while Kairi giggled, humming innocently. Almost everyone else just either chuckled or laughed or just smirked.

As for Myde, he was shivering violently as he hugged himself due to not wearing a jacket, his teeth chittering. "Y-Yeah, yeah. Even Kairi can cope with the cold, but I'm f-f-f-f-freezing here!" He shuddered.

"Yeah, it is really cold, isn't it?" Kairi agreed as she shuddered, rubbing her arms, but still held a smile when Riku payed Sora back by smacking a snowball of his own into the spiky-haired teen's face.

Luckly, both Xion and Lea took off their coats and given them to Kairi and Aqua once more to keep them a bit more warmer, in which the two young woman thanked their friends. When Myde looked at Isa hopefully, the blue-haired man looked at him with a skeptical incredulous look.

"Um...can I burrow-?" Myde gestured at Isa's coat.

"Forget it." Isa rolled his eyes.

"Aw, c'mon! Xion and Axel gave their coats to Kairi and Aqua!" Myde whined.

"That's because you at least have pants." Isa pointed out.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Donald asked as he stormed up to him, glaring.

"I think we should find a place to find warm winter clothes." Goofy suggested.

"No argument there, mate." Jack agreed, before quickly saying to Myde when the former Nobody gazed at him hopefully, "You're not getting my coat either."

"I'd help Myde, but mine's too small for you." Roxas shrugged apologetically.

Suddenly, a girl's scream filled the chilly air. When everyone turned to see where it was coming from, their eyes widened as a young woman, about very close to her early twenties with brown-ginger hair and blue eyes, wearing apparently a summer dress was running from three Snow-Man like Heartless.

The group quickly took action as Aqua leaped up and over the girl before she summoned Eraqus' Keyblade and slashed at one of the Heartless into oblivion, before quickly destroying the other two with a double slash. She found it surprisingly easy while wearing Lea's former Organization coat. Once this was done, she dismissed it and turned to the girl who stared at her in awe, while Sora and the rest of the group approached.

"Are you alright?" Aqua asked, as she approached the woman.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for saving me. That was...absolutely amazing what you did to those monsters!" The woman said, happily.

"You're welcome. My name is Aqua." Aqua replied, before introducing her friends to the girl as the said group gave their friendly and kind hellos.

"Nice to meet all of you. I'm Anna." Anna responded, before her expression became that of slight worry and slight hope, "Say, have any of you seen a girl pass here? Long dress, white hair...who was making all of this snow appear from her magic?"

"Come again?" Jack asked, blinking in confusion.

"Queen maybe?"

"No. It's just you. Sorry." Sora shrugged, before realising what else Anna said and asked, "Hold on...did you say she was using magic to...make snow?"

That got everyone else's attentions as well as they all glanced at each other, stunned and utterly confused. So it wasn't actually winter yet? And even more so, the Queen of this world was able to do this?

"I only found out today, to be honest." Anna nodded, while disappointed that there was no sign of the woman she was looking for. "See, she's my older sister, Elsa, and today was her Coronation Day to be Queen, and long story short. Anyway, We got into an argument and it was all my fault, and then she started...to make snow with magic that she never told me about...on the other hand, it wouldn't have happened if she told me her secret. She's a stinker."

"And you're looking for her because..." Isa began, already having an idea on where this was going.

Anna sighed, "Like I said. We got into a fight, and because of the magic, she got scared and ran away. Some people think she's a monster, but I know better. That's why I left my future husband Hans to watch over the kingdom Arendelle while I went out to find her and make up for this mess." shuddering as the chill in the air hit her slightly.

"Hmmm...Sounds to me like Elsa doesn't know how to control her powers of ice, and that's why it's snowin' right now." Mickey correctly theoried in concern.

"I know, right? And in the middle of summer too!" Anna added with a nod, before grumbling, "Snow...It had to be snow, didn't it? She could've had tr-tr-tropical magic that covered fjords in white sand and palm trees."

Seeing how Anna was shivering, Isa sighed before finally taking off his own coat, revealing his clothes that he'd been wearing underneath for the entire time; a blue shirt with bottons, a black vest, black cotton sweat pants, blue shoes and a solder belt with a blue belt buckle, and handed his coat to Anna, drooping it over her shoulders to keep her a little bit warm for the time being.

"Oh! Uh, thanks." Anna said.

"Hey, no fair! How come she gets the coat and you didn't even borther giving it to me!?" Myde groaned, pouting.

"One, because she's a princess, and two, because I felt like it." Isa answered. "And anyway, what happened to yours?"

"All of my coats were either burn't to crisp or stolen and I lost the one that was wearing before I met up with you guys." Myde replied.

"You could always ask Jack to burrow his 'till we find some warm clothes. Besides, it has to at least be better than having all of Dilan's clothes, right?" Lea teased, while mentally feeling bad for having stolen Demyx's last coat from the laundry room when he was Axel a year ago.

"Ewww." The younger man cringed at the very thoughts.

"Do you want this, then?" Anna offered, about to take the coat off and give it to Myde.

The blonde-haired young man shook his head, "Nah, you have it. You got offered first. Plus, like Isa said, you're a princess. I'd feel like a jerk to take it from you, or Kairi or Aqua."

"Hey, I think I see fire over there." Ven suddenly spoke up, pointing at smoke from the right of the group. When everyone else turned to see, they immediate knew that he was right.

"Well, at least it's a start. Let's check it out." Skuld suggested.

While the group, joined by Anna, ventured to the origins of the smoke, Terra couldn't help but think of what Anna had told them about her older sister, Elsa, and the concerns he felt. Mickey was right. Elsa had no control over her powers that made ice and snow, and it reminded him of when he had no control over the power of darkness in his heart and how it unfortunately reminded him of how Xehanort used this to his advantage. While Terra knew that Riku was probably thinking the same way, he was relieved that his young successor had not only succeeded in conjouring the darkness as well as getting his heart and body back, but was also made a Keyblade Master as well. Still, he knew that Elsa was most likely scared and wanted to isolate herself from everything and everyone because of her magic.

He just hoped that she would get it under control soon.

* * *

When they arrived the small hut like place after passing the stream and fighting more Heartless while protecting Anna along the way, Roxas read the sign of the place aloud, "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post."

"Oh! And Sauna!" Anna read the other sign.

"There wouldn't happen to be any rum here too, would there?" Jack asked, hopefully.

"What is it with you and rum?" Donald rolled his eyes.

"Come on, guys." Sora gestured.

The group walked in through the door and were greeted by a voice at the counter, "Hoo-hoo! Big summer blowout! Half off swimming suits, clogs, and a sun balm of my own invention, ja?" as they turned to a man behind it, with an accent.

Everyone else just stared a little blankly, before Anna spoke up, "Oh...great. For now, um, how about boots? Winter boots? A-And dresses?"

"And warm pants and coats?" Myde added, his skin starting to become blue due to the freezing tempretures outside.

"That would be in our winter department." The man pointed at the counter to the group's right, where there were at least enough winter gear for all seventeen of them.

"Oh yeah...come to papa!" Myde gleed, rushing over and immediately covered himself from head to foot in winter gear of boots, warm pants, a warm jacket, and for good measure, a scarf and a beanie, before paying for his clothes which was surprisingly cheap. "Dude, you're a life-saver!"

Sora and the rest of the group and Anna gathered their own winter gear and payed for the clothes while having taken some privicy to change into them, most of them wearing winter pants and jackets. Xion only brought herself warmer pants since her jumper kept her warm, and Jack got himself a jumper to put underneath his leather brown coat. It was a strange feeling to be wearing another world's clothes, but since he was freezing, he didn't care. Even Donald resorted in wearing boots and pants.

After Anna put on her new winter dress and boots and outfit, she then asked the owner, "Um, I was just wondering, has another young woman-the Queen perhaps, I don't know-passed through here?"

"And while on the subject, did you happen to notice a tall guy wearing a yellow-ish coat wearing a bear mask?" Sora added, deciding that maybe Aced might be here with Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis.

"Only ones crazy enough to be out in this storm is all of you." The man replied, just as the door opened and another young man entered...completely covered in snow. "And...this fellow?"

"He looks like an Abominble snowman." Myde commented.

"...I don't even want to know what that is." Jack shook his head, slightly exasperated.

"Abominble snowman?" Roxas asked, confused. Xion looked equally puzzled, as did Skuld and Ven.

"Just some dumb superstition. Stories say that it's a monster that lives in cold snowy places. It has other names actually." Lea shrugged, "Like the Yeti, Sasquash, and even Bigfoot."

"That sounds silly." Skuld thought.

The young man, named Kristoff, approached and next to the group, muttering as he shook the snow off of himself revealing his winter gear, "Carrots."

"Huh?" Anna blinked, confused.

"Behind you."

Realising what he meant, Anna nodded and excused herself while stepping aside so that Kristoff could get the carrots before he placed them onto the counter, while the owner of the place commented, "Oooh, a real howler in July, yah? Wherever could it be coming from?"

"North Mountain." Kristoff responded, which instantly made Anna's eyes widen, as did it surprise Sora and his friends. North Mountain? That could only mean one thing...

That was where Anna's sister Elsa went to. It must've been.

After he got what he needed, Kristoff was about to pay for the supplies when the owner answered his unasked question on how much it would be, "That'll be forty."

"Forty?" Kristoff asked, in disbelief. "No, ten."

"Oh, dear, that's no good! See, this is from our winter stock, where the supply and demand have a big problem."

"You want to talk about a _"supply and demand"_ problem? I sell ice for a living!" Kristoff argued, pointing out of the door which as Sora and the others turned to look, there outside was a sled full of blocks of ice.

"That's different." Riku muttered to himself.

"Ooh, that's a rough business to be in right now. I mean, that is really-" Anna cuts herself off when Kristoff turned to glare at her. She quickly cleared her throat and added, "Ahem, that's unfortunate."

"Okay, no one really sells that stuff." Sora said, crossing his arms.

"Let alone buy it." Terra nodded in agreement.

"Come on, you'd have better luck in selling those things to keep people and drinks cool in summer." Lea said as he placed his hands behind his head casually.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Oh, leave him be. That's his life, so no point in interfering."

"Still 40. But I will throw in a visit to Oaken's Sauna." The man, apparently Oaken himself, said, waving over to apparently his family who were relaxing in the sauna. "Hi, family!"

"Hoo hoo!" The family waved, and Anna, Sora, Kairi, Aqua, Ven, Mickey, Goofy, Xion and Skuld waved in return, while Roxas, Lea, Isa, Terra, Riku, Donald, Myde and Jack just shared a disturbed glance.

Kristoff sighed, "Ten's all I've got. Help me out."

"Okay." Oaken said, rearranging the carrots from the other supplies and told the younger man, "Ten will get you this, and no more."

"Okay, just tell me one thing." Anna spoke up to Kristoff, "What was happening on the North Mountain? Did it seem... magical?"

"Yes!" Kristoff groaned.

"Did you see anyone else suspicious earlier too?" Terra questioned.

"Maybe." Kristoff shrugged, exasperated, "Now back up... while I deal with this crook here."

"He is a big palooka if you ask me." Donald nodded in agreement.

Jack rolled his eyes, "He's a man on business, mates. It's fortunate that he's selling the winter gear at a time like this."

"Hey, you guys leave him alone." Myde said in annoyance, defending Oaken. "He's an awesome guy!"

Oaken, who was glaring at Kristoff, Donald and even Jack, suddenly stood up and revealing that he was seven feet tall, towering the trio. While Jack flinched a little scaredly, both Kristoff and Donald, realising that they were in big trouble-both literally and figuretively-they chuckled nervously.

"What did you call me?"

The next thing the three of them knew, Oaken grabbed them by the collars of their shirts and carried them out to the door as Kristoff cried out, "Okay, okay! I'm out!"

Oaken then effortlessly tossed him, Donald and Jack into the air where the trio then landed face first into the snow. "Bye-bye." Oaken said before turning and slammed the door shut behind him as he walked back inside.

"Oi! What'd I do?" Jack pouted, clearly annoyed that he was thrown out and he hadn't even done anything wrong for once.

"Aw phooey!" Donald groaned, before spitting out a clump of snow that got into his mouth.

"Just great." Kristoff groaned, just as a reindeer approached and sniffered at the three of them, looking somewhat pleadingly at Kristoff who sighed, "No, Sven, I didn't get your carrots."

"...I was actually kind of expecting a horse." Jack admitted as he stared at the animal apparently named Sven.

Kristoff ignored the pirate as Sven moaned, and said as he noticed a barn next to the store, "But I did find us a place to sleep, and it's free!"

"Of course it is." Jack said as he and Donald stood up, brushing the snow off of themselves. "Nothing more warmer than a barn in the middle of winter, eh?" he added, a little sarcastically.

"At least it's free. Who are you, anyway?" Kristoff replied as he stood up, glaring at the pirate.

Jack was close in revealing his 'Captain' title when Donald cleared his throat while glaring at him. So the pirate instead tried not to cringe and instead answered as simply as he could, "Jack Sparrow, and this is Donald." though he did add to himself in his mind, ' _Captain Jack Sparrow_.' so that he wouldn't forget his 'full' name.

Back inside, Oaken returned to the counter and apologuised to the group cheerfully, "I'm sorry about this violence. I vill add a quart of lutefisk so we have good feelings." handing over jars of lutefisk on the counter to the group. "Just the outfits and booats, ja?"

Before they left, the group saw the supplies Kristoff couldn't afford. So after buying their winter gear as well as Donald's and Jack's, and even the other supplies, as well as bags to put the coats into as Roxas also discarded his coat for the winter gear as well, Sora and his friends left the store when they suddenly heard singing and decided to investigate. When they opened the door to the barn, they saw that Kristoff was singing.

"Nice duet." Anna commented, which her pressence nearly scared Kristoff out of his skin as he jumped with a fright, while Jack and Donald also noticed their pressence.

"Got your winter gear, guys." Terra said as he gave Jack his jumper and Donald his winter gear.

"Thanks, mate." Jack replied.

"Thank you!" Donald sighed in relief, hugging his gear as though it were his teddy bear or something.

"Oh, it's you guys." Kristoff sighed when it was the group and not Oaken as he'd been worried it might've been. "What do you want?"

"We want you to take us to North Mountain." Aqua replied, as she and the others had already told Anna that they were willing to help her find Elsa, which she happily thanked them for.

The man rolled his eyes and layed down on the pile of hay, pulling his hat over his eyes as though it were a sleeping mask. "I don't take people to places."

Anna tossed a sack that had the supplies Kristoff couldn't afford, saying, "Let me rephrase that. Take us to North Mountain...please." when the man glanced at the supplies, then up at the princess, she sighed, "Look, I know how to stop this winter."

Sighing in defeat, Kristoff layed down again, saying, "We leave at dawn...and you forgot Sven's carrots." only for Lea to toss another sack at him, this time with carrots in it.

"Came prepared." Lea said, "And we're leaving right now, thanks."

"All right, all right." Kristoff sighed, standing up before introducing himself, "Name's Kristoff."

"I'm Anna." Anna replied.

"I'm Sora." Sora added.

"My name's Lea. Got it memorized?" Lea added.

"And I'm Mickey." Mickey introduced himself.

"My name's Kairi." Kairi introduced herself.

"Isa." Isa said simply.

"I'm Riku." Riku added.

"Name's Goofy. Ay-yhuck!" Goofy added.

"I'm Roxas." Roxas added.

"I'm Xion." Xion added.

"I'm Ventus; Ven for short." Ven added.

"My name is Skuld." Skuld added.

"I'm Aqua." Aqua added.

"And I'm Terra." Terra added.

"I'm Myde." Myde concluded.

* * *

It was a bit of a tight squeeze in the sled, but the group made do. As Kristoff had Sven go as he carried the sled, he then told the group, "Hang on! We like to go fast!"

"I like fast!" Anna said, smiling.

"I don't!" Myde squealed, hanging on for dear life.

"Whimp." Sora rolled his eyes.

"Who taught you to rein this?" Jack asked, quite alarmed at the speed that they were going.

"My dad." Kristoff replied, "Seriously, were you guys born in a barn?"

"No. We grew up in a lotta different places." Mickey replied, "Donald, Goofy and I grew up together."

"Yeah, Riku, Kairi and I grew up on the islands." Sora added.

"I grew up at sea." Jack commented, a little sadly.

"Isa and I grew up in a city." Lea muttered.

"I have no idea where I was born, but I pretty much grew up with Terra and Aqua." Ven added.

"I was raised in a castle." Anna added.

"Hmmm." Kristoff thought, before asking Anna, "So, uh tell me. What made the Queen go all ice-crazy?"

"Oh, well, it was all my fault. I got engaged, but then she freaked out because I'd only just met him, you know, that day, and she said she wouldn't bless the marriage and-"

"Wait, what?" Lea cut Anna off, shocked and surprised. Everyone else were just as stunned and shocked as well. Sure the princess told most of them that she was engaged to this Hans guy, but having done so only just during the day when the two first met?

"Uh...can you repeat that?" Myde asked, dumbfounded.

"Wait. You got engaged to someone you just met that day?" Kristoff asked, just as dumbfounded. By judging the expressions of the other guys of the group, he immediately knew that it wasn't Sora, Jack, Terra, Roxas, Ven, Myde, Lea or Isa, and definitely not Mickey, Donald and Goofy.

Anna rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Anyway, I got mad ,and so she got mad and then she tried to walk away and I grabbed her glove-"

"HANG ON! You mean to tell me you got _engaged_ to someone you just met _that day_!?" Kristoff interrupted.

"Yes! Pay attention." Anna sighed, before concluding, "But the thing is, she wore the gloves all the time, so I just thought, maybe she has a thing about dirt."

"Well...that just makes things awkward." Terra thought.

"Uh, no offence, Anna, but didn't your Mom and Dad warn ya' about strangers?" Myde asked, awkwardly.

Anna scooted slightly in her seat, replying, "Yyyyyyyyyeessss, they did. But Hans is _not_ a stranger!"

"I'm not so sure about that." Aqua said, pointing out, "You shouldn't have gotten too close to someone you only just met."

"Let alone get engaged to them in just in a matter of minutes." Lea commented in agreement.

"Yeah, no offence, but I kinda get why the Queen got upset." Sora added.

"We're not saying any of this to upset ya', Anna, but that kind of thing could lead into big trouble." Mickey said in agreement, concerned as well.

"Besides, what's his last name?" Kristoff asked, just as skeptical.

"Of-the-Southern-Isles!" Anna scoffed.

"What's his favorite food?"

"Sandwiches."

"His best friend's name?"

"Probably John."

"Eye colour?"

" _Dreamy_."

"Foot size?"

"Foot size doesn't matter!"

"A eunuch, possibly?" Jack asked, worriedly. When everyone glanced at him questionly, he shrugged, "Met quite some eunuchs before. Recently met one who was to be married to a girl but had to call off their wedding." referring to Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.

"But Will's not a u-neeck." Goofy pointed out while unable to say eunuch properly.

"Will you just say out of this?" Sora, Kairi, Lea, Aqua, and Donald all said to Jack who held his hands up in defeat, slinking back a little to not join in the conversation anymore between Anna and Kristoff.

"Anyway," Kristoff continued while ignoring the others, before asking Anna, "Have you had a meal with him yet? What if you hate the way he eats? What if you hate the way he picks his nose?"

"Pick his nose?" Anna asked, shocked.

"And eats it." Kristoff nodded.

"Excuse me, sir. He's a prince." Anna said, annoyed.

"All men do it."

"Ew!" Anna, Kairi, Skuld, Xion and Aqua cringed, while Roxas looked horrified.

"Hey, we do not!" Sora pointed out, glaring at Kristoff, offended. Riku, Ven, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Myde, Terra, Lea, Isa, and even Jack looked offended as well.

"That's disgusting." Riku shuddered.

"Look, it doesn't matter; it's true love." Anna told Kristoff.

"Doesn't sound like true love." Kristoff replied.

"Are you some sort of love expert?"

"No, but I have friends who are."

" _You_ have friends who are love experts?" Anna repeated, skeptically. "I'm not buying it."

Just then, Sven stopped and gazed around as he heard something. It was a second later that everyone else except for Anna heard it as well; rustling around them as the sun had set a while ago and it was in the middle of the dark. Not only that, but most of the worldly travellers sensed more than that; familiar darkness lurking.

"Stop talking." Kristoff muttered.

"No, no, no, no, no! I'd like to meet these-" Anna was cut off when Kristoff placed a hand over her mouth.

"Shh!" Terra shushed.

"Uh...guys?" Myde squeaked, wide eyed in terror as he turned to see what was behind them, seeing the eyes and figures from the darkness of the woods.

"Uh oh!" Goofy cried out, eyes wide in terror as well.

"Sven, go. Go!" Kristoff hurried, and the reindeer immediately took off running, carrying it's passengers as they went.

"What are they?" Anna asked.

"Wolves!" Kristoff answered.

"You might want to re-confirm that, mate!" Jack muttered, as he and the others got a better look at the wolves, the familiar yellow eyes, the fur all black and gray, and the Heartless emblem on their heads.

"The Heartless!" Donald squaked.

Immediately, Sora and his companions quickly summoned their weapons, and even Kristoff tried to join in. Sora tossed his Keyblade out at two of the Heartless, knocking them back before it returned to him. He then whacked another that tried to get to the Sled, causing it to crash into some of the other Heartless into a pile. Ven chanted Thunderaga that zapped another Heartless that tried to bite his head off but was instead electrocuted.

Terra slashed another Heartless in half while Riku and Mickey both used the power of light and fire at several more. Jack bonked another with his Keyblade before ducking as another tried to bite his head off. It was quickly destroyed when Xion and Kairi knocked it away together. Donald and Aqua used Firaga to melt the Snow-Man Heartless that appeared while Skuld and Goofy spun their weapons that knocked the other Heartless back.

Lea, Roxas and Isa teamed up with the combination of Fire, Thunder and Wind that whirled the Heartless around before the monsters were destroyed. Myde strung the combination of music and water from his Styer that washed the remaining Heartless away. Kristoff knocked one away from Sven when it tried to attack his reindeer friend.

"Whoa!" He cried out in alarm when another Heartless attempted to get him. Kristoff was then shocked and awed when Anna grabbed hold of the lute and whacked it away as though it were a club. "Whoa..." He whispered. He had to admit, she could defend herself. Suddenly Kristoff was yanked off the sled by another Heartless, causing him to scream out in alarm, "WHOA!"

"Kristoff!" Sora cried out, alarmed.

"Christopher!" Anna cried out, worriedly.

Fortunately, Kristoff was being dragged by the sled's behind, as he yelled out to Anna, "It's Kristoff!"

"I need someone to set this on fire!" Anna rolled up a blanket.

Lea quickly knew what the princess had in mind and immediately snapped his fingers which lit up at least the lower half of the blanket so that it wouldn't burn Anna by mistake. The princess then called out to Kristoff to duck, and then tossed it at the Heartless, hitting them square on and surprisingly finished them off.

As Kristoff pulled himself up, he glared at Anna, "You almost set me on fire!"

"But I didn't." Anna pointed out, as she, Sora, Kairi and Mickey pulled Kristoff back up.

"Dead end at Three o'Clock!" Myde screamed hysterically, pointing in front of them as a cliff was up ahead.

"Not _another_ bloody cliff!" Jack cursed.

"We're not gonna make it!" Roxas cried out, alarmed.

"Only one thing to do!" Ven said, turning to Aqua and Terra who both nodded. The trio then tossed their Keyblades into the air which then all turned into their gliders which they haven't used in twelve years. While most of the group were stunned by this display, Mickey nodded.

"Hurry!" Mickey called out.

Kristoff had Anna, Skuld and himself on Sven after he cuts the harness from the reindeer, while Sora, Kairi, Roxas and Mickey quickly boarded with Aqua on her glider, Lea, Jack, Myde and Xion did the same with Ven's, and Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Isa did the same with Terra's. It was awkward, but it was better than nothing.

"Jump, Sven!" Kristoff shouted.

While the reindeer successfully clears the chasm, landing on the other side with his passengers, the others on the gliders wobbly but also successfully flew over the chasm safely, landing with a bit of a bump on the other side. The sled on the other hand, fell and crashed below into the chasm where it burst into flames, much to Kristoff's dismay as he hurried over and stood by the edge of the cliff.

"No! But I just paid it off!" Kristoff cried out, miserably. The ledge suddenly began to give away and he almost fell in alarm, when Anna quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back to safety just in time.

"Aw gee. Sorry, Kristoff." Mickey said, feeling sorry for the poor young man, while Aqua, Ven and Terra dismissed their gliders which turned back into their Keyblades. He then asked to everyone else, "Is everybody alright?"

To his relief, their replies were that they were fine.

Anna, having seen what happened, cringed and apologetically said to Kristoff, "Whoa. I'll replace your sled, and-and everything in it. And I understand if you don't want to help me anymore." turning and then walked off a bit, trying to figure out which way to go now.

"Well," Lea began as he brushed himself off. "On the bright side. At least we're alive."

"Yeah, but which way to do we go?" Kairi asked, gazing around the surroundings.

"I have no idea." Anna sighed.

"How 'bout this way?" Myde suggested, pointing to the left.

"We could always go north." Isa rolled his eyes.

"Hmmm..." Jack mumured, before pulling out his Compass and hoped that it would work this time. As usual as he opened it up, the needle jerked back and forth, spinning backwards and forwards. He slammed it shut and gave it a violent shake as if it would help, but sadly it didn't. Giving up, he stashed it away back into his pockets.

Apparently Sora noticed, because he asked, "Still doesn't work for you, huh?"

"Not when I need it the most." Jack grumbled. "I thought it might help in a situation such as this."

"Too bad it doesn't work like that." Sora shook his head, before saying, "I'm sure we'll find Elsa and North Mountain somewhere."

"Hold up!" Kristoff called up, as he and Sven approached the group. "We're coming."

"You are? I mean, sure! I'll let you tag along." Anna said, happily.

"Let's get going. It can't that far off, can it?" Sora responded.

The others nodded in agreement, before walking further to find their way towards North Mountan and hopefully where Elsa was.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a spectacular ice place up in the North Mountain, a young woman in a icy blue dress, white hair that was loose, and blue eyes, gazed around her new palace after having run away from the kingdom that she and her younger sister had grown up in. While she was a little angry with her sister's decisions, she still felt the guilt of what she had done and continued to gaze at her hands.

"How am I ever going to control this?" The young woman asked herself.

"Just find the answer in your heart, or maybe the answer might come to you when you think about what's more important." An familiar voice spoke behind her.

Eyes widening in shock, the young woman whirled around to find an unfamiliar man in a black coat, his hands behind his back. He had his hood on, so she couldn't see his face. That didn't make him any nicer.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The young woman demanded, backing away a little.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to knock on the door." The man shrugged, rubbing the back of his head as though he was sheepish. "And well, I'm no one that important."

"That doesn't answer my question." The young woman pointed out.

"Well, my idenity is complicated." The man replied, keeping his distance from the young woman. His tone then turned slightly serious as he continued, "I know of your sorcery, and how you're unable to control them."

This made the young woman, named Elsa, back away slightly in horror. "What is it that you want with me?"

To her surprise, he replied, "I'm not after you, or your powers, and I'm not gonna hurt you either. I'm just here to give a bit of an advice. See, people like you who don't know what they're capable of with the powers in their hearts end up letting them run wild with a will of their own. It only makes it worse when anger surges through the veins of your body. Fear makes it run because it can sense your fear."

Elsa lowered her gaze to the floor, thinking. Despite her distrust in this intruder, she had to admit that he had a point, now that she remembered how this mess started. "Say if I believe you in this, how can I stop it?"

"There's no getting rid of powers completely." The man replied, "But, the key thing to this is to control it with the single emotion that has the power to light the darkness and melt the ice with warmth. An inner warmth that is there for those like you. As long as you continue to think of what you know makes your heart warm, that will not only reverse the little winter, but it will also give you full control of your powers."

"How do you know so much about this?" Elsa asked, still slightly suspicious, but since she had no other leads on how to fix up this mess, she decided to keep this thought in mind despite remembering the warning about strangers.

"Been there, done that. It's not an easy task." The man said as he waved his hand to demostrate. "You'd be surprised that other people in the outside world had the similiar problem, if not completely worse. Consider yourself lucky you still have what you got in your heart."

"No really, how do you know so much about me?" Elsa asked again, more carefully this time.

The man stood there in silence, before turning around, and replied, "I see into the future, and well, sometimes even the future can change, right? Thought it would never happen, but I was proven wrong. Sure glad that I was. Anyway, I'll let myself out to get out of your hair." and then walked off, taking his leave.

Elsa just stood there, stunned in disbelief. Whoever that man was...strange as he was, he didn't seem...that bad of a person. But still, she wasn't about to push her luck, even though what he said made some kind of sense.

While Elsa was left to her own thoughts, the man rounded the corner as he muttered in a whisper, "Boy, are things really heating up in the Realm of Light." as he summoned a corridor that was a mixture of light and darkness before stepping through, vanishing as it closed up.

* * *

 **A/N: I think the Arendelle world will be shorter than the two previous Disney worlds. You never know. I'll try and update as soon as I can(and as soon as this cold goes away). See you in the next chapter!**


	11. CH10: Tensions Rising

**Author's Note: I was meant to update this sooner, but a lot of things happened, and well, yesterday was a bad day plus. Anywho, welcome back!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH10: Tensions Rising.**_

Meanwhile, in the grand castle of the Kingdom, a young man was speaking privately to two 'guests' who were not only offering to help him with something, but were also making such an odd request that he never heard of before. It's been at least a day since his future bride had left to find the queen, and secretly it couldn't gone more perfect than he had intended, but this might actually be better.

"An odd looking book and a black box?" The young man, named Hans, quired with a confused eye-brow. He then shook his head, answering, "I'm afraid neither of those ring any bells to me."

"How disappointing, but acceptable." Maleficent replied. "No matter, I can tell that you seek to take this kingdom to be rightfully yours, do you not?"

Hans's expression turned from confusion to a surprising cruel smirk, "Being the 13th in line, how can I be king unless I try somewhere else? Anna is gullible and naive to have fallen for me the way she did."

"Considering how the Princess' sister-Queen Elsa was it?-had run off and created this eternal winter, what you're doing is for the good of the kingdom and for the leverage of what domination truly means. Far better than what other people think, don't you think?" Beckett commented.

"I like you already, Lord Beckett." Hans chuckled, before turning his attention to Maleficent again and continued, "You also mentioned other people I should watch out for, didn't you?"

The evil Witch nodded, "Yes. There is this boy named Sora, who has companions with him. They will no doubt be meddling with your plan should they learn the truth. I suggest you be careful if you see them."

"On my honor, miss Maleficent." Hans promised. Just then, the duke came over and quickly the prince played along as though the conversation between him, Maleficent and Beckett never happened.

"Sir, how can we trust Princess Anna with all of this?" The duke, who was a scrawny man with glassess.

Hans glared at the duke, pointing out, "Princess Anna has given her orders..."

"And that's another thing!" The duke cuts him off angrily. "Has it dawned to you that the Princess may be conspiring with that wicked sorceress to destroy us all?"

"Do not question the Princess." Hans told him coldly. "She left me in charge, and I will not hesitate to protect Arendelle from treason."

"Treason!?" The duke exclaimed, shocked.

"Is this the man who claimed to have nearly been frozen by Queen Elsa?" Backett asked to Hans.

"Yes, I am, good sir!" The duke answered before Hans could.

The Prince rolled his eyes, "Told you already, you just slipped on ice when you were not looking where you were going."

"Another bumbling baffoon." Maleficent sighed in exasperation, reminded of both Pete and Kronk, and Beckett pinched the bridge of his nose, also exasperated, just as a horse was heard, causing everyone to turn to see the said horse come running, looking terrified. It's owner, Anna, was absent, much to the people's grave concerns.

Hans knew what to do. "Princess Anna is in trouble!" before gazing at the crowd of people, "I need voulenteers to go with me to find her!"

Immediately, many guards approached intending on voulenteering. The duke, still distrusting after what happened earlier, immediately said to Hans, "I voulenteer three men, my lord!"

While Hans nodded in approval, the duke then approached the said voulenteered men and whispered darkly, "Be prepared for anything, and should you encounter the queen, you are to put an end to this winter. Do you understand?"

The guards nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora, Anna, Kristoff, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Sven, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Isa, Myde, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Skuld and Jack continued on their journey to find Elsa and the Northern Mountain, with snow still on the ground. As they walked, below the hill before them, was the kingdom of Arendelle, which was completely frozen in ice, from the rooftops to the castle itself. Even the fountain was covered in snow.

"Arendelle." Anna gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

"It's completely frozen." Kristoff added, equally shocked.

"Gee thanks for the info, captain obvious." Myde said sarcastically.

Lea shrugged, "Ah, worse case scenario, everybody will just have a bit of a frostbite."

"Lea!" Aqua, Kairi and Xion scolded.

"I'm kidding! Jeez, learn to have a sense of humor." Lea quickly said, holding his hands up in defeat.

"It'll be fine. Elsa will thaw it." Anna said optimistically.

"Will see?" Kristoff asked, a but uncertainly.

"If Anna thinks so, then I don't doubt it." Sora said, agreeing with Anna.

"Best chances, it'll happen sooner before you know it." Jack agreed, saying simply, "All we need to do is find the Queen, Anna talks to her, makes up for the mistakes, the ice thaws off, and winter turns back into summer, you get a new sled and go back to your day job."

"You're pretty optimistic about this." Terra commented at the pirate's simple explaination.

"And you sound like you're a sibling expert." Skuld added, before quiring, "Do you have any siblings?"

Jack paused for a moment, before answering, "No, but I do have an Uncle whom I was named after; the first name at least, and no, there's not Jr in my name."

"So what do your parents call ya?" Goofy asked.

After another pause, Jack answered, rather uncomfortably, "...Jackie."

"Jackie?" Donald repeated, before bursting into hysterical laughter along with Myde and even Kristoff who both doubled over, holding their stomachs as the three of them laughed.

Jack scowled at the three of them, until Mickey rolled his eyes and told the man, "Oh, don't mind them, Jack. There's nothin' wrong with your nickname. It's better than some ridiculous names I've heard." before telling everyone, "Anyway, we should get going if we wanna find Elsa."

"I agree. Come on. This way to the North Mountain?" Anna spoke up, pointing to the left, only for Kristoff to point it to the mountain that was clearly visible.

"More like this way." He told her.

"Perfectly obvious." Isa rolled his eyes.

As they moved on into that direction, Anna shrugged, "Well, I've never left the Castle walls before. Not sense my parents died at sea when Elsa and I were teenagers."

"So you've been by yourselves since then?" Kairi asked, shocked, before saying in sympathy, "I'm sorry to hear that, Anna."

"It's okay. It's...a little more complicated than that." Anna replied, "Since then, I've always wanted to see what the outside world was like, even just within the kingdom. The Cororation day was my big chance..." she then sighed upon remembering what happened the day before, "And I think I got a little too excited and blew it."

"Considering this Hans guy, I'm not surprised." Myde grumbled under his breath.

"Well, I get what you're feeling, Anna." Riku shrugged a little. "As long as I could remember, I've always wanted to leave the islands to explore other places."

"Me too. And two years ago, the two of us and Kairi were planning on riding a raft to do that and well...stuff happened and we met our friends here along the way." Sora added.

" _What a childish dream. You seriously thought a dingy of a raft would've gotten you, Kairi and Riku that far? Totally pathetic._ " The manfiestion of Vanitas suddenly appeared beside Sora once more, as the former darkness of Ven rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Sora fought the urge to glance at the ghost, knowing that no one else could see Vanitas, and instead ignored him completely, listening on the conversation that was going on right now.

"We were seperated for a while, but eventually we found each other in the end. I know that things will work out for you and Elsa." Kairi said.

"Yeah, like the rest of us did." Sora concluded with a smile.

" _I think I'm gonna be sick._ " Vanitas shook his head in dismay before vanishing once more, much to Sora's mental relief.

* * *

As Sora and his friends moved on into the Willows of the forest, they took in on the sight before them. It really was a pretty sight. Ice crystals hanged from the branchs of trees, in which Sven began to play with his antlers.

"Wow!" Ven softly gasped.

"Gosh..." Mickey muttered.

"It's beautiful." Aqua commented.

"Kind of looks like we've entered Christmas Town." Sora said, remembering his expression when he, Donald and Goofy followed Jack Skellingtion to Christmas Town to speak to Santa. That place had been absolutely amazing that he instantly fell in love with it.

Kairi twirled around giggling a little, admitting, "I wish I had a painting at this. It's so lovely here."

"I never knew winter could be so beautiful." Anna said in agreement, awestruck at the beauty of the landscape.

"Yeah, it really _is_ beautiful, isn't it?" A voice suddenly spoke behind them, and Sora and the others quickly turned to Sven, as though thinking that he spoke despite the reindeer didn't talk. Just in case, the worldly travellers made to summon their weapons, but didn't sense any pressence of darkness.

Instead, the voice continued, "But it's so white. How about a little color? I'm thinking, like, maybe some crimson, chartreuse..." as unaware to them at the moment, a nose-less little snowman, about Mickey and Donald's height, walked over, adding, "...How 'bout yellow? No, not yellow. Yellow and snow? Brrr! No go."

The Snowman walked between Terra and Isa, and turned to them and everyone else who gasped. "Am I right?"

"AHH!" Anna screamed before kicking the snowman's head off, causing it to fly right into Jack's hands.

"Hi!" Said the Snowman.

Jack stared at it for a second, before screaming in horror, "AHH!" and tossed it to Kristoff who caught the head.

"You're creepy!" Kristoff shuddered, tossing it to Myde who cringed.

"Ew!" Myde yelped, tossing the head to Anna.

"I don't want it!" Anna protested, throwing it to Kairi who screamed before she tossed it to Xion who cringed before tossing it to Roxas, who, in panic, tossed it to Lea, who tossed it to Isa, who tossed it to Terra, who did the same to Aqua to responded by tossing it to Ven and Skuld who threw it Donald.

"Wak!" Donald screamed as he threw it to Goofy who freaked out and accidently threw it to Mickey who threw it to Riku who cringed before tossing it back to Kristoff.

"Back to you!" Kristoff cringed, tossing it to Lea who tossed it to Sora next.

"Whoa, not me!" Sora protested, throwing it back to Ven.

"Whoa!" The snowman cried out, "Please,"

Tossed to Anna.

"Don't,"

Anna tossed it to Jack.

"Drop,"

Jack tossed it back to Myde again.

"Me!"

All the while, the headless body began running around, heading towards Donald who shrieked and leaped into Goofy's arms while the head was back in Anna's hands.

"All right, we got off to a bad start." The snowman muttered, sheepishly.

"Ew, ew! The body!" Anna quickly threw the head back onto the body, only that it was upside down.

"Wait, what am I looking at right now? Why are you hanging off the earth like a bat?" The Snowman asked, confused.

"Oh! Uh, h-hold on, Mr. Snowman. I'll fix ya'." Mickey hurriedly approached the snowman and took it's head off, before rightening it back the right way up and placed it back onto the body.

"Ooh! Thank you!" The Snowman smiled happily.

Mickey chuckled, "Aw, it was nothin'."

"I'm perfect!" The snowman sang.

Anna, her fear gone, thought of something and muttered, "Well, almost." before glancing around.

"It was like my whole life got turned upside down." The snowman said as he walked up to Jack who stepped back a little, still a little creeped out by the fact that three snowballs formed into a man was...walking and talking as though it were a human.

"You're not the only one, mate." The pirate muttered.

By then, Anna had taken a carrot from the bag of carrots from Sven and made her way back to the snowman, trying to place it on the snowman's face tail first. It goes all the way through, save for the tip. She cringed, apologetically saying, "Oh! I'm sorry!"

"Ouch." Lea cringed.

"WHOOǃ Head rush!" The snowman cried out.

"Are you alright?" Skuld asked.

"Are you kidding me? I... am wonderful! I've always wanted a nose." The snowman said, happily, touching the tip of the carrot. "It's so cute. It's like a little baby unicorn."

Myde blinked scaredly, before approaching the snowman and then pushed the carrot behind the head to correct it, and pushed it out, and Anna smiled in approval, and so did the snowman who cried out happily, "Oh, hey whoaǃ Oh, I love it even moreǃ"

"At least he's cute now that I look at him." Lea admitted.

"...Did you really just say that, Lea?" Isa asked, skeptically.

The redhead shrugged, "What? Can't a guy think of some people or whatever cute?" before whispering, "Besides, he's a lot better than the mutant fish people back at Port Royal."

"Good point." The blue-haired man nodded, now that he thought of it.

"All right, let's start this thing over:" The snowman said as he introduced himself, "Hi, everyone. I'm Olaf. And I like warm hugs."

Anna stared in surprise at him, suddenly beginning to recongise him. Olaf...she knew that name. "That's right...Olaf!"

"And you are...?"

"Oh! I'm Anna."

"And who're you, Mr. Big Ears?" Olaf asked to the King.

"I'm Mickey." Mickey replied.

"What about you guys?" Olaf asked to Sora, Riku and Kairi.

Sora smiled, starting to like the talking snowman. "I'm Sora, and this is Riku and Kairi."

"What about the duck and the dog?" Olaf asked, about Donald and Goofy.

"He's Donald, and that's Goofy." Mickey answered this time.

"And you guys are...?" Olaf asked to the rest of the worldly travellers, before adding to Lea, "Nice hair. Bright and red, just like fire. I've always wanted to see what fire looked like."

Lea grinned. "Thanks. I'm Lea; Got it Memorized?"

"I'm Roxas, and this is Xion, Skuld, Isa, and Jack." Roxas answered while gesturing at the said four he spoke the names off.

"Call me Myde." Myde said, jerking a thumb at himself.

"I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven." Ven added.

"Why do you two look like twins?" Olaf asked, gazing back and fourth between Ven and Roxas.

"Uh...that's a long and complicated story." Ven shrugged, sheepishly.

"Who're the big guy and the pretty lady with blue hair?" Olaf continued.

"I'm Terra." Terra answered.

"My name is Aqua." Aqua added.

Olaf nodded, before gazing at Kristoff, asking, "And who's the funky-looking donkey over there?"

"That's Sven." Anna answered, thinking that Olaf was talking about the reindeer.

To her and everyone else's surprise, Olaf then looked over to the real Sven and asked, "Uh-huh...And who's the reindeer?"

"Uh...Sven?" Myde replied, dumbfounded.

"Oh, they're bo- Oh! Okay. Makes things easier for me." Olaf said as he looked back and forth between Kristoff and Sven who went over and tried to bite his nose off due to it being a carrot. "Whoa! Oh, look at him, trying to kiss my nose. I like you, too!"

Jack shook his head as he whispered to Riku next to him, "I'll never get used to this." exasperated.

"Olaf, did Elsa build you?" Anna asked Olaf.

"Yeah, why?" Olaf replied, while Kristoff was fasinating at his arms.

"Do you know where she is?" Kairi asked, kindly.

"Yeah, why?" Olaf repeated as he turned to Kairi, while Jack went over to the other side of him, gazing at the other arm in disturbed thought.

"Do ya' think we can take us to her?" Mickey asked.

"How does this work?" Kristoff asked, blinking.

"Very good question." Jack replied, bending the arm, only to have it smack him in the face, causing the pirate to stumble back and Kristoff immediately backed off. Jack shook his head, cracking his nose back into shape, before grumbling, "That was an impressive punch, mate."

"Stop it, Jack. Trying to focus here." Olaf grumbled at the pirate, before turning to Mickey and asked again, "Yeah, why?"

"I'll tell you why." Isa sighed, "We need Elsa to bring back summer."

"Summer?" Olaf asked, astonded. "Oh, I don't know why, but I've always loved the idea of summer, and sun, and all things hot..."

"That explains why you like my hair." Lea chuckled, getting the idea. "Lemme guess; You didn't have much experience with summer before, have you?"

"Nope! But sometimes I like to close my eyes and imagine what it'd be like when summer does come." Olaf replied, sighing dreamingly, which earned disturbed, shocked and dumbfounded expressions from Jack, Myde and Kristoff.

"You think we should tell him?" Myde whispered to two men next to him, referring to the fact that Olaf would only end up melting in the heat of fire, or the sun in summer.

"No...that would only crush his dreams." Jack said, ominously, before correcting himself, "Or rather...melt his dreams..." shrugging as he suggested, "Either one."

"So, come on! Elsa's this way! Let's go bring back summer!" Olaf said, leading the group towards the mountain.

"Wait up, Olaf!" Sora called out as he rushed to catch up, as did almost the rest of the group. Kristoff on the other hand, just stood there, practically horrified at the very thought of, while still a bit creepy, their new snowman friend not realising the truth.

"Someone has to tell him." He muttered to himself.

* * *

Joined by their new friend Olaf, and while the group were fighting off more Heartless along the way, everyone else that they were getting closer to their destination in finding Elsa and to set things right.

"So how exactly are you planning to stop this weather?" Myde asked.

"Oh, I am gonna talk to my sister." Anna replied.

" _That's_ your plan?" Myde slumped, skeptical at the Princess's idea.

Kristoff seemed to agree with Myde, as he added, "My ice business is riding on you talking to your sister?" and nearly poked his nose with an icicle, before side-stepping to avoid it. "So, you're not afraid of her?"

"Why would I be?" Anna shrugged.

"Yeah, c'mon guys. Give the girls some credit, will ya? They're family." Lea agreed with a one shoulder shrug.

"And if Anna was scared of her, don't you think she wouldn't have come all the way if that was the case?" Xion added.

"Plus, like Anna said, Elsa _accidently_ made summer into winter. It's not like she did it on purpose or anything." Sora explained. "She just...has trouble with her powers and doesn't know how to control them."

"Plus, the only reason she came all the way out here is because she didn't want to hurt anyone." Terra nodded. "Just hope she'll control it soon. I don't want her to end up in the similiar situation that I once ended up."

"Same here." Riku sighed.

"I bet _she's_ the one who was more scared than anything else." Aqua thought.

"I wonder if Elsa is a really nice person?" Kairi thought.

"Me too. I bet she's very kind." Skuld nodded.

"Yeah. I bet she's the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever." Olaf said in agreement, just as he accidently stabbed himself in the middle into an icicle, and when he noticed, he just laughed, "Oh, look at that. I've been impaled."

"Fortunately, you don't have the inner problem as most of us do when it comes to impalement." Jack muttered, shuddering.

"Is it really worse for normal people like you guys?" Olaf asked, curiously.

"You've no idea."

* * *

By this time, the group made it to the mountain, but were in for another problem; a very steep slope. So steep, that most of them knew that climbing up would be next to impossible.

"Well, now what do we do?" Donald grumbled.

Mickey studied the mountain and knew that it was dangerous. "Hmm...it's too steep. If only there was an easier way to climb up somehow."

"Maybe if we find some balloons, we could float to the top." Myde suggested jokingly.(1)

Isa groaned before tugging the mullet-headed man's ear, causing Myde to cry out girlishly once more, while the blue-haired man told him in sheer annoyance, "What kind of highschool did you go to? Kindergarden level?"

"I don't think we'll be able to find balloons anywhere around here." Goofy pointed out to Myde with a shrug, which only made Donald facepalm himself at his lanky friend's goofiness.

"Well, does anyone else have any bright ideas?" Riku asked, glancing at the group.

"Our gliders won't work, because it's too cold up here." Aqua stated, adding, "And there's too many of us."

"I've only got one rope." Kristoff shrugged, before adding as he gazed at Anna, "And she doesn't know how to climb mountains." only to realise that she wasn't with them.

"Says who?" Anna's voice asked, and when the group looked in front of them, to their surprise, she was already trying to to climb up the rock face by herself.

"What are you doing?" Roxas asked, gazing at the ridiculous sight.

Anna grunted, as she struggled to climb up the steep mountain, "I'm...going...to see...my sister!"

"You're just gonna hurt yourself." Lea pointed out, his arms folded to his chest.

"More like kill yourself." Kristoff pointed out, continuing to watch Anna, before telling her, "I wouldn't put my foot there."

"You're distracting me!" Anna called back, only to slip a couple of times, but managed to catch herself.

"Or there." Terra commented.

"How do you know Elsa even wants to see you?" Kristoff asked, changing the subject.

Anna rolled her eyes, as she continued to climb up, announcing to the mountain expert, "Alright, I'm...I'm just blocking you out cause I've gotta concentrate here." only to end up slipping again.

"You know, most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone." Kristoff pointed out.

"Even though being alone can make the strain between friendships and family can only make things worse." Terra shrugged, and Riku nodded in agreement, both having experienced that. Lea, Roxas, Xion and Isa, remembering the times of their strained friendships, also nodded in agreement, as did Ven and Aqua, and even Skuld looked uneasy. Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and even Myde shared uncertain glances. Jack just glanced at Sven who just shook his head, as though saying to the pirate that he had no clue either.

"Nobody wants to be alone!" Anna protested, before saying firmly to Kristoff, "Except maybe you!"

"I'm not alone! I got friends, remember?" Kristoff argued.

"You mean the love experts?" Anna replied sarcastically.

"Yes, the love experts."

By then, Anna was beginning to tremble and pant in near exhaustion, before groaning aloud, "Please tell me I'm almost there!"

Everyone couldn't help but chuckle as Anna was only just three feet up and nowhere near close to the top, while she asked, "Does the air seem a bit thin to you up here?"

"Nah." Lea snickered.

"She's not the best climber, is she?" Sora asked, only to have Kairi elbow him in the ribs. "Ow!"

"Hold on." Kristoff said, approaching Anna, just on time as Olaf suddenly appeared around the corner.

"Hey, Sven, Sora?" Olaf spoke up, getting everyone's attentions, "Not sure if this is gonna solve the problem, but I found a staircase that leads exactly where you want it to go."

"Really?" Lea asked, surprised.

"Thank goodness." Anna said, before calling down to Kristoff, "Catch!" and jumped, landing directing in his arms as he caught her, though he was admittedly surprised by this. She laughed, "Thanks! That was like a crazy trust exercise."

After Kristoff gently put Anna back on the ground, they and the worldly travellers and Sven followed Olaf up the staircase as promised, and there stood the most amazing ice castle any of them has ever seen. A palace made of ice, and it had such a beautiful look to it.

"Whoa!" Sora, Anna, Ven and Skuld gapped in awe.

"It's beautiful." Kairi whispered, stunned.

"I'll say." Terra said.

"Gosh, this place is amazing!" Mickey said.

"Wow!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed, admiring it.

Lea lets out an impressed whistle as he gazed up at the tall castle that was practically ice built. "Now this is a place I'd like to explore."

Roxas, Xion, Aqua and Jack were speechless at the sight of the castle, not sure what to say about this.

"Very impressive." Isa admitted.

"So cool!" Myde exclaimed, before quickly adding sheepishly, "Uh, no puns intended."

"Now _that's_ ice!" Kristoff said, thoroughly amazed, to the point when tears began to form in his eyes, as he added, choked up in happiness, "I might cry."

"Go ahead. I won't judge." Anna smiled.

"I might." Myde muttered.

"Says the guy who slacks off 24/7." Lea rolled his eyes, and both Roxas and Xion giggled when Myde glared at them.

The group then began to climb up the stairs once more, and Sven tried to follow, but ended up slipping, so he had to stay behind a little until Kristoff and the others got back. As they reached the doors, Anna hesitated nervously.

"Knock. Just knock." Olaf said to her, and when she didn't budge, he glanced at the others, asking, "Why isn't she knocking? Do you think she doesn't know how to knock?"

"Give her time. She's just a little nervous." Aqua told him gently.

"Oh, knocking is easy. Can't she just knock already?" Donald said in annoyance, folding his arms impatiently.

Sora rolled his eyes and pointed out, "Oh come on, Donald. These things take time."

Eventually, Anna tapped the door three times, which half a second later, the doors swung slowly inward. "Ha! It opened! That's a first." before turning to her friends and told them, as though remembering something, "Oh, you guys should probably wait out here."

"What!?" Everyone else save for Olaf asked in shock.

"But why?" Sora asked, dismayed.

"The last time I introduced her to a guy, she froze everything..." Anna answered.

"Oh, nuts." Donald groaned.

"But-but-Oh, come on!" Kristoff groaned. "It's a palace made of _ice_! Ice is _my life!_ "

"Oh shut it." Jack rolled his eyes at the younger man.

"I think she might have a point." Aqua spoke up now that she thought of it. "If we all went in, it could only make things worse for the two of them, especially since we're strangers and that could easily make Elsa furious."

"Why am I getting a feeling this ain't gonna work anyway?" Myde slumped.

"Bye, guys!" Olaf waved as he made to enter the palace, only for Anna to pull him back to rejoin the others.

"Sorry Olaf, but you stay out here too." Anna told him.

"What, me?" Olaf blinked, disappointed a little.

"Just give us a minute." Anna advised them as she then stepped through the doors to speak to her sister, leaving Sora and everyone else outside, some of them worried, the others annoyed, and Kristoff dejected as he sat on the top step.

"Okay!" Olaf replied, before turning to join the others, and then began counting, "One, two, three..."

"Four..." Olaf chorused with Kristoff as the latter joined in.

Lea groaned, "It's the boring waiting game all over again." leaning against the wall next to the door, sighing, and remembering when they had to wait to dig up the stupid Dead Man's Chest back in the Caribbean.

"Hey, speakin' of games, I got card games we can play while we're waiting. Ah-yhuck!" Goofy spoke up, bringing out the deck of cards to show everyone.

"...sixteen, seventeen, eighteen..." Myde muttered with Olaf and Kristoff as they continued counting.

"I'm really worried." Kairi spoke up, gazing at the door where Anna disappeared into. "What if Elsa won't listen to her?"

"Oh, don't think like that." Sora said, trying to be positive. "I'm sure it'll work out. It'll probably take more than just one minute."

"Negotiations never take a minute, lad." Jack pointed out with a shake of his head. "Then again, neither to any sorts of conversations."

"It's not negotiating. It's just settling things between two sisters." Xion corrected, before admitting, "But I have to agree with Kairi. I don't think just talking will work either."

"The only way to solve all this is for Elsa to really control her powers and not let her anger get the best of her." Terra agreed, head low a little. "I made that mistake twelve years ago and look where it got me, Ven, Aqua and all of you guys."

"And where I screwed up with Isa, Rox' and Xi'." Lea admitted, a little sadly.

"Yeah, but all things considered, we turned out okay." Sora pointed out, even though deep down, he was beginning to really worry as well, but told himself not to dwell into the fear that something might go horribly wrong. Not to mention that Yen Sid was still captured by Aced.

Mickey wanted to agree, but memories of finding his mentor not at the Tower concerned him as well. He shook those thoughts away, reminding himself to believe in Sora's optisim that Yen Sid was still alive.

Then the bombshell dropped, as Olaf finished counting, "Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty!" and immediately went inside to go meet Elsa.

"Olaf, wait!" Ven cried out, making to follow, but he and everyone else stopped when a voice to their left spoke.

"Well, what have we here? Meddling with others again, are we?" A man's voice, sounding very familiar, questioned.

Sora and the others turned and the eyes of Myde, Lea, Isa, Roxas and Xion widened in shock and slight anger and horror, while Sora's eyes narrowed. The pink-haired man that appeared out of nowhere looked very familiar. He was apparently familiar to Donald and Goofy as well, because their eyes narrowed as well.

"Who are you?" Aqua demanded, sensing darkness within this man.

"...Is that a guy with girly pink hair? Or a woman with a guy's voice?" Kristoff asked, dumbfounded.

"For you information, I am a man." Lamuria hissed, before turning to the others and grinned once more, "Sora, Roxas, Xion, Axel, Saix and Demyx. How long has it been? Two years?"

"...Marluxia." Isa grunted, angrily, recongising the other former Nobody, and one of the more evil traitors of the false Organization XIII.

Myde cringed, before trying to act nicely to the pink-haired man as he was a little scared of him, "Uh, hey, Mar'. Long time no see."

"It's Lamuria now, actually. Just as I was born as." Lamuria corrected, ignoring Myde's 'pathetic' greeting, and instead continued, "Still being the heroes and traitors, I see."

"Look who's talkin' on the traitor part." Lea snorted. "Let me guess; you're working for the new bad guys now, am I right?"

That's when it clicked in Sora's head, as he then angrily accused the pink-haired man, "Wait a minute. You're the guy who tried to use Namine to screw up with my memories at Castle Oblivion, aren't you?"

"What're they talking about?" Kristoff asked to Jack.

"Apparently, that man who looks like a woman attempted to kill Sora by using a girl for leverage." Jack tried to explain, as he tried to understand the situation, but was just as confused as the man next to him was.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Roxas demanded to Lamuria.

Lamuria chuckled evilly, "Revenge on those who defeated me, and also...you and Xion would make good use, Roxas. After all, you're just a broken shell of Sora, and Xion is still just a puppet."

"They are not!" Lea grunted angrily, summoning his Chakrams, just in case a fight had to take place. "Don't you dare say that to two of my best friends!"

"Just like old times, I see." The former 12th member of the Organization teased, before his expression turned serious, as he then held up his hand as a red petal appeared before it floated into his grasp, and instantly, his Scythe was summoned, and he took a fighting stance, grinning evilly at the group who tensed.

Knowing what had to be done, Mickey turned to Kristoff and told him urgently, "Kristoff, you got into the palace and stay with Anna, Elsa and Olaf."

"What? You serious? This guy has a great big scythe!" Kristoff protested.

"Kairi, you go too!" Sora added.

"No! I'm not leaving you guys!" Kairi protested, making to summon her Keyblade, only for Aqua hold out a hand which instantly was holding her own Keyblade.

"Do as Sora says." Aqua told her firmly. "It'll be too dangerous."

"We'll be okay. Now go!" Riku added.

Hesitating, Kairi eventually nodded, and told her friends to be careful, before she grabbed Kristoff's arm and dragged him with her into the Palace, while Sora and the rest of the group summoned their weapons, preparing to fight Lamuria who chuckled.

Soon after, Lamuria suddenly disappeared in particles of petals before reappearing behind Sora and whispered something in his ear which made him quickly jump out of the way before he disappeared again. However, the pink-haired man appeared again in the air as he then waves his arm and a tornado of wind and rose petals that surrounds them while the group are pushed back by the pressure.

Aqua counter-attacked by casting her Dream-Weaver Command ability, spinning around while holding her Keyblade up in the air, and thankfully oblierated the tornado, but she was knocked back as Lamuira suddenly whacked her with his weapon, but she managed to flip backwards and repositioned herself. Skuld followed in suit by holding her Keyblade up which began to glow and then she launched herself forward, clashing against Lamuria's scythe but wasn't able to give him any damage as he then vanished once more.

Lea tossed his Chakrams at Lamuria who grinned and blocked the attack with his weapon, forcing the redhead to catch them, and then leaped to try and slash and clash against him, but the pink-haired man kept on dodging and then swiped the scythe which unleashed powerful gusts of winds at the red-haired man who held up his weapons, struggling to block it. Isa intended to do the same to Lamuria by thrusting his Claymore out, but to his irritation, the former Nobody teleported away once more and then reappeared behind Myde who shrieked and had to duck to avoid in getting his head sliced off.

Donald casted Thunderaga, which only did little damage, before being hit and knocked back when Lamuria smacked him into the stomach. Goofy spun around using his Goofy-Tornado skill, managing to hit him quite a few times. Riku casted a powerful Blizzaraga right at the pink-haired man's chest, only to be knocked back into Isa who then crashed into the wall. Sora and Ven both tossed their Keyblades, successfully hitting Lamuria several times, before Sora activated his Sonic Blade Sleights, glowing in golden light and in incredible speed, managed to hit the enemy which prevented him from doing anything.

Mickey quickly joined in and spun around numberous time and glowed in white light, spinning around and around Lamuria, hitting him several times before finishing off his attack with a surprisingly powerful slash with his Star-Seeker Keyblade, knocking him back. Despite the injury, Lamuria recovered and launched forward to attack again, only to be caught off guard when Roxas and Xion both combined their abilities and delivered serious of combos, but despite this, Lamuria managed to catch them off-guard and knocked them back right into Myde who stumbled and fell onto the ground, nearly falling down the stairs but managed to save himself and the two former Nobodies of Sora.

Terra thrusted his Keyblade down with strong strength at Lamuria who struggled to block it, before he was eventually thrown back but had managed to righten himself, glaring at the younger man who quickly leaped and attacked again, but despite his swordsman skills, Lamuria still managed to block it. Jack joined in and fired at least one shot at Lamuria's arm, causing a distraction which was enough for Terra who again knock him back.

Lea joined his Chakrams together and created a powerful orb of fire, thrusting it out right at Lamuria, while Sora casted his Flowmotion and whacked and slashed at Lamuria who this time didn't have time to dodge any of these attacks, before the teenaged wielder flipped backwards in the air just in time for Lea's attack to engulf Lamuria in flames. Sora and Ven then finished the battle by thrusting out their Keyblades, sending the pink-haired man flying and down the stairs where he crash landed half-way below.

Despite being defeated, he was still alive, as Lamuria dismissed his weapon and glared up at Sora and his friends who glared back. Eventually after a moment, the former Nobody scoffed as he weakly stood up, "Hmph. You may have defeated me now, but mark my words. I'll return soon. Just you wait."

With that, he summoned a Corridor of Darkness and stepped through, taking his leave as he disappeared along with the portal.

After a moment, the group sighed before dismissing their weapons, and Jack then spoke up, asking, "Do you lot mind explaining who that bloody man with pink hair is?"

"He used to be in the Organization." Lea answered, panting, while Aqua, Mickey and Donald worked on healing him and everyone else including themselves. "But then he and another member Larxene decided to try their luck in betraying them and overthrowing Xemnas by using Sora and Namine. I was a double agent to figure this out, and when I did, I screwed their plan and had Namine to meet up with Sora instead, and saved both of them as well as managing to help in dispose the traitors."

Just then, the entire palace began to shake, nearly causing everyone to lose their balance.

"Inside!" Sora exclaimed, worriedly.

"Looks like Anna, Kairi and the others need help!" Mickey called out.

The others nodded, and immediately raced in to see what was about to happen, unaware that things were beginning to take the turn for the worst.

* * *

 **A/N: At least Arendelle isn't going to just be two chapters long. I had the idea of having Marluxia's Somebody to appear here at some point.**

 **(1): The quote Myde said is the same quote Rex said in Toy Story 2.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	12. CH11: Family matters

**Author's Note: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH11: Family matters.**_

 _During the battle against Lamuria outside..._

As soon as Kairi and Kristoff arrived inside while concerned for the safety of their friends, their eyes widened in shock as Elsa and Anna were apparently in another argument, with Anna trying and failing to convince her sister that things can work out. In panic, Elsa swiped her hand and a blast of ice hit Anna right into the chest, sending her to the ground, much to their, Olaf and Elsa's shock.

"Anna!" Kairi cried out, worriedly as she, Kristoff and Olaf hurried by their friend's side.

"Anna. Are you okay?" Kristoff asked, worriedly.

Despite the painful chill on her chest, Anna refused to let this get to her. The only thing that was on her mind was trying to support her older sister, and she slowly stood up weakly, answering, "I'm okay...I'm fine."

Seeing both Kairi and Kristoff, Elsa's eyes widened. "Who're they?" before shaking her head, "Wait, it doesn't matter. Just- You have to go."

"No!" Anna cried out, pleadingly. "I know we can figure this out together."

"HOW!?" Elsa shouted, desperately and in response to this, the walls began to darken and crack as she continued, "What power do you have to stop this winter!? To stop ME!?"

"Wait!" Kairi cried out. "I know it won't be easy, but Anna has faith that this can be resolved! It might take some time, but things can work out!"

"Uh...I think it's time to go." Kristoff pointed out, as he gazed at what was happening to the walls of the Ice Palace...just as Sora and the rest of the group came running in, only to skid to a stop when they realised what was happening and gazed at Elsa who's eyes widened at more people appearing.

Immediately, Terra knew what was happening and exclaimed in horror, "This is just like...!" as a terrible memory of a certain time the similiar happened when the darkness in his heart went haywire in his fight against Braig twelve years ago...

* * *

 _ **Flash-Back: During the events of "Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep-Terra's Story"...**_

 _In a final attack, and feeling unspeakable anger without even realising what he was doing, Terra hovered in the air and darkness covers him while he raises his Keyblade. To everyone's shock, He slings his Keyblade towards Braig and fires a dark volley at him, which hits the caught off-guard Braig right in his right eye and knocked him over to the ground._

 _Crying out in agony and realising that his right eye was now lost, he held a hand over his burning eye socket that was burning with dark energy, then lookedup to see Terra over him, darkness pulsing at the end of the Keyblade. Terra then fires another one at close range which ricochets off Braig's face, scrapping his left cheek and hits the chains binding Master Xehanort to the pipe, freeing the elder Master._

* * *

End of Flash-Back.

"The fear and anger is causing her powers to go out of control!" Riku exclaimed, having sensed the same thing Terra was seeing.

"Stop! You're only letting your emotions get the best of you!" Skuld cried out to Elsa who continued to back away. "You need to calm down!"

"I don't think any of you guys are helping...!" Myde muttered scaredly, already slowly backing away back outside.

"I suggest we get a move on and try again later." Jack suggested, slightly quivering.

"No!" Anna denied, "I'm not leaving without you, Elsa!"

"Yes, you are." Elsa said with firm finality, as right in front of her and glaring down before the group, a massive snow monster materialized, and in retrospect, it was bigger than the Darkside Heartless and Thornside Nobody, but thankfully smaller than the Titans back at the Coliseum.

"We're only trying to help!" Sora protested, only to cry out in alarm as he and soon everyone else with him, including Anna, were grasped by the giant Snow Monster who then proceeded to carrying them back outside and down the mountain.

"H-hey! Put us down!" Mickey cried out, struggling to free himself from the snow monster's grasp.

"Pretty please, with cherries on top?" Myde whimpered, pleadingly.

" _ **Go away!**_ " The snow monster growled, before tossing everyone into the snowbank where they all landed in a slight crash landing, but thankfully, the snow softened their landing...or in Kairi's case, she landed on top of both Sora and Riku who humilatingly were kissing the snow due to this.

The snow Monster than tossed Olaf who cried out as his head became seperated from his body again, "Head's up!" and his head landed near Donald and Goofy who blinked worriedly. Olaf then cried out again, "Watch out for my butt!" in which the two screamed before ducking as Olaf's body slammed into the snowbank.

"Why you big snow monster palooka!" Donald growled angrily, leaping up and summoned his Staff to give the monster Elsa created a piece of his mind.

"Donald, no!" Mickey cried out, hurrying over and grabbed hold of his friend's arm to stop him, "You're only gonna make things worse!"

"And he could chase us too!" Goofy added as he helped his king and grabbed hold of Donald's other arm to stop the magican from doing anything reckless due to the usual temper tantrum.

Lea sat up and spat out a lump of snow that landed in his mouth, before gazing at the snow monster in annoyance, "Geez, you could've at least put us down more gently, for cryin' out loud." while the others slowly stood up and recovered.

"At least he didn't decide to eat us." Myde grumbled, dusting himself off.

Jack shuddered at the thought before gazing at the Snow monster who raised an brow, apparently at what the mullet-haired young man just said. The pirate then quickly said almost pleadly, "Do _not_ encourage him, if you please."

"It is not nice TO THROW PEOPLE!" Anna shouted angrily as she made herself a snowball and attempted to throw it at the snow monster's head, but was held back to Kristoff and Ven who both immediately saw what was about to happen. Sora, Kairi(who thanked her best friends) and Riku joined up and helped to stop the princess from doing anything risky.

"Anna, stop! It's not going to make things any better!" Sora pointed out.

"You're only just going to end up making things worse!" Riku added.

"Please, calm down, Anna. Just calm down." Kairi pleaded.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, feisty pants! Okay, relax. Just calm down! Calm down!" Kristoff told Anna hurriedly, trying to get her to relax. "Just let the snowman be!"

"Snowman?" Myde asked, dumbfounded, then blurted out before thinking, "Kind of looks like a Marshmallow, if you ask me."

The snow monster, now offically dubbed Marshmallow, glared down at him and let out an angry roar, causing everyone to back away, even Anna quickly relaxed and dropped the snowball she made.

"Oh come on!" Kristoff cried out in dismay.

"You made him mad now, Myde!" Roxas shouted at the mullet-haired man who flinched, realising too late of his mistake.

"Thanks alot, genius!" Lea said sarcastically.

"Hold on, mates. I have an idea." Jack suddenly spoke up, and surprisingly stepped up to Marshmellow and quickly told him, "Stop, stop, stop, hang on a minute, Marshmallow!"

"Jack, what're you doing?" Sora asked, dismayed.

Apparently this made Marshmallow gaze down at the pirate who continued, mentally nervous, but kept his calm posture, "It's all an honest mistake on that bumbling young lad who hasn't grown up mentally."

"Hey!" Myde pouted, only for Isa to slap a hand over the younger man's mouth to shut him up.

"Now, with that sorted. What say you to a proposal to clear up this mess between us and your Snow Queen, ay?" Jack continued, doing his usual negotiation offering. "Just bear a message that lovely Princess Anna, who is apparently a bit hot-headed, still had the courage to come all the way up here...with some help, to find the said queen who is our dear and only sister and to make up for another honest mistake...and to help her calm the sudden powers to make snow and had created you and Master Olaf. This message is from Anna herself, apologising and asking for at least a second chance while we wait out here to avoid in going back to make things worse."

"I didn't get what he was saying." Olaf whispered to Roxas who nodded in agreement.

"Me neither." The former Nobody of Sora said.

Unfortunately in Jack's part, Marshmallow just roared again and made to attack, and when the Pirate saw that talking his way to clear this mess wasn't working at all.

"That worked really well." Isa commented sarcastically.

"Let's get outta here!" Myde screamed hysterically, already making a run for it.

"Wait!" Mickey exclaimed, realising that they were one person short. "Where's Aqua!?"

Realising that their blue-haired female companion wasn't with them, they then realised to their horror that Aqua had been accidently left behind, thus, she was still in Elsa's Palace.

"Aqua!" Ven and Terra exclaimed, worriedly, and were about to try and make their way back, but both Lea and Isa, knowing that Marshmallow wasn't going to let them through, pulled the two other young men with them against their will.

"We'll have to come back for her later! Right now, we have to get outta here!" Lea exclaimed as he pulled Ven along with him.

"I'll distract him. You guys go!" Olaf declared, and despite not wanting to leave him behind, Sora and everyone else made run for it down the hill. But to his dismay, his body dropped his head and ran to join the others. "No, no! Not _you_ guys!" Olaf cried out as his head was left behind, and Marshmallow chased after his friends and his body. "This just got a whole lot harder."

* * *

In the meantime, Sora and the others quickly slid down the slope with Marshmallow chasing after them. With little choice, most of the worldly travellers summoned their weapons and tried to fight off against the snow monster, and even Anna helped by grabbing a branch, releasing the snow. It managed to cause distraction to the snow monster who then smacked into the trees, slowing it down.

"Cliff at three o'clock!" Lea exclaimed, as the said cliff was coming quickly in front of them.

"I have an idea!" Skuld called out, holding out her Keyblade and surprisingly, a beam of light shot out towards the cliff, which then another slope, acting like a slide, was connected from it to the ground below, before turning to her companions and shouted, "Brace yourselves!"

The group did brace themselves and shut their eyes as they all slid down from the cliff and down the make-shift slide, coming to a stop when they reached the bottom in the soft pile of thick snow.

"Well...that happened." Isa admitted, blinking in surprise.

"Where'd you learn that?" Ven asked to Skuld, amazed.

"I uh...made it up as I went." Skuld shrugged, blushing a little. "It was a desperate idea that came into mind."

Back on the cliff, Olaf came out from the trees as he had rejoined his body but was in a complete mess, before panting, "Man, am I out of shape!" before fixing himself up and was successful, before calling out to his friends, "Hey, Anna! Sven! Sora! Guys! Where'd you all go!? We totally lost Marshmallow back there!"

Unfortunately, Marshmallow emerged from the trees behind Olaf who quickly noticed and turned around, before saying as friendly as he could to calm his fellow snowman down, "Hey, we were just talking about you! All good things, all good things..."

Marshmallow just roared and began to march towards the cliff, much to Olaf's dismay before the smaller snowman quickly clinged onto the snow monster's leg. "This is not making much of a difference, is it!?"

Marshmallow responded by flinging Olaf off, causing him to fly all the way down to the bottom of the cliff where he landed and almost crashed into the stunned Sora and everyone else, before they all glanced up, and Skuld quickly dismissed the slide before the snow monster could use it to follow them.

" _ **Don't come back!**_ " Marshmallow bellowed.

"That's okay! Not planning to anyway!" Myde called up back to the snow monster. To his and the others' relief, Marshmallow stormed off.

"Is everyone okay?" Sora asked around.

"I'm fine." Kairi replied.

Everyone else made their replies that they were alright, until Olaf fiddling with Jack's right leg, crying out hysterically, "I can't feel my legs! I can't feel my legs!"

"That's _my_ leg, mate." Jack groaned as he sat up, shoulders and right leg covered in snow, just as Olaf's lower parts waddled back, much to his discomfort. He then grumbled to himself, "That's the _third_ time I fell off a cliff in less than one year."

"Ooh, do me a favor and grab my buttǃ" Olaf requested.

Xion stood up before picking up the top part of Olaf's body and then placed him back onto his lower part, fixing him up properly, as Olaf thanked the black-haired girl, "Ah, that feels better."

He then noticed something behind him, and smiled as he recongised Sven, "Hey, Sven! He found us!" before cooing at the reindeer, "Who's my cute little reindeer?"

"Don't talked to him like that." Kristoff muttered.

In the meantime, Donald and Goofy were both buried in snow, before Donald poked his head out of the pile of snow, asking, "Was that supposed to happen?"

Goofy poked his head out of the snow and replied, "Dunno."

"I hope Aqua will be okay." Kairi said as she stood up with Sora's help. "I'm really worried about her."

"I'm worried about her too. But at the same time, I think she'll be okay." Sora replied.

"And just when we reunited with her too." Ven muttered, sadly, shutting his eyes in guilt. Terra in the meantime, clutched his fist while trying to calm his anger, blaming himself for not keeping an eye on everyone.

"How's your head?" Anna asked to Kristoff, gently touching it.

He winched in pain in response, but tried to shake it off as he answered, "It's fine. I'm good. I've got a thick skull."

"I don't have a skull...or bones." Olaf interrupted.

"That's because you're a snowman." Donald rolled his eyes as he and Goofy pulled themselves out of the snow and began to dust themselves off.

"That's just mean." Xion scolded.

"Well, it's the truth." Myde pointed out.

"Now what do we do?" Goofy asked.

"What do we do?" Anna asked, before realising everything that's happened and began to hysterically panic, "Ooh! What do we do!? She threw me out! I can't go back to Arendelle with the weather like this!"

She turned to Sora and the others, "We left Aqua behind!" before turning to Kristoff, "And then there's your ice business, and-"

"Hey, whoa! Forget about that for a moment, An'!" Lea interrupted as he approached, quickly noticing that they had another new problem to worry about. "What happened to you?"

"Yeah...Worry about your hair!" Kristoff added as he also noticed what Lea was seeing, and now so did everyone else.

"It's...turning white!" Roxas exclaimed, shocked.

"White? It's-" Anna cuts herself off as she saw, to her shock that Roxas was right; Her hair was starting to become slightly white, and her eyes widened in equal shock. "What!?"

Kairi suddenly remembered Elsa hitting Anna with a spell, and gasped in horror. "It must be when Elsa hit you!"

"What!?" Everyone else cried out, worriedly.

"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Is it that bad?" Anna asked.

A moment of pause.

"No." Kristoff replied.

"You hesitated." Jack said to the younger man, almost accusingly.

"No I didn't." Kristoff protested.

"Yes you did." Myde said.

"Guys, this isn't the time to start fighting!" Mickey quickly interrupted, "First we gotta figure out what's happening to Anna and then see if we can help her before we can go back for Aqua and Elsa."

"Anyone got any ideas?" Sora asked.

"I do." Kristoff answered, taking the lead, "Come on. We'll see my friends."

"The love experts?" Anna rolled her eyes, but followed Kristoff none the less. Sora and the others were half a second behind.

"Yes, and don't worry, they'll fix this."

"How do you know?" Isa asked, skeptically.

"Because I've seen them do it before." Kristoff replied.

"I like to consider myself a love expert." Olaf said.

"I happen to be a love expert." Jack said.

Riku rolled his eyes at this comment, saying sarcastically, "I'd _love_ to see you demostrate that."

The pirate, fully aware of the sarcasm, responded, "It's all in the matter of the opportune moment, mate. Sora and Kairi are just waiting for the right moment for it to happen. Savvy?"

Sora and Kairi both blushed heavily at this while groaning in dismay when they heard this, and the former grumbled, "Aw, not this again!" which resulted Donald, Goofy, Myde and Lea snickering when they heard this.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Elsa's ice palace, the young Queen was pacing back and forth, trying to calm herself down as the memory of when she hit Anna, her younger sister, repeated over and over again in her mind. "Okay, get it together. Control it. Don't feel. Don't feel. Don't FEEL!"

Aqua, who had passed out when Marshmallow had knocked her over, pushed herself up, and when she realised where she was, she stood up and saw that all of her friends were not there, meaning that the snow monster had taken them away. "Ven! Terra! Mickey! Sora! Anyone?"

This caused Elsa to realise that she was still not alone and turned towards the blue-haired woman. "I told you to leave."

"I was accidently left behind." Aqua responded, immediately bending on one knee and bowed to show her respect, "I'm deeply sorry, your majesty."

"Did your friends leave with Anna?"

"Most likely." Aqua replied, standing up, "My name is Aqua. And..."

Before she could begin to explain, out of the familiar fire of purple and green mist, Maleficent appeared in between them, much to the two younger women's shock, especially Aqua's.

"Hm? What's this?" Maleficent muttered, upon noticing Aqua who glared back at her. The evil witch's eyes lit up a little in surprise, immediately recongising the young woman. "Aqua? What a surprise, child. You haven't aged in twelve years."

"What are you doing here, Maleficent!?" Aqua demanded, summoning Master Eraqus's Keyblade. She knew that the evil witch had been searching for the Book of Propchies.

"Who is this?" Elsa demanded, before shaking her head and said firmly to the evil witch, "Nevermind. Leave my castle, right now!"

Aqua nodded, and charged towards Maleficent to strike her, only for the enemy to teleport away before she could get a shot. As Aqua and Elsa both glanced around while trying to figure out where she went to, Maleficent then reappeared behind them and blasted green fire that sent the Keyblade Master into the wall.

"Aqua!" Elsa exclaimed, worriedly. She then turned and glared at Maleficent, yelling, "What sorcery is this?"

"Sorcery?" Maleficent replied, before grinning evilly, "You should be asking that yourself, child. You can be quite useful. Come my dear, and I will show you your true power, and with that, we can rule this world and many others!"

Aqua grunted as she managed to cling onto her consciousness, before pleadingly cried out to Elsa, "Don't listen to her! She only wants to cast you into darkness!"

"Silence, you stubborn girl!" Maleficent bellowed, firing green flames again. But this time, Aqua managed to cast a barrier to protect herself from getting killed.

"Stop! Don't hurt her!" Elsa cried out to Maleficent.

"Perhaps you should know the true meaning of fear." Maleficent continued, ignoring Elsa's plea and only sensing the fear in the young woman's heart. "Only fear can make you powerful. Now you can give into it!"

"Not happening!" Aqua declared, healing herself with Curaga and quickly leaped in front of Elsa, glaring at the evil witch before them. "I'm not letting you go anywhere near Elsa. Leave now, Maleficent, or else!"

Maleficent frowned, before scoffing, "Hmph. Even after twelve years, you're still the same stubborn child Master Xehanort has told me. But know this, Aqua...once I get what I want, I will dispose you, Sora and his friends." before vanishing as her evil laughter echoed before fading.

Aqua glared at the spot where Maleficent had disappeared from, before sighing as she dismissed Eraqus' Keyblade, sighing. "I should've known. The only reason why Maleficent is here is to cast Elsa's heart into darkness...Ven, Terra, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Riku and everyone else are in danger too."

Elsa just stared at Aqua, unable to believe that the stranger just protected her from the evil witch, and then asked, "Aqua, wait!" before the Keyblade wielder could leave. "You stood up for me?"

"Of course I did." Aqua replied, turning to face her, with a kind warm smile. "It's what I do to keep others safe."

"...Thank you." Elsa awkwardly replied. "The thing is...I've always had trouble with my powers for as long I can remember. It only got worse as I got older."

"I think it's your fears that's causing your powers to go out of control." Aqua thought, understanding the other woman's fears. "Power is born within the heart. But you shouldn't let it lead you astray."

"How do you know?"

"...Terra had the similiar problem, twelve years ago." Aqua sighed, "Ven and I were really worried, and tried to comfort him...but he wouldn't listen. Instead, he took it upon himself to try and make things right...and the darkness in his heart went out of control. He spend the past twelve years suffering, and I couldn't do anything to help him. Or even let Ven grow up, when he wanted to help too."

She gazed up at the stunned Elsa, and continued, "I understand that you want to protect Anna, but she wanted to protect you too, because she followed her heart's decision. Follow your heart, and you'll know the way."

"Follow my heart..." Elsa repeated, before blinking as she recalled what the mysterious man in the black coat said to her the day earlier.

* * *

 _"See, people like you who don't know what they're capable of with the powers in their hearts end up letting them run wild with a will of their own. It only makes it worse when anger surges through the veins of your body. Fear makes it run because it can sense your fear."_

 _Elsa lowered her gaze to the floor, thinking. Despite her distrust in this intruder, she had to admit that he had a point, now that she remembered how this mess started. "Say if I believe you in this, how can I stop it?"_

 _"There's no getting rid of powers completely." The man replied, "But, the key thing to this is to control it with the single emotion that has the power to light the darkness and melt the ice with warmth. An inner warmth that is there for those like you. As long as you continue to think of what you know makes your heart warm, that will not only reverse the little winter, but it will also give you full control of your powers."_

* * *

"I think...I get what you're saying." Elsa thought, before smiling a little. "Thank you, Aqua. But, how do I make this up with Anna?"

"Have faith in her and trust your heart." Aqua replied. "Let your heart be your guiding key. It's something my mentor once told me before he died." and she also remembered that Mickey told her that in the Realm of Darkness two years earlier.

"I see." Elsa thought, before asking, "I know I'm asking a little much, but, can you guard the castle for me, please?"

"Of course." Aqua nodded. While she was worried about the others, she knew that they would be fine, considering that there were nineteen of them. Besides which, she refused to leave Elsa's side and feared that Maleficent or Lamuria would be back to try and send the Queen's heart into darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora and the rest of the group followed Kristoff into a valley, but during this time, Anna was beginning to shiver.

"Are you cold?" Kristoff asked.

"A little." Anna nodded.

"I can make fire to keep ya' warm, of you like." Lea offered.

"Hold on." Kristoff said, as he saw smoke coming from a geyser. "Come here."

"Mini volcanos?" Roxas asked, curiously.

"I think they're geysers." Sora pointed out.

As they walked up to the vent, Kristoff then admitted to the others, "So, about my friends...well, I say friends, they're more like family. Anyway, when I was a kid, it was just me and Sven...until they took me in."

"They did?" Kairi, Anna and Xion asked.

"Sounds like adoption to me." Myde thought deeply, before smirking, "You're pretty lucky."

"Yeah. I don't want to scare you guys, they can be a little inappropriate...and loud...very loud. They're also stubborn at times, and a little overbearing. And heavy. Really, really heavy. But they're fine. You'll get it. They mean well." Kristoff continued.

"They sound really nice." Kairi thought.

"Kristoff, they sound wonderful." Anna thought.

"Yeah, they sound awesome." Sora thought, before admitting, "Just wish Aqua was here to meet them."

"Okay then...meet my family." Kristoff gestured the group to...a pile of large rocks which he then turned to and called out, "Hey, guys!"

The group could only stare awkardly at Kristoff, before gazing at the rocks in disbelief, not certain if this was Kristoff's idea of 'family' or if he was just out of his mind, as he continued to talk to them as though they were regular guys.

"They're...rocks." Anna muttered.

"Yes...rocks." Jack said in awkward agreement.

"...Okay?" Sora muttered, blinking.

"He's craaaazy." Olaf whispered to the others.

"Totally crazy." Myde whispered in agreement.

"Wait a minute, fellas." Mickey said to the group, suddenly sensing something very unusual about the rocks, whispering, "I got a funny feelin' they're not actually rocks."

True to Mickey's words, the rocks suddenly began to roll, causing Riku and Ven to cry out, "They're moving!"

The rocks then suddenly stood up, revealing to be strange humaniod rock things, startling the worldly travellers and Anna, their eyes widened.

"Kristoff's home!" Yelled one rock thing.

"Kristoff! Kristoff's home! It's been too long! Kristoff's home!" The rest of the rock things cheered happily.

"Kristoff's home!" Olaf cheered, before asking in surprise, "Wait. Kristoff?"

"Great to see you all. Where's grand pabbie?" Kristoff greeted.

"He's napping. But look! I grew a mushroom!" One rock child thing held up a freshly grown Mushroom.

"And I earned a fire crystal!" An olderish rock child added, holding up a crimson crystal.

"I passed a Kidney stone." An elderly rock thing said.

"I didn't need to know that." Myde whispered to Isa and Lea who both nodded in agreement, resisting the urge to shudder.

"Pick me up!" A very young rock child thing held his arms out to Kristoff who chuckled and picked him up.

That's when Anna immediately recongised the rock things, and asked, stunned, "Trolls? They're trolls."

"Trolls?" Sora asked, in confusion. Kairi, Riku, Ven, Roxas and Xion all looked equally clueless.

"...Now we're being gathered around with Trolls." Jack muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Never heard of that one before."

Just then, the Trolls turned to the group and exclaimed in surprise, "He's brought girls, guys and kids!" immediately taking them to Kristoff.

"Okay, what's going on?" Riku asked.

"I've learned just to roll with is." Kristoff shrugged.

A Troll in the meantime, were gazing at Anna, saying, "Let me see. Bright eyes, working nose, strong teeth. Yes, yes, yes. She'll do nicely for our Kristoff."

"You've got the wrong idea. That's not why I brought her here." Kristoff pointed out, while the troll kids began to play with Kairi, Xion, Mickey, Donald and Goofy, while some of the elder trolls expected upon Lea, Isa, Terra, Ven, Roxas, Riku, Skuld, Myde and Jack.

"Ha-ha! Hi-ya, fellas." Mickey greeted, finding these young trolls to be quite friendly, and cute.

"That is the reddest red hair I've ever seen." An old Troll commented to Lea. "Is it painted on to make it look so fasinating?"

"Nope, it's all natural. But thanks, anyway." Lea answered. He liked these guys already.

Another Troll studied a somewhat nervous Jack, before nodding and commented, "You look like a sea leader."

Surprised, Jack then admitted, while still saddened for the loss of the Black Pearl. "I had a ship. Lost it quite recently, though."

Just then, Anna suddenly softly gasped as she felt something painfully cold in her chest, and within her heart, causing her to fall into Kristoff's arms, much to his and everyone else's grave concerns and worry.

"Uh-oh!" Goofy gulped.

"Anna!" Terra cried out, worriedly.

Isa touched her forehead, only to take his hand back as he gasped, "She's cold as ice."

"Is she gonna be alright?" Sora asked, scared. "What's happening to her?"

Just then, an elderly Troll rolled in and nearly crashed into everyone, but stopped before he approached, and said, "There's strange magic here."

"Grand Pabbie!" Kristoff exclaimed in relief.

"Come. Bring her to me." Grand Pabbe instructed. Kristoff did as he was told and the elder Troll studied the young woman who was shivering. He didn't like what was happening to the poor girl, and said grimly, "Anna, your life is in danger. There is ice in your heart, put there by your sister. If not removed, to solid ice you will freeze, forever."

"What?" Anna gasped, slightly horrified, "No..."

The worldly travellers were equally horrified by the news of this. That explained everything, but at the same time, they knew that Elsa didn't do it on purpose. But still...

"Oh no..." Kairi whispered, horrified as her hands flew to her mouth.

"Is there anything you can do?" Ven asked, worriedly to Grand Pabbie.

"I'm afraid not." Grand Pabbie shook his head, "If it was her head, that would be easy. But only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

"Wot?" Jack asked, dumbfounded. He knew about the mushy stuff on true love; Will and Elizabeth's love was proof of that. But true love to break a spell? That's a new one to him.

"A true love's kiss, perhaps?" One of the Trolls suggested, as the rest of the trolls gave each other kisses.

"...Ew." Myde cringed, disgusted at the sight of the Trolls kissing each other, only for Xion to smack him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"True love's...Oh! That means Hans!" Sora realised, remembering what Anna told him and the others about her love with Hans the other day.

"So we have to get Anna back to Arendelle where Hans is!" Kairi nodded in agreement.

"C'mon, fellas! Let's head to Arendelle!" Mickey quickly said, just as Anna's hair turned even more white which meant that time was running out.

"Let's find Hans! C'mon, Olaf!" Goofy called out, as they all quickly made to head back to the Kingdom.

"I'm coming! Let's go kiss Hans!" Olaf replied, before asking in confusion, "Who is this Hans?"

"Anna's boyfriend." Lea replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Ice Palace, Aqua kept guard while having a conversation with Elsa who was telling her how her magic caused problems in the past.

"When I was a child, Anna and I had good times, playing with my snow magic. We built a cute snowman, which is Olaf, the same one who was here. But then one day while we were playing, I accidently hit her head with my powers." Elsa explained.

"I can see why you kept it from her for so long." Aqua thought, before thinking back of her times she spent with Ven and Terra.

"Is something wrong, Aqua?"

"No, it's just...Terra, Ven and I trained together to become Keyblade Masters. It was always our shared dream. Ven lost his memories before any of us met him, other than his name. Terra and I sticked with him sense then...until twelve years ago, when Xehanort caused so many horrible things that it broke the three of us apart, and doomed us and...struck down our master, Eraqus. Terra's body was taken over by Xehanort, Ven's heart was lost and had to sleep within Sora's heart...and I was trapped in the Realm of Darkness for twelve years after trying to save Terra..."

Aqua paused in her reminises, before continuing with a sigh, "And I inadvertedly doomed the Realm of Light to continue suffering to Xehanort...and it caused Sora, Riku, Kairi, and everyone else to continue the fight I should've finished off myself. It's only because of Mickey and Sora and the others that three of us, and even Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion and our other friend Namine were saved, and Xehanort was finally defeated."

Just then, she softly gasped and quickly stood in defense, glaring at the doors.

"What is it?" Elsa asked, suddenly concerned.

"Someone's here..." Aqua replied, "I can feel the darkness."

Outside of Elsa's Palace, Hans, the Duke and the Guards had arrived just outside of the door, ready to set forth on the mission, before the prince told the Guards, "We are here for Princess Anna. Be on guard, but no harm comes to the Queen. Do you understand?"

This had only made Marshmallow awaken from his nap when he heard this, and then stormed up towards Hans and the Guards who quickly drew their weapons, and attempted to take on the snow monster. However, Marshmallow unleashed his powerful attack and became all sharp and spiky before whacking the guards and knocked them out.

Within, Aqua and Elsa both quickly shut the doors, but not before one of the thugs saw them and exclaimed, "The Queen! And she has a woman with blue hair!"

"We have to get to higher ground!" Aqua told Elsa, taking her hand and pulled her to the stairs, and as they were halfway, the guards managed to barge in and immediately spotted the two before quickly following.

Unfortunately, the two women found themselves trapped at the top and were soon cornered by the guards, which terrified Elsa who shook her head, pleading, "No, please!"

"Queen Elsa! Don't be the monster they fear you are!" Hans commanded her.

"You're wrong!" Aqua shouted at Hans and the guards, glaring at them. "She is not a monster. She only came here because she doesn't want to hurt anyone."

"Don't listen to that young woman!" The Duke shouted as he joined Hans and the guards. "She is under the Queen's spell!"

One of the Guards then shot an arrow from an arrowbow at Elsa who cried out before trying to shield herself with her arms. Aqua quickly blocked it with her Keyblade, before ending up clashing against the swords of the other Guards, whacking the weapons out of their grasps before knocking them unconscious as she had no intentions to kill them.

To her shock, even the Heartless began to appear which forced both Elsa and Aqua to team up and fight them as well as the guards, combining their powers to destroy the Heartless and knocking the guards unconscious, as Elsa was doing her best to use her icy powers without letting them go out of control. Another one of the guards, who'd been stuck by an icicle, then aimed his arrow at Elsa, only for Hans, who saw this, to push his weapon upward up towards the Chandelier which then began to fall towards the two women.

"Look out!" Aqua shouted, throwing Elsa and herself out of the way to avoid in getting crushed, but the impact of the chandelier shattering into pieces was enough to cause them to hit the ground hard and knocked unconscious.

There was a tensed silence, until Hans approached the unconscious Elsa, before picking her up in his arms, before requesting the guards, "Carry the blue-haired woman and place her where the Queen will be placed."

One of the Guards nodded, before approaching the unconscious Aqua, before lifting her up and slumped her over his shoulder and then followed his fellow men, the prince and the duke out of the Palace...intending on returning to Arendelle.

* * *

When Elsa groaned and began to regain consciousness, above her was a concerned but now relieved Aqua.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"I-I think so." Elsa replied, before glancing around at their surroundings. They were in a dark, small, brick and gloomy room which a single window and a single door which apeared to be locked. Instantly, she recongised it, and muttered, "We're at Arendelle."

"I thought this was Arendelle." Aqua thought, before gazing out at the window. Elsa tried to follow, but soon found she was chained.

"Everything is covered in snow!" The Keyblade Master gasped, softly.

When Elsa heard this, her heart sank in devasation before slumping to the cold stone floor, gazing at her hands which were shaking in horror. "What have I done?"

Before Aqua could respond, the dungeon doors suddenly opened, and the two women looked to see Hans approach, with a lantern in hand, causing Elsa to demand at the Prince, "Why did you bring us here?"

"I couldn't just let them kill you or your new friend." Hans replied, though Aqua's eyes narrowed when he said this. There was...something very suspicious about this young man. She could sense darkness within his heart and she instantly knew...he couldn't be trusted.

"But I'm a danger to Arendelle!" Elsa pointed out, "Get Anna!"

"Anna has not returned." Hans shook his head, before requesting her, "If you would just stop the winter, bring back summer. Please?"

"Don't you see? I can't!" Elsa desperately said, beginning to sob. "You have to tell them to let us go! Aqua has friends who are worried about her!"

Hans sighed, as though resigned, "I will do what I can." before turning and left the dungeon, closing it behind him, which left Elsa distraughted.

"...There's something about Hans that I don't like." Aqua whispered to Elsa while bending to try and comfort her. "But I'm sure Sora, Anna and the others will find us."

"...I hope you're right." Elsa sobbed.

Just then, Aqua heard talking from the other side of the door, and, sensing more darkness, silently crept closer towards it and listened through. What she was hearing made her heart stop for a few seconds.

* * *

"...So that woman with blue hair-Aqua, was it?-has a Keyblade of her own." Beckett quired to Maleficent outside of the doors as he spoke with her and Hans. "Which means that she is with this Sora and his friends. Am I right?"

"Perhaps." Maleficent replied, "I am quite surprised that she is still alive after twelve years imprisoned in the Realm of Darkness. She belonged there, out of the way. No doubt Sora has retrieved her for whatever reason."

"I'm guessing that she's just as much trouble as Sora and his friends. How should we do this to get rid of them?" Hans asked, smirking evilly.

"We shall set a trap for them. I'm afraid Lord Beckett and I have...other plans to aqquire in another world. I trust that you can handle the rest of this on your own, Prince Hans?" Maleficent said.

"Just leave it to me." Hans chuckled.

* * *

Aqua's eyes widened as she silently stepped back from the door as quietly as possible. Not only was Hans in the league with Maleficent...but she also faked Lord Beckett's death and transformation into a Heartless? That meant Sora, Jack and Anna, and everyone else were in grave danger. She immediately knew that Hans had most likely plotted this from the beginning...making her realise that he was intending to take over the kingdom by oblierating both Elsa and Anna.

So the young Keyblade Master silently hurried back to Elsa and whispered to her, "Elsa...we need to get out of here. I'm afraid things are a lot worse than we thought."

Elsa didn't reply, but considering what Aqua was saying, she immediately that something was going horribly wrong...all the while the chains on her began to freeze.

* * *

 **A/N: I think each world will be four chapters long. Because the next chapter is definitely the last chapter of the Arendelle visit. Will Sora and the others make it back to Arendelle to help Anna? Will Aqua and Elsa escape the dungeon? Is Jack going to end up seeing Beckett?**

 **Guess we'll wait and see. See you in the next chapter!**


	13. CH12: Act of True Love

**Author's Note: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH12: Act of True Love.**_

Sora and the others hurried as fast as they could as Anna was getting colder and weaker, as she was riding on Sven since he was their fastest transport for the Princess. Olaf was sliding in the snow like a Penguin, which was a comical sight if the situation wasn't so serious. Anna began shivering again, and Kristoff quickly took off his hat and put on her head.

"Just hang in there." Kristoff whispered to Anna, before crying out to Sven, "Come on, buddy! Faster!"

"Aqua...we'll find you." Terra muttered to himself, in which Ven had did the same thing, just as Olaf slid past them and the others.

"I'll meet you guys at the castle!" The snowman called out.

"Stay out of sight, Olaf!" Kristoff called out.

"I will!" Olaf replied, but unfortunately ended up meeting a woman who screamed hysterically, which caused the worldly companions to cringe.

"Wait, Olaf!" Mickey cried out, before turning to the others and said, "Let's meet up at the fountain and see if we can find Aqua." before giving chase to the Snowman.

"Wait, your Majesty!" Donald called out, following his and Goofy's king.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Goofy cried out, following his two best friends.

"Riku, Kristoff and I will take Anna to the castle. We'll catch up in finding Aqua later." Sora told the others who nodded in agreement, waiting just near the fountain point. Though for a moment, both Lea and Jack felt that something was starting to become wrong in the kingdom.

"I'm gonna see if I can't find the King and the others." Lea muttered, "Catcha later." and rushed off into the direction where three of their companions and their snowman friend had taken off, leaving Kairi and everyone else share a sudden concerned glance, while Sora, Riku and Kristoff hurried Anna to the Palace to find Hans.

That's when Kairi felt a familiar and painful jolt, which caused her to place her hands on her chest, shutting her eyes but as she did, two angry red eyes filled her vision for a split second before she opened her own eyes, and her vision returned to normal, but her reaction caused everyone else to suddenly notice and gathered around her worriedly, worried that Elsa might've hit her with her ice magic as well.

"Are you okay?" Roxas asked.

Kairi didn't reply straight away. After a moment, she blinked before muttering to her friends with grave concern, "Guys...something's wrong here. I think we should stick around and look around the Kingdom, just in case."

"Huh?" Myde blinked, not getting what the Princess of Heart was feeling.

"She's right." Isa responded, eyes narrowing as he glanced around as well. "I'm afraid that things are not looking so well."

"Judging by your concern expressions, it's come to my belief that...something disasterous is about to happen." Jack muttered, before admitting, "Because I have doubts about this Prince Hans."

"There is darkness lurking somewhere here." Skuld nodded in agreement, glancing around as her eyes narrowed. "We wait for Sora and Kristoff and warn them that something's happening."

Just then, a woman's scream filled the air, coming from behind them. Kairi and the others all whirled around just to see a young woman with black hair screaming out as she ran past them, not noticing their pressence, "There are monsters at the Fort! Lots of them!"

It didn't take long for the group to realise what was going on, and despite wanting to wait for Sora and Kristoff, they knew that if Heartless were at the Fort, they had to sort this out before things got worse. With a reluctanted nod, Kairi and the rest of the group summoned their weapons, and hurried to fight off the Heartless, not knowing that the situation was only about to get twice as bad.

* * *

Sora, Riku and Kristoff hurried Anna to the front castle doors to show the Guards that the Princess was in trouble, much to their shock. As they began to hurry Anna to keep warm after telling them that she needed to see Prince Hans, the Princess turned back to her friends and asked, "Are you and the others gonna be okay?"

"Don't worry about us." Kristoff replied.

"We'll be fine." Sora added, just as the maids came to help Anna as well.

"Get her warm and find Prince Hans, immediately." Kristoff requested.

"We will. Thank you." One of the maids nodded.

"Make sure she stays safe." Kristoff added, before Anna, the maids and the guards disappeared.

"We should find the others and then find Aqua." Riku told Sora and Kristoff who both nodded, following the silver-haired teen out to rejoin the others.

* * *

In the hallway, Lea had no trouble in finding Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, and were secretly following the guards when they spotted Anna being treated along with a young man whom they suspect was Hans. They hid behind the large shield near the door that lead into the Library and listened in while the maids and guards left, thinking that things would be alright.

" _What happened out there?_ " Hans asked, sounding worried.

" _Elsa struck me with her powers._ " Anna weakly replied, apparently shivering.

" _You said she wouldn't hurt you._ "

" _I was wrong...she froze my heart and only an act of true love can save me._ "

" _...A true love's kiss._ "

When they heard this, Lea, Mickey, Donald and Goofy immediately knew that something wasn't right. They risked to peak behind the wall as the doors were still open, and found that Hans had layed Anna on the couch, and was leaning in to kiss her...only for the Prince to smirk cruely and quickly expose his true colours.

"Oh, Anna. If only there was someone out there who loved you." Hans smirked.

"What?" Anna's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what was happening. "You said you did." She protested as Hans walked over to the window and pulled the curtains closed.

"As thirteenth in line in my own kingdom, I didn't stand a chance. I knew I'd have to marry into the throne somewhere..." Hans explained.

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked.

Hans then blew out a candle while answering, revealing his true plans, "As heir, Elsa was preferable, of course, but no one was getting anywhere with her. But you...You were so desperate for love, you were willing to marry me, just like that!" before picking up a pitcher of water, "I figured after we married, I'd have to stage a little accident for Elsa."

Realising what Hans was attemping to really do and also realising how gullible she'd been, Anna tried to get up to stop Hans herself, but the moment he tossed the water onto the fire in the fireplace, extinguishing it, due to the tempreture dropping dramatically, she ended up falling on the floor instead, severally weakened and pleaded, "Hans, no! Stop!"

"But then she doomed herself, and you were dumb enough to go after her." Hans continued, ignoring her pleads and was equally pleased that things were working just the way he wanted, and the people of this kingdom were foolish enough to believe that the blame was all onto Elsa and Anna. "All that's left now is to kill Elsa and bring back summer."

Anna's eyes narrowed angrily and despite that she knew now that it was all her fault for being so gullible and because of this, she strained her sister's relationship, causing Elsa to become feared, and then all of this happened, and now Arendelle might be doomed if something wasn't done. Still...at least Elsa would be safe.

"You're no match for Elsa." Anna grunted.

"No." Hans denied, approaching the dying princess and gripped her chin, saying coldly, "You're no match for Elsa. I, on the other hand, am the hero who is going to save Arendelle from destruction." before turning and as soon as Lea and the others quickly hid avoid being seen from Hans, the evil Prince began to walk out of the room.

"You won't get away with this!" Anna yelled, weakly.

"Oh, I already have." Hans chuckled, shutting the door behind him and leaving Anna trapped and weak in the dark, freezing room to die. All that was left was to continue to fool the people of his new kingdom and murder Elsa to become the new King.

But he didn't count on Lea, Mickey, Donald and Goofy having overheard this, and continued to stay out of sight as the Hans put on his false innocent mask, he approached the Duke, maids and guards who were beginning to shiver as the tempreture through out the kingdom was getting worse.

"Princess Anna...is dead." Hans announced, in very convincing sadness.

"What happened?" The duke demanded.

"She was killed by Queen Elsa." The prince lied.

"Her own sister." The duke gasped, horrified.

Hans nodded, continuing to lie, "At least...we got to say our marriage vows before she died in my arms."

"There can be no doubt now." The Duke grunted, furious with what has happened. "Queen Elsa is a monster and we are all in grave danger!"

"Prince Hans...Arendelle looks to you." A royal guard bowed with respect.

"With a heavy heart, I charge Queen Elsa of Arendelle for treason and sentence her to death." Hans declared, before adding, "Along with her bodyguard with the blue hair."

The eyes of Lea, Mickey, Donald and Goofy widened in sheer horror when they heard this; Not only was Elsa captured, but Aqua was with her as well! To make things worse, both of them were about to be killed and if they and the rest of the group didn't do something, then Anna, Elsa and Aqua were all dead women. As Hans and the guards and Duke left the hallway and out of earshot and sight, the four of them knew what had to be done.

"I'll keep Anna as warm as I can." Lea whispered to the trio, "You guys think you can handle in saving Elsa and Aqua and warn the others?"

"Right!" Mickey nodded with determination. He wasn't going to fail in saving Aqua again. She was his friend, and he knew that Elsa would be devastated since there wasn't anything they could do to save Anna except for keep her warm as long as possible to delay her death. "Hurry!"

The redhead nodded and immediately went to rescue Anna while Mickey, Donald and Goofy, who were both determined as well, all hurried down the hallway to stop Hans from killing Aqua and Elsa.

Unfortunately, before the trio could even reach the entrance to the stairs of the dungeon, Heartless appeared and blocked them from entering.

"The Heartless!" Goofy gasped, quickly summoning his shield, while Mickey summoned his Kingdom Key-D Keyblade.

"Hey, outta the way!" Donald yelled at the Heartless while summoning his Staff.

"We'd' better hurry and stop them!" Mickey told his childhood friends, knowing that they had to go through the Heartless to save Elsa and Aqua.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Aqua was trying to figure out a way how to get Elsa and herself out when she noticed out through the window that a blizzard was starting up, and on top of that, her eyes widened in the wall and ceiling were beginning to freeze...coming from Elsa's magic now that she saw what was happening.

"Aqua, help me break these chains!" Elsa whispered, pulling hard on the chains that kept her restrain.

"Right!" Aqua nodded, summoning her Keyblade and slashed the chains into pieces, which, considering how they were frozen in ice, was another big help.

By the time Hans and the guards came into the dungeon to execute the two women...they were already gone, because they had also broke through the wall since it'd been weakend by the ice of the Queen's powers. He also spotted the two women running to find Sora and the others to warn them of the dangers.

* * *

As Sora, Riku were about to begin their search for the others and to find Aqua while Kristoff made plans to go as well, suddenly Heartless appeared all around them, forcing Sora and Riku to summon their Keyblade considering how they were already in trouble again.

"Back off!" Sora yelled at the Heartless, slashing two with his Keyblade almost single handedly, before dodge-rolling out of the way when an Ice-Block like Heartless tried to freeze him but missed, and it was finished off when Sora casted Firaga to melt it into oblivion.

Riku flipped through the air over three Slender-Snow-man Heartless and landed behind them before he slashed their backs with his Keyblade, destroying them. He then quickly blocked the shadow Heartless when it tried to claw at him and swiped it in half.

Kristoff, not experienced much in a fight, managed to grab hold of piece of wood nearby and whacked the Heartless that came to attack him with it like a club. Even Sven used his antlers to help in defeat the Heartless the came to try and steal the group's hearts.

As soon as the Heartless were defeated, the four of them suddenly felt the freezing tempretures through out the kingdom, and all around them, the snow storm was quickly starting, and was already getting worse. Sora and Riku both shared a horrified glance, realising what was happening.

Anna was in trouble.

"Come on!" Sora declared, already taking the lead back towards the castle, with Riku quickly following.

"H-hey! What're you guys doing?" Kristoff called out, only for Sven, who also felt that something was wrong, lifts him up with his antlers and charged to follow the two Keyblade Masters, causing Kristoff to cry out to his reindeer, "No, Sven! We're not going back! Anna's with her true love! Stop it! Put me down!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Lea was struggling to open the doors without blasting through them, but wasn't having much success.

"Ah, screw it!" Lea grunted, summoning his Keyblade, and admitted to himself, "Never used my Keyblade to open locks before. Just hope it'll work."

The redhead carefully aimed the Keyblade at the door, hoping against hope that it'll work. Thankfully, the tip of the fiery-design weapon began to glow in light before a beam of light shot through into the keyhole of the door and just as the former Nobody had hoped for, he heard the lock unlock itself. He grinned while dismissing it, and was about to enter when a familiar voice spoke behind him.

"Whoa, that was a fancy magic key!" Olaf's voice spoke.

This startled Lea who whirled around to see Olaf standing behind him, causing the redhead to ask in surprise, "Whoa! Olaf? Where'd you come from?" before shaking his head as he remembered that he had a princess to save. "Never mind. Anna's in trouble."

He didn't wait for Olaf to answer, and instead opened the doors and his eyes widened to find Anna lying on the ground, the ceiling having ice creeping all over. Hurriedly, Lea rushed over to the fireplace and with Olaf's help despite the redhead's warning that the fire is dangerous, placed pieces of wood into it, before Lea used his fire magic to light it up.

"Okay...it's a start." Lea muttered, turning to look behind him and Olaf to see that Anna gazed up at the two, a look of surprise, worry and relief dawning on her face.

"Lea? Olaf?" Anna asked, before quickly saying to the snowman, "Olaf, Get away from thereǃ"

"Whoa, so this is heat?" Olaf asked, getting closer to the fire, "I love it!"

"Olaf, don't touch that!" Lea warned when he saw Olaf attempting to touch the fire. He winched when Olaf yanked his hand back as his arm caught a tiny bit of fire before it was put out.

"But I can't touch it." Olaf muttered.

While shaking his head, Lea then stood up and approached Anna, before he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the fireplace as close as he dared, laying her on the ground and wrapped his arms around her, using his body heat to help warm up her freezing body despite that her hair had turned completely white by now. His heart ached that, at the rate things were going, Anna was as good as a Princess Popcicle.

"So, where's Hans? What happened to your kiss?" Olaf asked, noting that something had gone wrong.

"I was wrong about him." Anna answered, miserably. "It wasn't true love."

Lea's expression turned to anger, but managed to keep it in check. "Yeah, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and I kinda overheard that jerk. He planned to take over the kingdom by killing both Elsa and Anna and make it as if it was all Elsa's fault. The others are trying to find her and Aqua as we speak. In the meantime, I'm babysitting to keep Anna warm."

"But we ran all the way here." Olaf said, shocked.

"Please, Olaf you can't stay here. You'll melt." Anna told her friend, before gazing Lea as much as she could, "And Lea...you can't stay here either. Go back to Sora and the others."

"What? You seriously think I'm gonna leave you to freeze to death?" Lea asked, incredulously. "No way, An'. I don't leave any of my friends when they're in trouble; that includes you, Princess or not. Got it memorized?"

"Besides, I'm not leaving either." Olaf added, "We're not leaving until we find some other act of true love to save you." as he went to sit next to the two of them, before asking, "Do you happen to have any ideas?"

"I don't even know what love is." Anna sighed, shaking her head in sadness and defeat.

"Sure you do." Lea pointed out, smiling a little. "You went out of you way to find your sister because you loved her, didn't you? I would've done the same thing if it were Roxas, Xion and Isa. Done that quite a few times, actually. Love isn't just about a guy and a girl falllin' for each other. It comes from in many kinds of ways. Ya' know what I'm saying?"

"Lea's right." Olaf said in agreement, "As he just said, love is...putting someone else's needs before yours, like, you know, how Kristoff brought you back here to Hans and left you forever."

Anna's eyes widened in surprise. "Kristoff... _loves me?_ "

"Wow. You really don't know anything about love, do you?" Olaf asked, just as his head began to melt, and he had to quickly fix it up along with prevent his nose from falling off his face.

"Olaf, you're melting!" Anna cried out, while Lea gasped softly.

"Some people are worth melting for." Olaf pointed out, and earned a smile from Anna and from Lea, before fixing up his head again, then added a little sheepishly, "Just maybe not right this second."

Just then, much to their shock and dismay, the window was suddenly blasted open by the strong icy gusts of wind.

"Oh, c'mon! You gotta be kiddin' me!" Lea yelled out, while trying to block Anna from the chilly blizzard winds as much as possible.

"Don't worry! I got it! We're going to get through...!" Olaf said as he hurried to close the window when he spotted something outside. "Oh, wait. Hang on. I'm getting something."

Somehow breaking an icicle from the window off, Olaf used it like a telescope and his eyes widened when he saw what was going on outside. "It's Kristoff, Sora, Riku and Sven! They're coming back! And Kairi and the others are fighting those black and icy monsters!"

"They are?" Anna asked, with hoping filling up in her chest.

"Goes to show that they knew something was wrong." Lea smirked, "When people sense that their friends or loved ones are in trouble, they always come back to save them."

Anna, realising what this meant, knew what had to be done. "Guys, help me, please." slowly starting to sit up.

"What, are you nuts?" Lea protested, realising what the woman was attempting to do, but helped her stand up none the less.

"No, no, no, no, no. You need to stay by the fire and keep warm." Olaf said as he rejoined two of his friends.

"We need to get to Kristoff, Sora and the others." Anna pointed out.

While Lea gave out a resigned sigh, knowing that Anna wasn't going to take no for an answer, not to mention that this might be their next best shot in curing her, Olaf couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

Anna and Lea both gave him stern looks, and suddenly Olaf realised why they had to get to the others. "Oh, oh, oh, I know why. That's your act of true love, right there, riding across the fjords like a valiant, pungent, reindeer king! Come on!"

The trio hurried out through the library doors only for the ice on the ceiling becoming worse, and Lea, Anna and Olaf skid to stop when spikes blocked their way just as they entered the hallway.

"We're trapped." Olaf cried out, worriedly, as he, Anna and Lea tried to find their way out.

That's when Lea had an idea and summoned his Chakrams, telling the others to stand back before he sliced through the ice spikes, shattering them which cleared the way to outside. "Let's go!" He told Anna and Olaf who, while amazed at what the Pyro just did, nodded before the trio ventured off once more.

* * *

Things were practically spiraling out of control in Arendelle; Aqua and Elsa continued running to try and find the others to warn them of the dangers while Aqua fought against the Heartless that blocked their way; Kairi and her group fought the Heartless at the Fjords which were somehow increasing due to the snow storm blowing and wasn't helping matters.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy had fought off the Heartless only to find that Aqua and Elsa had escaped and Hans and the guards were chasing after them, leaving the trio to try and slow them down when they caught up, but were unable to stop Hans since they were too busy fighting both the guards and the Heartless that appeared; Sora, Riku and Kristoff were riding on Sven and fighting through the storm and the Heartless looking for their friends.

"Kristoff!" The four of them heard Anna's voice yell through the storm.

As Lea, Anna and Olaf were racing to reach the four of them, the wind suddenly became stronger and as they struggled, Olaf was blown away, much to their shock.

"Olaf, no!" Lea shouted.

"Keep going!" Olaf cried out as he was blown away.

With little choice and seeing how Anna's hands were becoming frozen, Lea quickly scooped her once again and carried her as he ran to find Kristoff, Sora and Riku who were making up for lost time to reach them, but the powerful snow storm managed to lift the ship at the docks like a tornado and sending crashing onto the ice Sven was running on. Due to this, the ice underneath them cracked which revealed water, and caused the reindeer to lose his balance, sending Sora, Riku and Kristoff flying to the other side to safety.

"Sven!" Kristoff, Sora and Riku cried out, worriedly.

To their relief, Sven resurfaced from the freezing water and climbed onto the chunk of ice, shivering through the cold, but still alive.

"Good boy." Kristoff sighed in relief, before quickly following Sora and Riku to find Anna.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy eventually found themselves through the Fjord when the latter spotted all of the familiar faces, "Look! They're all over the place!"

"I wonder how we'll be able to save Anna now?" Mickey thought worriedly, concerned for the safeties of Elsa, Anna and Aqua.

"Look! They're trying to get to Kristoff!" Donald cried out, pointing at Sora, Riku and Kristoff heading towards Lea who was carrying Anna in his arms.

"Come on, fellas! They need our help!" Mickey told them hurriedly, taking the lead once more, with Donald and Goofy quickly following.

Aqua and Elsa in the meantime were getting themselves lost due to the storm, and they tried to find their way through. Just as Aqua thought about using a Firaga spell, she was suddenly caught off guard when something pushed her to the side and pushed Elsa back onto the ground, much to the latter's horror. Aqua in the meantime, found herself gripped tightly by a giant Heartless that was about the size of a Darkside Heartess, but it was more like a Yeti, eyes blood red, fur all shaggy and white with the Heartless symbol on it's chest, and held it's captive tightly that it refused to let go.

Sora and the others heard Aqua's cry and when they looked up, their eyes widened as the giant Heartless had captured their friend, and immediately, Sora knew what to do.

"You guys go to Elsa and meet up with the others!" Sora told them, summoning his Keyblade and immediately raced to rescue their friend.

"Sora!" Riku cried, attempting to follow, but was blocked off when smaller Heartless appeared, blocking him from helping his friends. With no other choice, he turned back to a worried Kristoff and told him, "Go! Anna needs you!"

"You people are crazy!...Be careful!" Kristoff cried out, before hurrying to meet Anna and Lea as fast as he could.

As the rest of the worldly travellers were still fighting off the Heartless despite getting cold and exhausted even though they repeatedly used Cure magic, Sora leaped from the nearby buildings, making his way up due to his execellent climbing skills until he reached the Snow-Heartless' level as it was slowly raising Aqua towards it's mouth to eat her. In response, the teenaged wielder tossed his Keyblade like a boomarang right at it's head, causing it to roar in agony and loosen it's grip on the blue-haired woman who fell, but managed to righten herself in mid-air, and landed safely on the ground, before leaping out of the way before it could catch her again.

Sora leaped down to ground level and rushed towards Aqua who slowly stood up, panting.

"Aqua! Are you alright?" Sora asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine..." Aqua began, only to be interrupted when the Heartless roared, causing her and Sora to turn to gaze at while it glared down at them, angry now due to Sora having used his Keyblade to distract it. "But we'll have to stop this thing first!"

"Right!" Sora replied, as he and Aqua stood in fighting stances to fight the Heartless.

The Snow-Heartless recoiled it's first high in the air before thrusting it down to crush the two Keyblade wielders with a punch, but Sora and Aqua saw this coming and the two Keyblade Masters jumped out of the way, though the impact it made on the ground caused a small crater with a few cracks. Despite the damage, Sora and Aqua rushed forward and thrusted their Keyblades with series of combos against the arms and legs of the Heartless who roared in pain. However, it managed to catch the two off-guard by whacking them with a swipe of it's arm, sending to two flying backwards and crashing onto the ground.

None the less, Sora and Aqua quickly used Curaga to heal themselves before avoiding it's grasp when it tried to catch them. Aqua blasted a Firaga Spell at it's face, forcing it to recoil back and doing severe damage. Realising that heat was it's weakness, Sora and Aqua both nodded and seeing chimnies smoking despite the blizzard, the two Keyblade Masters decided to use those to their advantage, and raced out of the way when the Snow-Heartless held up it's hands above it's head, creating a massive ball of ice and tossed it towards them, but it missed and it shattered into pieces, though it did cause a powerful tremor that was also damaging.

Despite this and getting some hit from the tremors, that didn't stop Sora or Aqua from leaping up onto nearby buildings that had smoke from each chimney. Once Sora and Aqua were at their destinations, they powered up their Firaga Spells which, due to the heat of the smoke, created self-made fire-balls which, at each other's signal despite the Heartless making to attack again, thrusted out their attacks at both the chest and the face of the Heartless, causing more damage to it and forcing it to step backwards, and it also slumped forward, dazed. This allowed the two Keyblade Masters to quickly leap off the buildings and slashed and clashed at the Heartless once more.

Sora then casted Thunderaga right at it's eyes while Aqua spun her Keyblade, twirling it expertly at it's arms to prevent it from shielding it's eyes but the two were hit hard when it managed to whack them back again despite getting weaker and weaker, but it seemed that the blizzard was slowly healing. This the two wielders noticed, meaning that they had to hurry to decrease it and defeat it before it would fully heal due to the snow storm. Sora and Aqua then hurried out of the way when the Snow-Heartless stomped on the ground once, creating ice spikes that were travelling along to try and impale them. Fortunately, they reached the buildings on time and repeated their earlier idea that made it dizzy before.

Quickly drinking the Elixir potions to regenerate their magic in their vains, Sora and Aqua then blasted as much fire magic as possible, while wishing that Lea was with them to help defeat it faster due to him being the master of fire magic, but as such, he was with Riku to help Anna and Kristoff reunite and cure Anna's heart. Not only that, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Terra, Ven, Xion, Roxas, Skuld, Jack and Myde were still busy fighting the now finally decreasing Heartless and suddenly Sora and Aqua knew why; Hans and this Heartless were the source of the seemingly never-ending horde. So it was up to the two of them to finish this off.

Sora then used his Flowmotion to slide up by using the Heartless' body to his advantage due to it being made of ice and thrusted his Keyblade down hard at it's face, creating a massive scar, while Aqua leaped up and used series of Firaga and Thunderaga spells combined at it's chest while leaping back and forth on it's arms to avoid in being captured and Sora jumped repeatedly on it's shoulders and kept on using the combination of Firaga spells and his swordsmanship skills at it's head, both of them making sure that, despite having to also quickly pause to heal themselves and careful in how to watch out for their magic's limits, they wouldn't allow it to absorb the snow storm's blizzard to slowly heal itself.

After what seemed like forever, the Heartless was finally slowing down. This was enough for Sora and Aqua to meet mid-air and with a nod of agreement as both of them came to the sudden same idea, the two Keyblade Masters touched back to back and thrusted their Keyblades in good speeding rate which were combined by touching their Keyblades together, unleashing a massive ball of Fire combined by their Firaga spells, thrusting it right at the Heartless's chest and sending it backwards. Sora and Aqua then finished it off by descending and gave a final slash in a long cut, running their Keyblades into it's skin before leaping away and landing back on the ground while the Heartless collasped onto it's back with a near almighty thud, it's mouth wide open in deathly defeat, unmoving.

To confirm of it's demise, a large heart appeared from it's chest as it floated away, while the Heartless itself disappeared, vanishing forever into darkness.

While relieved that the Heartless was gone, Aqua immediately turned to Sora and said, "Hans is going to kill Elsa and Anna! He was in the league with Maleficent."

"What!?" Sora exclaimed, shocked.

"It's been a trick all long; Hans only proposed to Anna so that he could kill her and Elsa to take over the kingdom." Aqua continued.

"That explains why Anna hasn't been cured yet. Where's Elsa?" Sora replied.

"We have to find her!" Aqua realised.

With a nod of agreement, Sora and Aqua fought through the storm to try and find anyone as much as possible.

Elsa, stuck by herself, sensed movement behind her as she heard Hans' voice yell out, "ELSA! You can't run from this!"

Realising that there was nowhere else to run or hide, and slowly coming to accept her fate and punishment, Elsa, despite Aqua's warning earlier, pleadingly said to Hans, "Just take care of my sister!"

Hans put on a false saddened and angered expression as he told her, "Your sister!? She returned from the mountain weak and cold! She said that _you_ froze her heart!"

"No..." Elsa gasped softly, eyes widened in growing horror, as darkness was beginning to seep into her heart. It couldn't be true...!

"I tried to save her but it was too late! Her skin was ice, her hair turned white... Your sister is dead! Because of _you!_ "

"No..." Elsa, her heart aching in sorrow and guilt, knowing that Hans was right. It was because of her that Anna was gone...all because of her! Collasping onto the ground, slowly becoming overcome with grief. Due to her grief and guilt, much to most of people's surprise, the storm soon stopped.

This allowed everyone to see what was happening and the worldly travellers had managed to stop the Heartless invasion, which, unknowingly to them, was all part of Maleficent's trap to prevent Sora and his friends from saving both Anna and Elsa. This also allowed Anna and Kristoff to finally see each other, much to their, Lea and Riku's relief, while Sora and Aqua, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and everyone else were about to approach then they all heard the sound of a sword being drawn.

To their horror as Sora and all of his friends turned to see, Hans had drawn his sword and made to strike the grieving Elsa. Making up her mind in order to save her sister, Anna, instead of going to have a true love's kiss with Kristoff, though almost completely frozen, rushed over with the last of her strength, throwing herself in front of Elsa and blocking Hans' attack, screaming, "NOOO!"

While in her attempts to sacrifice herself to save her sister, Elsa's accidental spell has done it's job and much to her sister's and friends' sheer horror, Anna was completely frozen in ice, in which the sword, upon the thrusting contact, was shattered into pieces. The impact of it cause one of the broken sword pieces to knock Hans into the forehead and knocked him back, where he hit the ground, unconscious.

Elsa, hearing her sister and looking up, horror of what she saw replaced the horror she felt moments ago, and exclaimed in dismay, "Anna!"

"Oh no!" Micked cried out, horrified.

Kairi, Aqua, Xion and Skuld gasped while covering their mouths with their hands, while Donald, Goofy and even Jack were left speechless in horror, and Sora, Riku, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Ven, Terra, Myde and Kristoff softly gasped in horror, just as Olaf, who managed to recover, had made it to the others along with Sven and those loyal to the Princess and Queen, all horrified at what just happened. Anna had just sacrificed herself to save Elsa...and froze to death in solid ice as a result in her final moments.

Elsa stood up and went in front of her frozen sister, touching her face as though hoping that she would move...but Anna didn't. "Oh, Anna... No, no, please... No."

Realising in devastation, and tears falling freely for having now lost the only family she had, and the distraughted guilt aching her heart, Elsa threw her arms around Anna's solid form, hugging it as she cried. Sora and everyone else mourned for the loss of Anna, with Kairi seeking comfort from Sora, throwing herself ino his chest and cried on his shoulder. Sora could only wrap his arms around her, doing his best to comfort her despite that tears were falling from his eyes as well. Aqua, Xion and Skuld did the same with Terra, Roxas and Ven, while Mickey repeatedly tried and failed to keep his eyes at bay, silently sobbing as well. Donald and Goofy hugged each other while they and Myde bawled their eyes out, letting loose water-works of tears. Isa could only look away, his breath shaking in horror and sorrow. Lea shut his eyes, his eyes stinging with tears.

Even Jack wasn't immune to the loss of one's life, especially to that of the one who sacrificed themselves to save another. All he could do was stare at the heart-breaking moment before him. He was suddenly seeing an image of what would've happened if either Will or Elizabeth had done the same for one another and the devastation that said person whom they gave up their life for would have to go through the way Elsa was going through right now.

Then, as though miracle happened to bless them, Anna's heart seemed to warmed because her chest was glowing, and then, much to everyone's surprise, her body began to thaw and while unable to believe it, Anna had returned to life as she gasped a breath, and her hair also returned to it's original colour, much to Elsa's surprise and happiness.

"Anna?" Elsa whispered, and also, the light in her heart returned, brighter than ever.

In happiness, the two reunited sisters embraced, the closest they had ever been in years. "Oh Elsa." Anna whispered, having returned to life.

"You sacrificed yourself for me?" Elsa asked.

Anna smiled, and simply said, "I love you."

That's when Olaf understood how this happened, and said, "An act of true love can heal a frozen heart!"

"So the love Anna had for Elsa was the true love needed to restore her heart to normal." Mickey added, also realising how it happened.

"I knew it wasn't the true love's kiss that would cut it." Myde thought, smiling, only to be whacked upside of the head by Isa who gave him an annoyed look. "Ow! What was that for?"

Hearing this, Elsa's eyes widened as she realised what the mysterious cloaked figure had been trying to tell her all this time; the warmth of the heart and the act of true love can thaw a frozen heart, she connected it in her mind and realised what it really means to control her powers. "Love...of course."

"Elsa?" Anna asked, puzzled.

"Love." Elsa repeated, and with the swipe of her hand and by the dust of her magic, the ice and snow began to melt and disappear all around the kingdom and suprising everyone. The ice and snow soon formed into a giant snow flake when then poofed out of existance. The area around everyone returned to the warmth of summer, making everyone else that the eternal winter was broken.

Smiling happily, Anna turned to her sister and beamed, "I knew you could do it."

"Hands down, this is the best day of my life!" Olaf said, as he soon began to melt due to the summer's heat, and while sad, he accepted his fate. "And quite possibly the last..."

Seeing what was happening to their snowman friend, Elsa hurriedly reached to Olaf and said, "Oh, Olaf! Hang on, little guy." using her magic to create a small cloud flurry above Olaf's body, restoring him to normal.

Seeing what happened and realising that he wasn't going to melt in Summer afterall, seeing how his dream had come true, Olaf danced around happily, "My own personal FLURRY!"

"This is the biggest relief I've ever seen in my life." Roxas thought, happily.

"Quite astonishing events right here." Jack admitted, before smirking warmly, "Should see that more often." before a moan caught his and everyone else's attentions.

When they turned to see where the moaning was coming from, everyone narrowed their eyes anger when Hans regained consciousness, standing up slowly. Growling softly, Kristoff was about to approach the evil Prince to punch him in the face, only to be stopped by Anna who shook her head, before moving towards Hans who, regaining his senses, was shocked to see Anna back to life and back to normal.

"Anna?" Hans gapped, shocked and disbelieved, and also that summer was back and Elsa was still alive. "But she froze your heart."

"The only frozen heart around here is yours." Anna replied, turning as though she was done with him. But then she whirled around and punched him squarely in the face which caused him to stumble back and fall into the water of the fountain.

"Whoa..." Myde gapped, stunned at what Anna just did.

Lea lets out an impressed whistle before chuckling, saying to the guys of the group, "Don't cross ladies; especially Princesses."

"Whoever once said that women cannot be tough like men are very wrong." Jack nodded in agreement, adding, "Seen quite amount of women do that in my lifetime. Never denied them even the slightest."

* * *

Short time later, Hans was thrown into the brig of the ship that was set to return to the country of his origins, as one of the other continant's men, the Frenchman Ambassador said to another man named Kai, "I will return this scoundrel to his country. We shall see what his twelve big brothers think of his behavior."

"Arendelle thanks you, my lord." Kai replied, nodding his head in respect, while the duke, who was also going to be punished for his behavior, was being dragged to the ship with his thugs.

"This is unacceptable, I am a victim of fear. I've been traumatized!" The duke was crying out, pretending to be the victum of fear, "Oww, my neck hurts. Is there a doctor that I can see?"

When he saw that no one was convinced of this, he then shouted aloud, "No, I demand to see the Queen!"

As though remembering something, Kai approached the duke while unrolling a scroll, saying formerly to him, "Oh, I have a message from the Queen. Arendelle will henceforth and forever no longer do business of any sort with Weasel Town."

"Weselton! It's Weselton!" The Duke grunted in irritation.

Not too far from the ships, Jack had snuck away to at least have a peak at the vessels, and gazed with somewhat sadness and longing-ness, reminded of the Black Pearl and his home world. While he far from melodramatic and sympathy, he did miss his world and wondered when he would eventually return.

When he heard the commotion with Kai and the Duke, the pirate couldn't help but smirk as he began to walk away to rejoin Sora and the others, muttering to himself, "For a man like the one with the glasses, Weasel Town sounds a lot better."

* * *

Everything calm and returning to normal, Sora and all of his worldly companions stood before Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven fifteen minutes later, as now that the world was safe, it was time for the travellers to go.

"Do you have to go?" Olaf asked, sounding sad.

"Well, we have other places to do to that need our help." Mickey answered.

"Is it okay that we come back to visit?" Kairi asked, hopefully.

"Of course you all can." Elsa answered with a smile, "I can't thank you all enough."

Anna nodded in agreement, "Thank you for everything, guys."

"Yeah...what, she just said." Kristoff added, awkwardly.

"All in the days work." Sora replied, pounding himself in the chest confidently.

Just then, Olaf suddenly glowed, much to his and everyone else's surprise. Sora, realising what was happening, summoned his Keyblade before holding out the weapon, the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from Olaf. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"What was that light?" Olaf asked, surprised.

"The world will be safe from the darkness now." Skuld answered. "It was the keyhole."

"Catcha guys later." Lea waved at the five friends of this world who waved back at him and the rest of the worldly travellers.

Sora and his companions left the world of Arendelle behind while Anna and Elsa renewed their relationship, stronger than ever before, and now their happy lives were added by Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, who were to be part of their lives forever.

As for Sora and his friends, they set off towards their next destination and the next world, wherever it may be.

 _ **{Arendelle}**_

* * *

However, unaware to everyone in Arendelle and to Sora and his companions, up on the hill where the kingdom could be seen, the mysterious cloaked figure stood, having witnessed the events that unfolded, his hands behind his back, before he bend down and plucked a dandelion in front of him and stood up once more, gazing at it.

"No doubt about it...those kids know what they're doin'." He said to himself, before chuckling as he gently blew at the dandelion, sending it's smaller pieces to float freely into the air, flying by the gentle gusts of wind. "I'm starting to like them."

With that, he then turned and walked away, to who knows where.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dark chamber where a round table was set up with chairs, Lamuria had told Arlene, Master Aced, and even Shelke and Shalua of the events that occured in Arendelle.

"I sense that world has been sealed from the darkness." Aced spoke after a few moments of tensed silence. Clutching his fist in sheer annoyance, he grunted, "They are doing everything to protect the Realm of Light completely wrong...!"

"But if that world was sealed, isn't that a good thing?" Shalua asked, finding herself quite curious.

"It is...but I should've been there and finished things off the right way...don't you see what those foolish children are doing!? It's completely out of my control!" Aced growled, punching his fist onto the table which shook it a little on impact.

"Calm down, Master." Shelke said calmingly, before speaking up her theory, "It appears that Sora and those with him still intend on protecting the Realm of Light, despite what they had done to have summoned Chaos in the first place. I believe that they are seeking a way to solve all of this."

Despite not liking this theory, Aced began to realise that she was right. As much as it irked him, and as much as he lothed the way those who he think should never have Keyblades were doing things, so far there hasn't been much of disturbance of such from Sora and his allies. Not to mention that they had other problems to worry about; Chaos for example.

"Let's continue to keep on eye on them, then." Aced finally sighed, before giving out his orders to those who followed him, "Arlene and Lamuria, the two of you will continue to keep an eye on Sora and his allies. Shelke and Shalua, continue research through our prisoners as well as those who follow Chaos."

"Yes, Master." All four of them nodded in unison.

Whatever the goals Aced had in mind, it would be known soon.

* * *

 **A/N: To the guest who suggested to have Sora and Aqua team up to fight against the final boss in Arendelle, thanks for that. It really helped a lot. Now it's a matter of which Disney world I'm attempting to have Sora and the others visit next.**

 **Both the Jungle Book and Atlantis are in my mind right now, even though I know that I should add Tangled in here...I'm just not certain which one to do next, and to me, revisiting both Agrabah and Port Royal are still too early at this stage. What are your thoughts on this, guys?**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	14. CH13: Toy-Napped?

**Author's Note: I know that none of you said it, but since I had a feeling that you were a little bit disappointed in me not adding Toy Story in any of my stories, I've admitted defeat and decided to add that world into this Kingdom Hearts story, but only this once. Also, unlike most KH3 fanfics, this one is not set within the first film.**

 **Bit of spoiler; this one is set in the second film.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH13: Toy-Napped!?**_

 _ **{Toy Mania}**_

 _Flash-Back: A few hours before..._

 _"_ _ **There's a Snake in my boot!**_ _"_

 _This came from a voice recorder of a string-voice Cowboy Doll that was tossed onto one of the tables in a yard sale of a quiet neighborhood. The doll himself was plastic on head and hands, and his brown boots, while everything else was cotton inside and material. He was a traditional cowboy doll. How he got here...something that no one in this world knew._

 _The voice recorder within the toy was heard from behind a man in his early thirties, cubby and wearing a green shirt and black pants and shoes, having black hair and beard and wearing glasses, gazing around for something just to buy, and when he heard this voice, his eyes widened. Could he dare to hope?_

 _He turned around and if his eyes had widened any higher, it'd be a world record. The man approached the doll and gasped in sheer disbelief and...greedy hope. Picking up the doll, the man examined it._

 _"Original hand-painted face. Natural-dyed, blanket-stitched vest!" The man caressed the doll, before noticing a small rip on the doll's right arm, but shrugged it off as something he can fix. "Oh, if only you had your hand-stitched..."_

 _When he looked at the table again, he gasped in glee at the sight of the doll's brown cowboy hat, and immediately put it's back onto the toy, happily saying as though he found a treasure chest, "Polyvinyl hat! I found him! I found him, I found him!"_

 _"Buster! Quiet down!" A woman's voice called out._

 _Uh oh. The owner of the house was here. The man, not wanting to look like a complete idiot and believing that the child owner of this toy no longer wanted the Cowboy doll, but not taking any chances, immediately covered the boy with an old shoe and a couple of other things that were being sold as the woman approached him, being a young mother of two._

 _This was being witnessed by the world's very unusual inhabits; Living and breathing Toys from their child owner's bedroom; A SpaceRanger Toy who was tolding a toy Binoculars that had eyes and legs, and with them was a female plastic toy that was based on Bo Peep, a slinky Dog toy, a Piggybank, a Potato Head Man toy, and a green T-Rex Toy._

 _And they were witnessing their Cowboy toy friend in dire trouble, and now their only hope was their owner's mother._

 _"Yeah, you can help take his paws off my pal." The Slinky Toy Dog grunted softly, cheering on the mother and praised her to save the Cowboy doll._

 _As the two couple in the yard talked, the mother finally noticed her child's toy and asked in surprise to the man, "Oh, now, h-how did this get down here?"_

 _"Oh...a pro." The man chuckled. "I could eh, give you five dollars for it."_

 _Too bad his hopes were dashed._

 _"I'm sorry. It's an old family toy." The mother apologized while taking the toy back and began to walk away, much the the man's sheer annoyance._

 _The Toys from the window then saw that the man wasn't backing off, but then again, the mother wasn't surrendering either._

 _"Wait! Uh, I'll give you 50 bucks for him." The man tried to bargain._

 _"Fifty bucks ain't bad." Mr. Potato Head admitted to the Piggybank who nodded in agreement. Fifty bucks for an old Cowboy doll is surprisingly a good price...not that they wanted their friend to be sold by this slimeball._

 _Fortunately for the toys, the mother placed the Cowboy doll into a metal small case and locked it up, and still refused the man's request to either sell the toy or even trade it for the man's watch._

 _"He's safe." The SpaceRanger Toy announced, and soon his friends around him either sighed in relief or cheered._

 _"Way to go, Andy's Mom!" The Piggybank cheered._

 _"Phew, that was close!" The T-Rex Toy sighed in relief._

 _"All right! She showed him!" The Slinky Dog cheered._

 _It seemed that the man, in irritation, finally gave up and began to walk away. However, much to the Toy's confusion and concern, the man suddenly bumped into a skateboard, and when he gazed down at it, a greedy sneering smile dawned on his face as an cruel idea came into mind. So, while the mother was busy going over to her young daughter who was no more than two years old, the man kicked the skateboard backwards where it rolled right behind the mother and then crashed into things, causing her to turn away and went off to see what was going on now._

 _This was the distraction the man needed, because he did not care if the boy would be missing his beloved cowboy doll, because he was a man to collect, and this doll was extremely vaulable. So as quickly as he did, he snuck back to the case and with a screw driver, broke into the case._

 _"Oh no." The SpaceRanger cried out, shocked as he saw what was happening. "He's stealing Woody!"_

 _True to his horrified words, the man snatched the Cowboy doll named Woody and stuffed it in a carrybag before casually walking off as though nothing happened. But the living Toys knew better and they were horrified; A man was stealing a toy that was illegal._

 _The SpaceRanger Toy, unable to let this happen, quickly put down the Binoculars and immediately slid down the drain pipe and onto the grass outside, sneaking his way through, being athletic for a toy, making sure that he wasn't seen, while his other friends watched on and hoped for the best._

 _The SpaceRanger Toy then hurried over to the Car as the man had stuffed Woody in the bag into the Boot before driving off. The SpaceRanger Toy successfully jumped onto the back and tried to open it. He managed to unlock it, but unfortunately, the force of the bump of the car caused him to be flown back and land onto the road. All he could do was stare in horror as the boot of the car reclosed itself...but not before multiple feathers flew out and one floated in front of the SpaceRanger toy who stared at it, confusion and shock filling his expression even further._

 _There was...something strikingly familiar about these feathers...and he also caught a glimpse of the Numberplate of the car as well...he immediately knew, that both were connected...and it might be the key to the answer of why the greedy man had stolen Woody._

 _The other toys at the window were horrified that their friend, Woody...was stolen._

 _"Why would someone steal Woody?" Bo Beep asked, horrified._

* * *

 _Now..._

Despite having sworn that they heard Myde sneeze while they were teleported down to the new world they discovered, and seemed to be quite normal, given circumstances, Sora and his friends, sensing dark and greedy activity, not to mention something else...very unsual, teleported in while using magic to blend into this world.

When they appeared through a portal, one by one, the group walked out, and were...quite shocked at what they were seeing. They were in what appeared to be a child's bed room, the owner close to be maybe six years of age which, thankfully wasn't here. The room was empty.

"Why is everything...enourmous?" Jack asked, hesitatedly.

"It's not...we're small." Ven groaned in dismay.

"And in different forms of toys." Lea commented, gazing at himself as he now looked a bit like really cool fire action figure.

The others, while their heads and body shapes were the same, realised that he was right; Sora looked a bit like an action figure himself, his arms were painted black and a bit like a video game warrior. Riku and Terra both looked like modern gladiators. Ven and Roxas found themselves looking like hawiian figurines but still had their clothes on. Kairi was dressed as a bit like a super heroine. Same with Aqua, Xion and Skuld. Mickey, Donald and Goofy all wore small hats and black suits save for their white gloves. Jack, while still in his pirate attire, looked a bit more fitted for a pirate child's costume. And needless to say...they were quite astonished.

"Whoa! How did this happen?" Sora exclaimed, gazing at him. Sure he'd turn into other forms before in other worlds; a vampire in Halloween Town, a Merman with a Dolpin's tail in Atlantica, a Digital form twice in Space Paranoids and the Grid, and a small Lion in Pride Lands. But never a toy in a world like this.

"What kind of crazy world is this?" Roxas added, glancing around.

"Just go along with it. We can't let anybody know that we're here." Donald told everyone firmly.

"Why not? None of us told anyone where we're from so far." Jack questioned, feeling very uncomfortable and decided that the sooner this world was saved from the Heartless and whatever trouble there was, the better they were back on the Gummiship and back to their true forms.

Donald placed a hand to his chest and said rather proudly, "It's to protect the World Order."

"I agree with that, but..." Aqua began, doubtful, "Who's to say that things are just really ordinary around here?"

"Hey, where's Myde?" Goofy suddenly asked, looking around as he suddenly realised that their Mullet-haired friend wasn't speaking, and now that he looked, he wasn't there at all.

As soon as he said this, the others looked around them and could've sworn that Myde was right with them. It became clear that the cause of Myde's sneeze...caused him to appear somewhere else in the world.

"Oh no! Myde's disappeared!" Mickey exclaimed, worriedly.

"Where could he be?" Skuld asked, concerned.

"I hope he's alright." Kairi said. As much as Myde was lazy...he wasn't such a bad guy once one got used to him.

Before anyone could do anything however, out of the darkness and materializing, were the familiar monsters, and some of them even taken up Toy forms as well. This caused everyone to quickly summon their weapons when they recongised the Heartless that appeared.

"Guess we'll have to take these guys out first." Riku grunted, annoyed.

"Just wish they would just go away and never come back." Jack groaned.

"You're telling me." Donald nodded in agreement.

The group immediately took action while careful not to ruin the room or worse, set the bed on fire. Sora leaped into the air before thrusting his Keyblade downward, smashing the normal Shadow Heartless into oblivion before dodge-rolling out of the way when a Heartless that looked like a toy Robot about his height shot out lasers at him. The sixteen year old responded by tossing his Keyblade expertly and finished it off before it had the chance to attack again.

Kairi and Xion both held hands and spun around and around while twirling with their Keyblades out which glowed in light and created a spinning wheel of light that whacked and knocked away the Heartless that tried to attack them only to be hit back and eventually destroyed. The two young women then let go of each other and continued to fight the Heartless solo.

Aqua back-flipped while avoiding the helmet Heartless before responding by catching it off-guard, finishing it off when she swiped it's chest with her Keyblade. She then held her Keyblade up in the air and spun around and around while being covered in elegant light which absorbed the Heartless above her while they were being destroyed by the power of light within her heart. As soon as they were gone, she finished her ability before moving on to fight the rest of the Heartless.

Lea used his Keyblade this time and having gotten used to doing this with just one hand, sliced one Heartless from head to foot before thrusting out a ball of fire at three more while being very careful not to burn anything else in the room. He then switched out from his Keyblade to his Chakrams and tossed them expertedly where the weapons flew around the room and took out other Heartless that didn't see this coming while catching the Chakrams when they returned to him.

Isa, Terra and Riku thrusted their weapons repeatedly around the larger belly Heartless that were also their current size and while there were three of the Belly Heartless, none the less, with the combination of wind, thrusts and light, the trio sucessfully finished them off while avoiding in hitting or destorying anything else in the room.

Ven, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Skuld and Roxas used the combination of somursaults, magic, back-flips, thrusts, slashes, Goofy-nado, and Keyblade Boomarang attacks on the ten Heartless they were fighting while using cure magic on themselves as well as everyone else when they were slightly caught off-guard themselves, but still managed to successfully taken out the Heartless.

Jack in the meantime used his swordsman ship with his Keyblade and even sliced on of the Robot-Toy-formed Heartless's head off before cringing as while the Heartless disappeared as a Heartless normally would when being destroyed, the thought of how easy it was to break things like this in this world would be enough to give him nightmares.

"Sorry, mate." Jack muttered, before panickly saved himself just in time when another Heartless tried to shot lasers at him only for the pirate to thrust his Keyblade at it's chest before it had the chance.

Eventually after three more minutes, things had finally calmed down and the worldly travellers sighed in relief before dismissing their weapons, only to slightly tense again when they heard an unfamiliar, slightly high-pitched voice say, sounding quite amazed, "Did you guys see what those guys just did!? It's like they're super heroes!"

"Nothing like in the video games or movies, that's for sure." Another unfamiliar voice admitted.

When Sora and his friends turned to their right to see who was talking, they were in for a major surprise as a group of...toys approached them, same height as their current heights...It was the SpaceRanger Toy, the Mr. Potato Head Toy, the Piggybank, the T-Rex Toy, Bo Peep Toy, and even a Mrs. Potato Head Toy and even moving toy cars.

It was both the T-Rex Toy(who spoke first) and the Mr. Potato Head Toy that had spoken.

"You all were very amazing in defeating those masked intruders." The SpaceRanger Toy said to Sora's group. "If you could do that with those...strangely magic things you materalized, you can't be real toys if you can do that."

"Toys!?" Sora's group exclaimed, shocked. So this world had living toys?

"That explains everything, I suppose." Riku thought. Now that he thought about it, considering their current forms, it made sense for this world to be another unsual one...especially since it had toys that come to life. How, though, was still a mystery.

"It's like what I used to be..." Xion whispered to Roxas, Lea and Isa who, while at least two of them had always treated her more of a human and their friend and never a toy, all three of them nodded in agreement, remembering the time when she was a replica of Sora's memories of Kairi.

Jack, finding this very unbelievable, just stared in open-mouthed shock, before leaning back and asked, with a dumbfounded look and uncertainty, "Is this a dream?"

"Uh, no." The T-Rex Toy answered.

"I thought not." Jack responded, before grumbling sarcastically, "Next, I'll be seeing a flying elephant."

"Wait. Are there really flying elephants? I never of that before." The T-Rex said, sounding even more amazed.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud. He's being sarcastic, you idiot." The Piggybank shook his head at the T-Rex Toy.

"I think introductions should be made first." The SpaceRanger Toy suggested, before clearing his throat and began, "I'm Buzz Lightyear. These are Bo Peep, Slinky, Rex, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. PotatoHead, and Etch."

"Hey there. I'm Sora." Sora began, introducing himself and then introduced his group, "This is Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Ven, Aqua, Terra, Skuld and Jack." as the group also said their hellos after this. He then asked, referring to Myde, "Um, you haven't seen another unfamiliar guy by any chance? Weird Mullet-hair-style?"

When the real Toys shook their heads which told them that they haven't, Sora sighed in disappointment.

"Right." Sora muttered. Looks like they were right back to square one.

"Sorry, pal. We haven't...because we're in a middle of a crisis ourselves." Slinky the Slinky Dog said.

"Gosh, what happened?" Mickey asked, quickly concerned.

"Well, for starters, our friend named Woody who is a Cowboy doll was stolen earlier today by someone at a Yard Sale." Buzz answered.

"A Cowboy doll stolen? Wasn't he sold or anythin'? I mean, why else was he at a Yard Sale?" Lea asked, confused.

"He wasn't being sold there." Mr. Potato Head began, "Woody crazily went there to rescue our friend Wheezy the toy Penguin when Andy's Mom wanted to sell him."

"I take that this Andy is your human owner." Aqua correctly theoried.

"You guessed right." Hamm said, "Andy's at a Cowboy camp right now, and, long story short, Woody was supposed to go like he does almost every year since Kinder Garden. But uh...he had a broken rip on his arm, so he had to be left behind."

"Ouch." Lea cringed in sympathy, before saying, "That still doesn't explain everything."

"Okay, let's try this again." Hamm sighed, "Anyway, when Wheezy was about to be sold, Woody rode on the household's dog Buster to sneak to the Yard Sale to rescue him. But he was accidently left behind and then some big fat guy came, wanting to buy him."

"But Mom wouldn't do that, because Woody is Andy's favorite toy. Then the big guy distracted her and then stole Woody while she wasn't looking!" Rex continued for Hamm, almost panicking.

"Why would anyone do such a thing?" Kairi gasped, shocked, as were her friends.

"That's awful." Mickey agreed, angered at the fact that a man would do something as cruel as stealing a child's favorite toy.

"That's just _way_ too low. If I were normal size, I'd give that guy a piece of my mind." Lea grunted angrily.

"That's not very nice in stealing a child's values." Jack nodded in agreement, "Already bad enough for jewels and gold and even people to be stolen or kidnapped."

"Says the one who is a pirate who does that for a living." Isa muttered under his breath.

"And then those masked intruders appeared after that an hour ago, so we kinda had to back away as much as possible." Buzz concluded, "I have no idea who they are though."

"They're Heartless." Goofy answered.

"They're the bad guys." Donald added.

"Do they...normally appear out of nowhere like ghosts?" Slinky asked, seeing how Sora's group are familiar with the masked intruders.

"Yeah, unfortunately. They're just as dangerous as some normal people." Terra replied. "We're the only ones who can handle them." referring to himself and the rest of the worldly travellers.

"Well, that explains something about those creepy guys." Mr. Potato Head thought.

"And to think that they strangely appeared after Woody was stolen. I wonder why, though." Bo Beep thought, worriedly.

"It's more of the case of the greed in heart of the man who kidnapped your friend." Skuld replied, "While it's best for what we're about tell you to keep it a secret, Heartless lurk because of the darkness in everyone's hearts. It's most likely because of that man's greed is what brought the Heartless here in the first place."

Rex gasped in horror, before asking, "You mean those bad guys are with him!?"

"Um...it's kinda complicated, since we don't know what he looks like." Sora shrugged.

"Well, that's easy. We do." Hamm replied, before nodding at Etch who, while not talking, self-drew on it's pad, but due to the lack of memory of both of them, the picture of the man from earlier that was holding Woody had a ridiculously long beard that went down to his knees. "Composite sketch of the kidnapper, guys."

"He didn't have a beard like that." Bo Peep pointed out.

"Fine. Uh, Etch. Give him a shave." Hamm requested, and Etch did so, redoing the drawing and this time, exactly like the man the Toys saw earlier...but most of them were still not happy.

"The kidnapper was bigger than that." Slinky pointed out.

"Oh, picky, picky, picky."

"At least he does look like the kind of guy to be greedy in his own ways." Lea thought at the sketch, before adding, "Not to mention a serious need to go on a diet."

"Does anyone know where he went?" Ven asked.

"Well, let's see." Mr. Potato Head said, pointing to the direction where the bed was, "Now, the vehicle fled the scene in this direction."

This time, Hamm protested and pointed at the opposite direction, "Your eyes are in backwards. It went the other way."

"Hey, put a cork in it!" Mr. Potato Head yelled.

"I know! Why don't we call the FBI?" Rex suggested, before asking in confusion, "How do you spell FBI?" as he had walked away to find a piece of paper and wanted to write a letter, but accidently bumped into other toys who were trying to help by setting up a crime scene.

"Whoa, be careful!" Sora cried out.

"My crime scene!" Mr. Potato Head cried out, dismayed at the mess the T-Rex Toy was making.

"Hey, watch it you big palooka!" Donald yelled.

"Oh, why don't you watch where you're goin', _"Godspilla"_?" Hamm groaned in dismay at Rex's accident prone clumsiness.

"I didn't know there was a crime scene." Rex replied.

"Hey, where's Buzz?" Goofy asked, noticing that Space Ranger Toy just disappeared.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. A little quiet please." Buzz's voice spoke from behind the group, and when Sora's group and the other Toys of this world turned to see that Buzz had silently slipped past and was now at the front of the best, with a spelling toy helping him with something.

Curious and confused on what Buzz was doing, both groups ventured to where the other toy was, seeing that he was...well, they had no idea what he was actually doing.

"Buzz? Whatcha doin'?" Mickey asked, curiously.

"There was some sort of message encoded on that vehicle's ID tag." Buzz answered. "I've seen it before the man disappeared."

"ID tag?" Sora blinked, confused.

"Never heard of it." Jack muttered, equally puzzled.

"I think he means the number plate on that feller's car." Goofy said to the two of them.

"Aw, that's not gonna help. Number plates just have random letters and numbers." Donald groaned, exasperated.

"You're right." Mr. Potato Head rolled his eyes, "Let's leave Buzz to play with his toys." turning to leave as were the other toys while Sora and his group just stood there, wondering how they can help with this, especially given that no doubt the man who kidnapped Woody is the main cause of the Heartless appearing in this world.

However, what Mr. Potato Head said triggered the memory in Buzz's mind, "Toy. Toy. Toy! Hold on!" and typed onto the Spelling Toy, causing the other toys to turn back while the worldly travellers wondered what Buzz had in mind now.

Once the Space Ranger Toy was finished, the Spelling Toy buzzed electrical words that came up, " _ **Al's Toy Barn.**_ "

"All's Toy Barn?" Everyone asked, puzzled.

Remembering the feather he brought back and suddenly realising now why both were familiar, Buzz commanded to Etch, "Etch, draw that man in a chicken suit."

"Wait, what?" Roxas slumped, even more dumbfounded.

Despite the confusion, Etch did so, redrawing the picture for the third time, and this time, drew the man in the said chicken suit holding Woody. When he did, the rest of the Toys gasped in shock, surprise and horror.

"It's the Chicken Man!" Rex exclaimed.

"That's our guy." Buzz nodded in agreement.

"I knew there was somethin' I didn't like about that chicken." Hamm muttered, eyes narrowing.

"Do you know him?" Sora asked, pointing at the picture of the guy dressed in the chicken costume that made him look totally ridiculous.

"He's the guy who does commercials of a toy store called Al's Toy Barn, wearing that Chicken Costume. We usually called him the Chicken Man...and everytime I saw him, that guy always looked suspicious and thought he was up to no good. Turns out I was right." Hamm explained.

"If he were a real chicken, he would be the most ridiculous chicken I've ever seen." Jack muttered, before asking, "Why would anyone make costumes out of animals?"

"Not used to all the whacky things, like us, are you?" Mr. Potato Head asked, reading along the lines of the sentence.

"You've no idea." The pirate replied.

"Okay, seriously. Does he just go randomly steal kids' toys around the neighborhood and then sell them at that store of his without anyone noticin'?" Lea asked, just as angry and confused as ever.

"I doubt it, but that's the best place where he can be found with Woody." Buzz responded.

"You said that he appears on commercials, right?" Mickey asked. When the Toys nodded to confirm it, an idea came to mind in the King's head as he then said, "Welp, since some TV commercials give out maps to locations of all kinds of stores, I betcha that's where we need to look at next."

"What do you mean, 'we'?" Mr. Potato Head asked.

"Well, we tend to help out others who are in trouble quite a lot lately, and toy or not, your friend's been kidnapped, and that's something my friends and I don't like." Sora replied.

"Not to mention that one of our friends is missing too. So, if it's alright, can we all help each other to find our friends?" Kairi added and requested.

The other Toys looked at each other, before nodding in agreement as Rex asked, "What do you think, Buzz?"

"Well, they do have a point." Buzz thought, before approaching Sora and said, "As you said, Woody's been kidnapped and your friend is missing. So, since you helped out already in how dangerous the Heartless are, we should work together." holding out his hand to Sora.

Sora smiled, and shook hands with the Space Ranger Toy, "Right."

Everyone either smiled or in Rex, Goofy and Donald's case, cheered.

"Okay. So, next up, finding the commercial to Al's Toy Barn and making a map." Buzz declared.

The worldly travellers and the Toys soon sprung into action in Operation Search and Rescue.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in a office-like apartment..._

When Myde had stepped out of the portal after sneezing, not only had he found himself on his own, but having shrunk down to size of a child's doll. To further his dismay, despite his head being the same, he was wearing a black cowboy hat, blue shirt and white vest, black jeans and navy- coloured boots and...he was hiding underneath a couch.

' _Man. Where're the guys? And why in Kingdom Hearts am I in a form of a cowboy doll? And what's with this guy in the chicken costume with another cowboy doll in a glass case?_ ' Myde grumbled in his mind while keeping silent.

Earlier when he stepped through the portal, the cowboy doll was already in the case, and just three minutes later, the guy appeared in the chicken costume, and was now talking on a mobile phone, and seemed to be talking about some commercial.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll be right there. And we're gonna do this commercial in one take. Do you hear me? Because I am in the middle of something really important!" The man in the Chicken suit, Al', said, before groaning and hung up.

He then smirked greedly at the cowboy doll, "You, my little cowboy friend, are gonna make me big buck-buck-bucks." laughing as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Ugh. Finally. Thought he'd never leave." Myde groaned as he came out of his hiding from underneath the couch and glanced around of the simple room which had the couch, another couch, a shelf that had the cowboy doll in the case, and a single TV. The walls were coloured in dark gray. On the floor in the middle of the room were a couple of cardboard boxes. "Geez, he could've picked a better setting and colour."

"Psst!" An unfamiliar voice hissed.

"Huh? Wh-what was that?" Myde asked, looking around as he wondered where that noise was coming from.

"Hey, up here!" The voice spoke.

"W-where?" The young man glanced around until he looked up and saw...the Cowboy doll moving, and after a bit of struggle, pushed the glass door of the case open and then jumped and landed onto the floor. Myde couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The Cowboy doll was alive!

"Uh, howdy." The cowboy doll, named Woody, waved with his still movable left hand.

"AHH!" Myde screamed in fright, collasping onto his butt and crawled back a little, which caused Woody to scream in fright half a second later. "Y-Y-Y-You're-You're-!"

"Whoa, hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did I frighten you? Didn't mean to." Woody quickly said, "Sorry about that. My name is Woody. So um...did Al' steal you too?"

"Steal?" Myde blinked, blankly while still shocked at the fact that this world had living and _talking_ toys that had people personality. Then everything else in the question absorbed into his head and asked, "Wait, you mean that guy in the chicken costume didn't buy you or somethin' like that?"

"I wasn't even up for sale, so, no." Woody replied, shrugging, "I have no idea why I was stolen in the first place."

"What kind of dude would do somethin' like that?" Myde asked, slowly standing up. For a creepy living toy...Woody didn't seem that bad of a guy, at least. Plus, also remembering the World Order, even though this was a real crazy world, he knew he had to try and play along like a toy...which meant playing dead when normal people were around.

"Well, if I knew, I'd tell ya' already." Woody sighed.

"Oh, sorry." Myde shrugged, a little sheepishly, before remembering something and introduced himself, "Oh yeah, almost forgot. Hey'ya. I'm Myde."

"Myde? No offence, but that's an unusual name for a cowboy doll." Woody replied.

"So is Woody." Myde pointed out, before asking when he noticed the rip in the real toy's right arm and asked, "What happened to you?"

"Oh, uh...my owner accidently ripped me...and speaking of which, I gotta get home, fast before he comes back from Cowboy camp." Woody said, moving past Myde and tried to jump up and reach the door handle.

"Don't think that's gonna work. Maybe the window might help since I got friends I gotta find too. Couldn't do that while Mr. Chicken Guy was around." Myde replied, heading over to the window next to the shelf.

Woody followed the unknowingly young man in toy form, and the two of them stood at the window while trying to find a latch to open it. Too their horror, though, it would be suicidal if they attempted to jump, because as far as they could see, they were in an apartment block...which was 23 levels up.

"...Or maybe not the window." Myde squeaked, feeling his stomach drop at how high they were. "Talk about a drop!"

The Cowboy doll didn't respond. All he could think about was his owner, Andy. As much as it irked him with the fear of being dumped and no longer played, he continued to be stubborn and wanted to get home as much as possible. Not to mention that the other 'toy' next to him needed to get back to where he came from too.

Woody looked around and then found another exit; a vent that lead into the venilators and hopefully, an elevator he could catch a ride on. "Over there!" He said.

Myde turned to see what Woody was saying as the latter then jumped back onto the floor and tried to pull the grate open. Seeing that he needed help and that was their exit, the former Nobody jumped and tried to pull it open as well.

"Come on, you stupid vent!" Myde grunt as he and Woody pulled futilessly.

Suddenly, a loud ' _POP_!' caused the two stop struggling and freeze. Both Myde and Woody slowly turned around at the same time and found the box lids suddenly open and safety beans had scattered all over the place, as though something came out of the box.

"Huh?" Myde blinked.

"What?-WHOA!" Woody suddenly cried out when he found himself lifted in the air and he and Myde who stumbled back in surprise, found that it was a child-like toy brown horse with a saddle who happily ran around the room, giving Woody a crazy ride.

"AHH, AHH, AHH!" Woody screamed, before crying out to the unfamiliar horse, "Hey! Stop! Horsey, stop! Stop! Sit, boy! Stop it! Sit, I said! Whoa!"

When he said 'Whoa', that was enough to finally make the horse stop, but the force of it caused Woody to be slightly catapaulted onto the floor where he landed on his head, looking between his legs. To his and Myde's shock, an unfamiliar Cowgirl doll with a white shirt, black vest, cloth shuffles on her blue jeans, red yarn that was her hair, blue eyes and a red cowgirl hat, bend upside down to face him, and was grinning like crazy.

"YEE-HAAA!" She hollared, as though relieved and excited, which was scarying Woody. He wasn't the only one who was terrified right now.

The Cowgirl doll then pulled him into a hug, cuddling him and rubbing his head, saying excitedly, "It's you! It's you! It's you, it's you, it's you! It's really you!"

"What's me?" Woody asked.

"What's going on here?" Myde asked, wide-eyed at the crazy scene before him.

The Cowgirl then hugged Woody in a squeezing hug, saying, "Prospector said someday you'd come."

"Who?" Myde asked, slowly making his way to the two.

"Huh? Who're you?" The Cowgirl asked, finally noticing the new 'Cowboy' in the room.

"Uh, this is Myde. Just met him a few minutes ago too." Woody answered.

"Well, howdy, there, Myde! I'm Jessie!" Jessie, the Cowgirl doll, said happily, holding out a hand in greeting.

"Uh, heya." Myde replied, shaking hands with the crazy female toy. "I-I mean, Howdy."

"You're here, and new cowboy doll too! This is the best day of my life! Prospector will be twice as happy!" Jessie said with glee, before gasping as she remebered something and dropped Woody to the ground. "Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln! The Prospector! He'll wanna meet ya's!"

She then whistled out to the horse, who then ran up to the box and jumped back in, and then seconds later, a small box, this time coloured in blue in a painting of the wild west, came flying out. The horse then jumped back out and pushed the box towards the trio while Woody was pulled up by Jessie and Myde approached.

"Say hello to the Prospector." Jessie introduced.

An awkward silence. All the box had was the outback background and a picture of some old stumpy guy in a red shirt, blue jean-like trousers, a slightly rigged black Cowboy hat, a gold tooth and a pickaxe.

"I-It's a box." Woody pointed out.

"With a picture of some guy on it." Myde added.

"He's mint in the box. Never been opened." Jessie explained, almost omniously.

Just then, another voice, seeming coming from within the box, spoke, "Turn me around, Bullseye, so I can see."

Bullseye, the toy horse, did so and within the box with a plastic clearing on the front, was a shorter toy cowboy that matched that of the picture of the guy on the back. When he saw both Woody and Myde, sheer relief and happiness filled his expression that looked like he was about to cry.

"Why, the prodigal son has returned, and a new cowboy has come to town." The cowboy doll, apparently the Prospector, said dearly.

"Ooh boy." Myde muttered, uncertainly.

"YEE-HAH!" Jessie cheered, nearly breaking Woody's eardrum and jumped up and down happily, hugging him again, repeating her earlier happiness, "It's you! It's you! You're here! It's you, it's you, it's you!"

Finally, Woody broke free from Jessie's overly enthusiastic hug before backing away with Myde, both boys having terrified looks while the other toys walked up towards them...well, Bullsye was pushing the box with the Prospector in it the same pace as everyone else.

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out now." Woody said.

"You're not the only one." Myde said.

"Oh, we've waited countless years for this day. It's good to see you, Woody." Prospector said, ignoring the freaked out expressions the younger men were feeling.

"Waiting countless years...for him?" Myde asked, pointing at Woody with a quirked eye-brow. What were these crazy bozos talking about?

"Listen, I don't know wh-hey, how do you know my name?" Woody asked, now confused on how the Prospector knew his name before he even introduced himself.

"Everyone knows your name, _Woody_." Jessie answered.

"Well, I didn't." Myde pointed out, "Not 'til we both met about ten minutes ago. Anyway, can somebody _please_ explain to me what's goin' on?"

"Why neither of you know, do you?" Prospector said, realising that by the blank and confused looks of the two, neither Woody or this young new Cowboy named Myde had any idea. Well, Myde he can understand. Apparently the new 'toy' didn't know Woody's past. He then turned to the horse and muttered his name.

Bullseye, getting the hint, ran up to a lamp and pulled the light string which lit up the room which nearly blinded both Woody and Myde who both turned around to avoid the light. When they did, their eyes widened in shock and stunned disbelief. There were other toys and items on another shelf that neither of them had noticed until now...with pictures of Woody himself, along with Jessie, the Prospector and Bullseye on them...that included old plates and black and white photos, and toys that were not like the dolls. In English, that meant these toys were not alive.

There were so much of it that Woody backed away, stunned and thoroughly amazed before bumping into something that was wooden. When he turned around to see what it was, it was a human-sized cut-out cardboard picture of himself. Finally, noticing that he stepped on something, he looked to the floor and saw an old magazine with pictures of himself, Jessie, Bullseye and the Prospector...dating back to the 1950's.

"Holy cow..." Woody muttered, eyes wide, just as Myde approached and stood beside him, just as stunned.

"Whoa...I didn't know you were based on an old TV show." Myde muttered. Who would've thought that the guy next to him was based on a show in this world. While TV was rare in his life, in some worlds that he slacked off during his time in Organization XIII, he'd seen some tvs and always thought how cool it was to have one.

"Neither did I." Woody admitted.

While they were gazing at the magazine, they then heard an old country violin music turned on behind them, causing both Myde and Woody to turn around and saw that Bullseye had placed a video tape in a VHS and Jessie had turned on the TV with a remote, the two of them showing Woody the said old show which was in black in white, and given Myde's small memory of what he heard in the Gummiship onway to Kuzco-Topia, it was like the past of Mickey, Donald and Goofy in the Timeless River before Disney Castle was built.

" _Cowboy Crunchies, the only cereal that's sugar-frosted and dipped in chocolate, proudly presents..._ " An announcer said as the title of the old show opened up from within a bar and the intro appeared, and it was clear to be a puppet-show.

" _~Woody's Roundup, Come on, it's time to play. There's Jessie, the Yodelin' Cowgirl~_ "

"Lookit! Lookit! That's me!" Jessie chirped up when a puppet of herself appeared and then plastic puppets of cute critters of animals appeared when she yodelied.

" _~Bullseye, he's Woody's horse~ He's a smart one!_ "

Next up, Bullseye appeared on the screen and tossed a horse-shoe at a horse-shoe game, successfully winning, much to the real Bullyeye's shyness.

" _~Pete, the old prospector~_ "

" _Has anyone seen my pickaxe?_ " The Prospector's puppet counterpart appeared, and from the looks of things, was the more dim-witted one, because not only the voices were different, but the one on the screen was unaware that his pickaxe was...on his butt.

"Ah ha, ah ha, ah ha ha ha!" Myde bursted out laughing when he saw this, while the real Prospector facepalmed himself in exasperation.

" _~And the man himself, of course, It's time for Sheriff Woody~_ "

Finally, Woody's puppet counterpart walked from a bar before leaping onto Bullseye's back and rowdied while holding his hat in the air as the song and intro came to an end and the show began with the first episode.

" _~He's the very best. He's the rootin'-est, tootin'-est cowboy in the wild, wild west. Woody's Roundup~_ "

"I think I'm gonna like this show." Myde admitted after calming down from laughter.

However, what both Myde and Woody would find out later would shock them both...and possibly cause some tensions. What also concerned Myde was that no Heartless appeared...at least not yet.

* * *

 **A/N: I wasn't originally going to add Toy Story, but I finally admitted defeat since it's been nagging me for a while now. Please do note that this is the only time I'm adding the Toy Story world in any of my stories. See you in the next chapter!**


	15. CH14: Complications

**Author's Note: I'm glad that the last chapter made you happy, The Keeper of Worlds. Hope I'm doing at least okay with this story so far.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH14: Complications.**_

 _Meanwhile, back in Andy's Room..._

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap...

That was the repeated noise Rex was making and had been for a good half an hour now since the worldly travellers' arrival in this world and, given Mickey's advice, everyone was now searching through every channel on the small TV...well, small for normal sized people, to find the Al's Toy Barn commercial. Rex had been searching with the remote and everyone had been waiting, most of them becoming anxious and some of them tired of just waiting.

"I can't find it! It doesn't seem to be on any of these stations!" Rex cried out desperately.

"I don't think it'll even appear at all." Jack commented in agreement. TVs, or televisions as most outside of his own world call it, he decided, were just an excuse for people to be lazy and not go out and be active. Plus, the constant change of these 'channels' were making his eyes hurt and his vision to go all funny.

"Keep looking." Buzz told Rex and ignored Jack's comment.

Lea gave out a yawn and groaned, struggling to not fall asleep, "We've been at this for half an hour now."

"Oh, you're goin' too slow. Let me take the wheel." Hamm groaned before shoving Rex over from the remote and took over...and was tapping it so fast that no one could even see what was on now.

"It's too fast." Goofy pointed out.

"Yeah, how can you even tell what's on?" Rex asked.

"I can tell." Hamm replied, rather distantly as he concentrated on finding the right commercial...so far distracted that he missed the quick glimpse of Al' in the Chicken Costume, clucking like a real chicken(due the sound effects). Everyone else, however, saw it and told him to go back.

"There it is!" Sora cried out.

"Hamm, go back!" Riku quickly said.

"Back, back, back!" Rex chanted hurriedly.

"Too late. I'm in the 40's, gotta go around the horn. It's faster." Hamm said, still far too into his concentration.

When it appeared again, everyone quickly prompted Hammed to stop as Buzz stood and got up close to the screen, waiting only for a few seconds when the map location in how to get to Al's Toy Barn appeared, quickly telling Etch to draw a replica of it which he successfully did just in time.

"He looks more ridiculous in real life than on a drawing." Jack said, slightly disturbed at the live capture of Al' in the Chicken Costume.

"I'll say." Isa nodded in agreement.

"You're telling me." Terra added.

"You got that right." Lea nodded, dumbfounded and a little bit spooked.

Everyone then turned as Buzz approached Etch and pointed at the miniture picture of Al's Toy Barn, announcing, "That's where I need to go."

"You can't go, Buzz. You'll never make it there." Rex said, worriedly.

"If Buzz wants to go, even though it is dangerous, he's doing what his heart is telling him." Sora pointed out, knowing the risks but at the same time, knew what Buzz was thinking and feeling, toy or not. "I would've done the same thing if it'd been any of my friends. I have done it, more times than I can count."

"Most of us did, actually." Riku commented, and no one, not even Jack, in the worldly travellers group disagreed.

"Sora's right. Besides, Woody once risked his life to save me." Buzz agreed while redrawing the map on a normal smaller piece of paper, before finishing and continued as he gazed up at everyone, "I couldn't call myself his friend if I weren't willing to do the same."

"Exactly! Spoken like a true friend." Sora praised happily.

"Well spoke. Honest streak, just like Turner." Jack praised as well.

"Thanks, guys." Buzz smiled, before gazing at the group, asking, "So, who's with me?"

 _Fifteen minutes later..._

It was decided that the worldly travellers, Hamm, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head and even Rex would go with Buzz on a rescue mission to Al's Toy Barn to rescue Woody. Despite the large numbers and the worry of the other toys coming with, especially since none of them had any experience in fighting against the Heartless that will most likely appear randomly, especially at night, Sora's group didn't argue.

Plus, the group also decided that there might be a chance that Myde was there as well, and despite the Mullet-haired man being able to fight...he was in a bigger risk than any of them.

"I still don't get why anyone would have kidnapped Woody like this. It doesn't make any sense at all." Kairi thought aloud, concerned.

"Well, Al' wanted to buy Woody off Andy's Mom for fifty bucks earlier today." Slinky responded as he walked past.

"Fifty bucks for a Cowboy doll?" Lea asked, surprised. "That's not bad."

"Lea!" Xion and Roxas scolded.

"Hey, c'mon. I was only kiddin'." Lea shrugged, "Sometimes, toys and other old items that last for more than two decades get more valuable in higher prices."

"If you're able to live that long, let me know." Jack sarcastically commented as he walked past. He then paused at the two Potato Heads, with Mrs. packing things into her husband's compartment on the back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm packing my strong spud an extra pairs of shoes, and his angry eyes, just in case." Mrs. Potato Head replied, finishing her work before closing the compartment.

The pirate was confused at first, before realization kicked in and simply nodded lamely, "Oh."

Sora and Buzz were to lead the two groups and were waiting by the window which was their exit point, first by going ontop of the Garage's Rooftop, and then have Slinky to safely guide them down with his bottom end, springing them to the ground without hurting themselves.

"I take that you've done this before, right? Searching and rescuing friends, I mean." Buzz quired.

"More times than I can count." Sora nodded, "It's a really _loooong_ story. Besides, if anyone I meet who are good hearted need help, then I'm willing to help them whatever trouble they're in."

"You're a brave and kind young man, Sora. I can see why you have so many friends with you. You remind me of Woody." Buzz admired, which made Sora's cheeks flush a bit red in embarrassment.

Fortunately, he was saved from embarrassing himself when Bo Beep came over to Buzz, and told him with hope and good luck, "This is for Woody, when you find him." before giving the SpaceRanger toy a long kiss on the cheek.

Once the female toy stopped, Buzz cleared his throat awkwardly while his face turned a bit pink as well, "Uh...* _Ahem_ * All right, but I... I don't think it'll mean the same coming from me."

"Mr. Buzz Lightyear, Sora." A weak voice croaked from the floor below the desk Sora's group and the other Toys were standing on, gazing down to see the broken squeeky toy Penguin, Wheezy who was being carefully pushed by the toy robot and toy snake until they stopped. "You just gotta save my pal Woody."

"Don't worry, we will. I promise." Sora told Wheezy, feeling sorry for the toy with the broken squeaker. Deep down, it made him feel guilty despite still having some of his toys back at home on the Islands. He never told anyone, but he still had some memories of it and always knew that his mother would take care of them. Until now, as he got older he believed it to be a little silly to think of toys being alive like he had when he was a lot younger...though he didn't play with them as much unless it was on a rainy and cold day. Being here made him reconsider.

"We'll do our best, son." Buzz added.

After Mr. Potato Head gave his wife a loving goodbye and promise of return, he placed his plastic black mustche on, and said with determination, "Okay, fellas and ladies. Let's roll!"

With that, the brave group of nineteen marched onto the rooftop attached to near the window of Andy's room. Slinky stopped at the edge of the other side and allowed everyone to bungy jump down with his bottom to their advantage. Mr. Potato Head went first.

"Geronimo!" Mr. Potato Head hollared, landing safely onto the dirt ground below. Thankfully, the gap between their house garage and the next door neighbor's garage allowed everyone in this rescue mission to not be seen.

"Look out below!" Mickey called as he bangy jumped to the ground, landing safely next to the living toy.

"Coming down!" Donald called out, only to end up missing the bottom and fell, screaming before crash landing on top of Mr. Potato Head, accidently sending the toy's arms, hat and ears flying off slightly and scattered. "Ouch!"

"Hey, watch it!" Mr. Potato Head yelled, grumbling.

While one by one everyone else were going down more safely, though Jack also had an awkward moment and nearly tripped and missed, but managed to avoid in having the same bad luck as both Donald and Potato Head did, Rex was feeling utterly nervous as he, Kairi, Lea, Buzz and Sora were up next after their friends did.

"You'd think with all my video game experience, I'd be feeling more prepared." Rex thought, as he wasn't feeling that prepared at all.

"There's a major difference between video games and actually going out on an adventure, Rex." Lea pointed out. "Trust me, you'll know eventually."

"Maybe you're right. I'm supposed to be fierch and fearless, because I'm a dinosaur." Rex admitted as he tried to grab onto Slinky's bottom, but due to having short arms, he missed and even stumbling and fell, screaming. "Whoa!"

But as he fell halfway, he did successfully grab Slinky's bottom, but due to being a dim-witted T-Rex Toy, he didn't let go and was sent bungy jumping up and down twice, screaming in terror, "WAAAAH!"

"The idea... _tch_ , is to let go!" Slinky grunted in sheer annoyance and strain due to Rex being heavier than him. Thankfully, after the third bungy jump, Rex got the message and let go when he reached the bottom.

"Guess you can't have a group without _someone_ being a little bit clumsy, right?" Lea chuckled in slight exasperation, as he approached Slinky before bungy jumping down to the ground below.

"Sadly, no." Slinky replied with a shake of his head.

"You need help, Kairi? I can hold you if you want." Sora offered.

"Thanks, Sora. But I can handle it." Kairi smiled, taking hold of Slinky's bottom and successfuly bungy jumped to the ground, landing in a successful crouched position before letting go. Needless to say that most of the male toys were awestruck at how skilled Aqua, Skuld, Xion and now Kairi were at this.

"Holy Momma." Slinky blinked, stunned as he, Sora and Buzz gazed down below. "How do they do that?"

"Well, a bit of training. Even before then, Kairi's been on the brave side of things, and it's got stronger since two years ago." Sora explained, before turning and gave a thumbs up to the toys that were staying behind. He then gently took Slinky's bottom before bungy jumping below and landed perfectly on the ground and let go.

Finally, Buzz was last and as he closed his glass/plastic helmet, he told the toys in Andy's Room, "We'll be back before Andy gets home."

"Don't talk to any toy you don't know!" Mrs. Potato Head called.

"To Al's Toy Barn. And Beyond!" Buzz said boldy, bungy jumping down to the ground before catching Slinky when he jumped now that he was the last one to jump down to the ground. After placing the slinky dog onto the ground, he then declared, "Let's go, troops, and remember to avoid being seen by people."

"Don't get seen. Got it!" Sora repeated as he, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey saluted like soldiers, which earned giggles and chuckles from the rest of their group.

"Sora, you're so cute when you do that." Kairi giggled, much to her friend's slight embarrassment.

Without further delay, Sora and his friends, both old and new, ventured on to the large part of this world while avoiding human contact and fighting off Heartless on their journey to find Woody and Myde at Al's Toy Barn...fully unaware of the duo's true whereabouts, as the two of them were unaware that rescue was coming to them.

* * *

Back at Al's apartment later that night, with their newfond friends, Myde and Woody had spent the rest of the day watching the entire series of Woody's Roundup on VHS and both had grown to absolutely love it. It had exciting moments, warm-hearted moments, heart-stopping moments, and comical moments(most of the funny moments done by the Prospector in the show).

Right now, they were onto the very last episodes apparently, and both Myde and Woody were on the edge of their seats, the former panicking as something horrible happened to Jessie and the Prospector's puppet counterparts on the screen. So far, still not Heartless appeared, which made Myde wonder if this world was actually peaceful and the Gummiship radar had a glitch or something.

 _"They don't call this the old abandoned mine for nothin', Prospector. I reckon we oughta get outta here."_ _Jessie in the TV said, worriedly as the Mine she and the Prospecter were currently trapped in an old abandoned mine._

 _"Where's my gold?"_ _The Prospector in the TV asked, as he and Jessie couldn't see a thing, before an idea came into mind. He then held up a match-stick and lit up what he thought was a candle...only for the fire to be burning rather quickly as the room lit up._ _"This sure is a fast-burnin' wick."_

 _That's when Jessie realised that it wasn't a candle at all, as familiar red sticks(or was supposed to be red. It was hard to tell since the show was in black and white) were practically extremely dangerous._

 _"Blast us to smithereens! That there's dynamite!"_ _Jessie exclaimed._

 _"Holy tarnation!"_ _The Prospector cried out once he saw that Jessie was right._

 _"I'll call for help." Jessie quickly said, before yodelying. From outside of the sealed mine that was closed up by a boulder, the cardboard animal critters appeared, answering Jessie's call as she then cried out, "Hey, critters, go get Sheriff Woody! Now scoot!"_

 _The animal Critters did so as quickly as they could._

 _In the meantime, Woody and Bullseye in the TV were finishing up finishing touches of a new school house until the animal critters came and one of the animal spoke in gibberish that only Woody and Jessie could understand._

 _"What's that? Jessie and Prospector are trapped in the old abandoned mine? And Prospecter just lit a stick of dynamite thinkin' it was a candle and now they're about to be blown to smithereens?" Woody repeated and was shocked when the animals nodded. Knowing what to do, Woody jumped onto Bullseye's back and hollared, "Ride like the wind, Bullseye!"_

 _The Horse did so and the two hurried as fast as they could, comically leaping over rocks and cactus as they went._

 _In the Mine, Jessie was trying to put out the fire by fanning it with her hat, only to make things worse._

 _"You're fannin' the flames, Jessie." The Prospector pointed out, "It takes brains to put out that fire."_

 _He then sat on the tiny flame in hopes that it would be put out, only to leap back up and comically ran around, screaming as his butt was smoking while the fire was still burning closer and closer to the dynamite._

 _"Yeow! My biscuits are burnin'!"_

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!" Myde bursted out laughing once more, nearly falling onto his back while holding his stomach and ended up bursting into tears in laughter, before calming down a little as he pointed out to the Prospector in the show, "Not the brightest idea, man."

He then gasped worriedly when in the show, Woody and Bullseye crazily risked in jumping over the very too deadly and dangerouns gap of Grand Canyon, leaving the two of them flying in the air. Myde and the real Woody were even further in the edge of the seats as the episode came to a cliff-hanger...both literally and figuretively.

 _ **"Will Woody and Bullseye land to safety? Can they reach Jessie and Stinky Pete in time? Tune in next week for the exciting conclusion: "Woody's Finest Hour."**_ The narrator of the show announced.

"Yeah! Whoo!" Myde cheered, "Last episode time!"

"All right, All right!" Woody vibrated excitedly, "Next tape!"

To their disappointment, however, the real Jessie stood up and shut the TV off with the remote next to her, causing both Myde and Woody to moan as they stood up and turned to her.

"Aw, come on! Don't do that!" Myde groaned. "What happens next!?"

"Yeah, come on! Let's see the next episode!" Woody whined.

"That's it." The real Prospector said, resighed. "The show was cancelled after that." before hopping to make his box flip around away from the TV.

"Cancelled!?" Myde exclaimed, shocked as he and Woody hurried over to the shelf were the Prospector and the other Woody's Roundup non-living toys were stacked.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. What about the gold mine and the...and the cute little critters and the dynamite?" Woody protested, very disappointed.

"Yeah, it was a cool show, and they just decided to leave it in an unbearable cliff-hanger?" Myde asked in disbelief.

"He's right. I mean, why cancel it?" Woody added.

"Two words; The Moon." Prospector began, before concluding in admittedly sheer annoyance, "Once people went up there, children only wanted to play with Space Toys."

"Just for that?" Myde slumped, quirking an eyebrow. "That's a lame way to cancel a show." even though he knew that none of the toys or the human inhabits of this world knew that there were more worlds out there and so far, most of them don't even have TV or flying vessels. And the Gummiship travelled to more than just the moon. It was a bit of a wonder why no one even noticed that yet. Maybe it was due to the restricted walls that prevents anyone of this world to see the truth of the Realm of Light.

Woody, as though remembering something, paused before muttering, "I know how that feels." before adding while approaching the other items, "But still, my own show! I mean, look at all of this stuff."

"Didn't you know?" Jessie asked, as she and Bullseye joined the rest of them. "Why, you're valuable property!"

"With all of these, that's no surprise that none of us knew." Myde admitted, "I wish the others could see this."

"My friends too." Woody added, going over to an old wooden Yo-Yo with writting and a miniture picture of himself on it. " _"Hey howdy hey!"_ That's me. I'm on a yo-yo."

"Nice teeth, pal." Myde suddenly spoke up, and when Woody looked, the young man threw a miniture red ball a toy "knock the teeth out" game that was Woody's head, knocking out a tooth. The mullet-haired man then smirked and joked, "And still a good lookin' guy in the end."

The other laughed at his joke before Woody and Myde venture more around of the items such as a little bank, a bubble maker, a toy boot that sprung out an unconvincing snake, but still made the two laugh and then a record player which Woody, Bullseye and Jessie played on which made Myde smirk.

"Hey, look at us! We're a complete set!" Jessie cheered.

"Now it's off to the museum!" Prospector declared.

That caught both Woody and Myde off guard, which the former accidently tripped and caused Jessie and Bullseye along with himself to be flown off the record player which stopped and while he landed next to Myde, Jessie and Bullseye landed in front of Prospector in his box.

"Museum? What Museum?" Myde asked, stunned and confused.

"The Museum." The Prospector said, smiling. "Young man, all of us are being sold to the Konishi Toy Museum in Tokyo."

"That's in Japan!" Jessie added, excitedly.

"And since you're here, you can be the newer never before seen character of the cancelled show." Prospector concluded.

To their confusion, Myde quickly became horrified, the previous liking of earlier instantly gone. Woody likewise lost his interest of being based on the show as he stood up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You guys got it all wrong." Myde held up his hands, shaking them in denial.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no. I can't go to Japan." Woody said.

"Yeah, me neither."

A slight awkward pause.

"What do you mean?" Jessie asked.

"Well, for one, I gotta find the guys I was travellin' with. Sora and gang." Myde answered first, "It's...really complicated."

"And I gotta get back home to my owner Andy. Hey, look, look, see?" Woody answered as well, holding up his right leg and revealed Andy's name written on the bottom of it in permemant ink.

Seeing this and, misunderstanding Myde's answer, Jessie gasped in shock and horror, turning to the Prospector as horrified realization dawned onto her, "They both still have owners."

"Oh my goodness." Prospector muttered, shocked as well. Even Bullseye looked saddened.

With the realization that both Woody and Myde had to go, Jessie was going into a hysterical breakdown, "No. Can't go. I can't do storage again. I just can't!"

"Jessie! Jessie!"

"I won't go back into the dark!"

Seeing how she was reacting to this, Myde couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter with her?"

"Well, we've been in storage for a long time waiting for Woody, Myde." Prospector answered.

"Why's that?"

"The museum's only interested in the collection if Woody's in it. Without him, we go back into storage. It's that simple."

Jessie by then became furious and lashed out at both Woody and Myde, "It's not fair! How could you do this to us!?"

"Hey, whoa, don't look at us." Myde protested. "That guy in the Chicken Costume who brought Woody here had stolen him and he doesn't even know that I even exist!"

"He doesn't?" Prospector asked, a bit confused. "If Al' doesn't know you're here, then how did you get here?"

"Like I said...it's totally complicated. I was travelling around with Sora and the others and-"

"Was it because you're a lost toy? Hmm?" Prospector interrupted, rather challengingly. "Did this owner of yours named Sora, leave you behind?"

"Owner?" Myde blinked, before correctly, "Okay, let's get this straight: Sora's not my owner. He's more of an aqquintence. Heck, we only met last year and admittedly...I did bad stuff to him and his pals before I changed sides."

"And you said that Woody was stolen? How did that happen?" The Prospector questioned once more.

"Well, he stole me when I was rescuing another toy from a Yard Sale-" Woody began.

"Yard Sale? Was it because you were damaged? Did this Andy break you?" Prospector interrupted again.

Woody shook his head when he realised that the Prospector noticed his broken limp arm. "It was... It was an accident. I mean..."

"Sounds like both Sora and Andy really love you two." Jessie said, very unamused.

Myde grunted angrily, "I told you! Sora's NOT my owner!" blurting out without thinking, "Do you guys seriously think I'm totally crazy and think that I'm not a toy!?"

"And it's like that with Andy either, okay?" Woody added, aguring, "And I'm not going to any museum!"

"Me neither!" Myde concluded.

"Well, _I'm_ not going back into stroage!" Jessie yelled back.

Before the argument could continue however, everyone heard a loud sound of a door being slammed shut outside of the room, before faint but heavy footsteps could be heard and were getting louder and louder, which meant that, to Myde and the toys' shock, Al' was coming.

"Al's coming!" Prospector whispered warningly.

"Uh oh!" Myde muttered.

Prospector told Jessie to go, but the latter, terrified as memories of being stuck in the box resurfaced, he told her firmly and encouragingly, "Jessie, look at me. I promise you'll come out of the box. Now go! Go!"

Finally, Jessie willed herself to jump into the box and into the safety beans, with the Prospector being pushed in after her and then Bullseye landing in last. Myde, panicking, found the quickest way to avoid in being seen and hid behind the small but hideable cut-out dismay of the old town of wild west, hiding behind the bar and crouched down as log as he can, keeping as silent as he could, hardly even daring to breathe despite the constant fear that he'll make the slip. Woody finally and quickly returned to the glass case Al' placed him in earlier.

Just in time before he could notice something out of the ordinary, Al' came marching in with a camera in hand, greedly smiling as he planned on taking photos of the Roundup gang.

"It's showtime!" Al' declared to himself.

Myde began to panic as he tried not to make a sound when he heard Al' approach the cutout set, but the man was unaware of the worldly traveller being there as he placed Jessie, Bullseye and the Prospector in the box in front of the wild west down cutouts while singing to himself.

"And now the main attraction." Al' said as he approached Woody's glass case, taking him out. But as he walked with Woody in his hand, he was unaware that part of the string of the rip on the doll's arm got caught in the stand that had Woody stand up, ripping the tear even more until finally...it was gone.

Just as Al' placed Woody with the rest of the Roundup gang, his eyes widened in horror and gasped when he suddenly found that the right arm had just...completely disappeared, leaving behind a small tuff of white cotton.

"No! His arm! Where's his arm?" Al' panicked, looking around and found that the arm fell off completely and landed on the floor. When he picked it up and panicked in dismay, unable to fix it himself, at first he didn't know what to do, until an idea came into mind.

With Woody's torn off arm still in hand, Al' quickly pulled out his phone and hurriedly dialed the number, while Myde listened in and was horrified to hear that Woody's right arm had completely torn off. He knew that as soon as Al' was out of sight and earshot, Woody was going to go into a more horrified and similiar hysterical breakdown, and Myde couldn't blame him for that.

"It's me, Al'! I've got an emergancy here!...Yes, we're all busy, but...Look, it has to be tonight...All right, all right! But first thing in the morning." Al' said to the person he was talking to before heading out of the door and closed it behind him.

Once Al' was gone again for now, Myde came out of his hiding place while the others came to live, and just as he predicted, Woody went hysterical.

"Aaaaah! It's gone! I can't believe it! My arm is _completely gone!_ " Woody shouted in horror, as though he just retrieved a devastating wound...okay, so it is a devastating wound.

"Yeah, Al' has it. But still...yikes." Myde shuddered, shocked himself.

"All right, come here. Come on. Let me see that." Prospector gestured to Woody who did and was breathing quickly heavily. When the former saw this, as though nothing bad was happening at all, Prospector told him, "Oh, it's just a popped seam. Easily repaired. You should consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky!? Are you shrink-wrapped?" Woody asked, still panicking.

"He has a point here, man." Myde agreed, "I mean, he has a _missing arm here._ "

"Big deal." Jessie said, still frustrated as she glared at the two, before saying to Prospector with heavy sarcasm, "Let them go. I'm sure Myde's precious _Sora_ is waitin' to sell him to a Yard Sale, and Woody's precious _Andy_ is dyin' to play with a one armed Cowboy doll."

"Sora's _not_ my owner, for cryin' out loud! I'm probably more an annoyance to that kid than anything else." Myde groaned.

"Jessie, you know both Woody and Myde wouldn't last an hour on the streets." Prospector pointed out, secretly smirking behind the two's backs, "It's a dangerous world out there for a toy."

As much as it irked Woody, he knew that the Prospector was right. Besides which, he couldn't return home without his right arm, or he's as good as garbage for sure. The best thing to do was wait.

Myde on the other hand, knew differently. He was a little confident in getting himself out as he could wield his Styer and if the Heartless were outside of this building, he could fight his way through. But deep down, he just couldn't. In short hours since arriving here, Woody became his friend, toy or not, and Myde wasn't leaving until he knew that Woody would get his arm, get fixed and then get safely home to Andy. It also irked him that, as what he'd been saying all day, he was more of a nuisance to the group; especially to Isa and Donald.

Then a paranoid thought came into his mind; what if Sora and the others decided to dump him here and didn't care?

' _Okay, you're over reacting, Myde._ ' He thought to himself, shutting his eyes. Sora wasn't the kind of person to just do that, not to anyone at that rate over something like this.

But there was still some doubt in the back of his mind.

* * *

 _Back with Sora and his group..._

As Sora's group and Buzz's group travelled through the sidewalks while avoiding being seen by normal sized people, which with the Heartless keep on appearing and forcing the worldly travellers to fight the annoying horde that appeared in what seemed like every five minutes, they were briefly blocked a very unusual Heartless that took form of a miniture garbage can and attatched to it was a slime-jelly like blob with a goofy face.

Try imaginng a buck-toothed and googily eyed, smooth body version of that big green and ugly jelly-like Ghost from the Ghost Busters movies if you still have no idea what it looks like in your heads.

And it managed to create a barrier that blocked Sora, Donald, Goofy and Buzz from the rest of the group and were trapped with the Blobby-Heartless.

So with Donald's help in giving Buzz brief magic in turning his little light-bulb laser into an actual fighting damaging Laser just for this battle, and possibly others should it happen again, the four of them fought the Heartless while the others outside the barrier protected the other toys while fighting another horde of Heartless that appeared.

Buzz, with his new real Laser, shot at the Blobby-Heartless right at the eyes which caused it to flop back and forth on it's trash can before leaping out of the way when it recovered and spluttered out toxic slime onto the ground that would give damage to those fighting it, before firing his laser again.

Sora and Donald both used their Firaga magic at the Blobby-Heartless as it appeared that Fire and Ice were it's weaknesses. The former then rushed over and delivered series of combos and thrusts at it with his Keyblade which did usual damage due to it being a Heartless. He flipped backwards to avoid it's slimy arm that tried to strike at him, which gave Goofy the chance to smack it with his Shield before using his Goofy-Nado still, hitting it repeatedly as he spun around and around.

The four of them then had to run around avoiding it when the Blobby-Heartless then hopped around chasing them, with it's Garbage Can attatched and all, which created tremors that can cause severe damage if Sora, Buzz, Donald and Goofy got caught by the small quakes. When it stopped, it somehow took a deep breath before blasting out a huge amount of toxic slime at the four of them who leaped out of the way just in time before any of them were engulfed by the overly large slime that was the size of a pool for Sora and his friends given their current sizes.

Sora then had an idea and preformed his Flowmotion, glowing in blue light before leaping towards the Blobby-Heartless, entrapping it as he spun all around it before somewhat capturing it with his Keyblade before thrusting it towards the wall barrier where it crashed into before slumping, dazed. He didn't stop there as first he thrusted his Keyblade at it 20 times before Buzz fired multiple lasers at it to decrease it's health, Goofy smacked it with his shield once more and Donald used a combination of Firaga and Blizzaraga to weaken it even more.

Though they were suddenly knocked back when the Bobbly-Heartless caught them by surprise as it recovered and swiped them with it's right arm, causing the four of them to now hit the Barrier's walls themselves before they slumped to the ground. Despite this and the Bobbly Heartless attempting to finish them off with another toxic slime, Sora casted a barrier to protect his three friends and himself from it which reflected the slime right back at it which somehow caused it more damage rather than healing it and had now poisoned itself.

Seeing this and healing themselves with Curaga, Sora, Buzz, Donald and Goofy used this to their advantage and repeated their earlier attacks against it with combo attack, Laser, magic and Shield before Sora and Buzz both finally finished it off with the combination of using Buzz's Laser and Sora's Light into a Light-Laser that zipped right through the Bobbly-Heartless's head, causing it to vaporate and vanish completely, utterly defeated by three of the worldly travellers and a toy with a burrowed use of magic.

Due to the Heartless' defeat, the barrier that had the four of them trapped also disappeared, much to the relief of their friends while Buzz's Laser returned to it's true toy little light-bulb form. While it was a relief to be back to normal, having an actual Laser like he first believed his light-bulb was had been an exciting moment for him.

"Are you okay?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"You're not hurt, are you guys?" Rex added.

"We're okay. Nothing to it." Sora said, with Buzz, Donald and Goofy also responding that they were alright.

"What was with that slimy blob anyway? If it came from the Trash, then that makes me feel terrified of garbage even more!" Mr. Potato Head muttered, shuddering a little.

"The Heartless take on any kind of forms no matter where they are. Most of 'em can even look even more scary than what Sora, Donald, Goofy and Buzz just fought." Mickey explained.

Kairi in the meantime went up to Sora and checked him with worry, concerned if he was hurt or not despite him ensuring her that he was fine, and when she was convinced that he was alright, she smiled in relief. That smile made Sora's heart beat a bit faster than normal and his face flush slightly. However, much to their embarrassment an annoyance, they caught Donald snickering before he could stop himself.

"Going into something more romantic, huh?" Mr. Potato Head asked, smirking as he too also noticed.

"Perfectly obvious, but they're too stubborn to admit it. Quite a pity, really." Jack said with a knowing look.

"Oh, give us a break! It's all in your heads." Sora protested, both he and Kairi blushing heavily once again, before suggesting, "Anyway, we should get moving before we get into more trouble."

Despite that something was going on with both Sora and Kairi, everyone else decided to agree with the former and continued on.

Another half an hour later found them sneaking from a bush to a letter box. Buzz went first and when he made sure that the coast was clear, he gestured the others to quickly hurry to the hiding place. Sora and his group two by two did as that while keeping an eye out. Rex, having covered himself with leaves in hopes to cameflouge himself, hurried as fast as he could but was still a bit slow and as he ran his so called 'clever' disguise quickly rendered to a single leaf, much to the others annoyance and embarrassment.

When he saw this, Rex shrugged sheepishly.

"That's a lot more stupid than my attempt to sneak off using a large leave in Tortuga." Jack sighed, exasperated while shaking his head at the memory of having tried and failed to hide from Dulor weeks back.

"At least he tried." Ven pointed out, taking pity for the toy T-Rex who quickly joined them.

Slinky crouched low while hurrying as well, with both Potato Head and Hamm following, when Hamm suddenly tripped and rolled once and fell, with the cork underneath him having popped out and all of the money in change he'd been carrying scattered onto the sidework, causing everyone to see what happened.

"Uh, alright, nobody look 'till I get my cork back in." Hamm told them in embarrassment.

Once Hamm had done that and all of the toys rejoined the others, Buzz took a glance at the map and announced, "Good work, everyone. Two blocks down and only nineteen more to go."

"What?" Rex exclaimed, dismayed.

"Nineteen?" Donald, Lea, Goofy, Slinky and Hamm all cried out, also dismayed.

" _Only nineteen_? You might as well call it a bloody hundred, mate." Jack muttered sourly.

"Are we gonna do this all night? My parts are killing me." Mr. Potato Head whined, collasping onto his butt and rubbed his blue shoe parts.

"Well, if we want to reach Woody and Myde by tomorrow morning, we have no choice in that matter." Isa pointed out, despite feeling a bit grouchy due to the fact that they've only cleared two blocks since leaving Andy's home.

Lea placed his hands behind his lower back and stretched until a sastifying crack was heard, before he moaned, "Easy for you to say, man. I haven't even got a decent night sleep in days and I'm exhausted."

"Oh, I know everybody's tired, but who knows what could happen even tomorrow." Mickey pointed out.

"Besides which, where can we actually sleep anyway without worrying about the Heartless?" Riku added.

"They're right. Besides, fellas," Buzz said to the four other toys, with the worldly travellers listening as during their journey, they heard about how Buzz came to be Andy's new toy that made Woody jealous until a misadventure led them to the former nextdoor neighbor of a boy named Sid who, before Woody, Buzz and the mutant toys Sid created terrified him, was a toy torturer, which in the worldly travellers' opinion, was utterly disgusting, even for a child no older than ten years old. "Did Woody give up when Sid had me strapped to a rocket?"

"No." Rex, Hamm, Slinky and Mr. Potato Head said in resigned unison, and also not wanting to remember their toy-killer of a neighbor before moving.

"No!" Buzz agreed.

Sora then continued challengingly for Buzz after getting the story earlier, "And did he give up when you guys threw him out of the back of that moving van last year?" which made the four toys cringe in guilt at that memory.

"Oh, you had to being _that_ up, kid." Mr. Potato Head mumbled, still smacking himself mentally for his own behavior towards Woody that long ago.

"No, he didn't!" Buzz reminded with determination, in his leader-ship personality, "We have a friend in need, and we will not rest until he's safe in Andy's room. Not only that, Sora's group have a friend also in need, and they will not rest until he's safe with them as well! Now let's move out!"

He then took the lead, with Sora, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Mickey, Ven, Skuld, Xion and even Isa following him.

Lea, Donald, Goofy, Jack, Roxas, Hamm, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky and Rex stood behind after a pause, until Jack noticed that nobody else was moving.

"Well, come on, then! Let's get a move on. Savvy?" Jack gestured impatiently, before hurrying to catch up to Sora and the others.

Despite the rest of the group giving out loud groans, they all moved on to catch up to the others, resigned to their fate to spend the rest of the night and a full day tomorrow of no sleep.

"Remind me to put duct tape on Jack's mouth." Roxas sighed.

"Duly noted, Rox'." Lea nodded, "Duly noted."

None the less, the two groups pushed on.

* * *

Back at Al's apartment, Myde once again took hiding behind the cut-out set, while Woody was again placed in the glass case. This time Jessie and Bullseye were also in glass cases next to him to his right, and the Prospector in his box to his left. Al' had been watching the late night recons and had fallen asleep while eating a bowl of cheesy dibbles, and was snoring quite loudly.

In his sleep, he lost his grip on the bowl which fell and scattered the chessy dibbles all over the floor.

That didn't faze Woody however as all night he'd been waiting. Seein that his right arm was in the man's front shirt pocket, he decided to silently approach him, claim his arm and then sneak out of here as quietly as possible without waking him.

As slowly and silently as he could, Woody stepped out of his glass gaze and carefully hopped down, before walking towards the couch on tippy tip toe...

 _Crunch!_

The crunch sound made Woody freeze and looked down to see that he stepped onto one of the hundreds of cheesy dibbles that scattered onto the floor and to his horror, there so many of them that he couldn't walk forward without causing a sound. So, carefully stepping aside of them in a zig-zag, Woody continued onward, careful as he went...

Crunch.

"Oops." A familiar voice whispered.

Woody gasped, wondering what it was, before turning to see that it was Myde who had accidently stepped on another one, and the mullet-haired young man cringed before gazing up at Woody, before waving sheepishly.

"Myde! What are you-?" Woody whispered. "Go, go, go, go."

"I'm not goin' anywhere." Myde whispered back, stubbornly.

The real Cowboy doll groaned before hurrying back towards him without crushing any of the junk food on the floor, whispering in slight irritation, "Myde, you don't wanna help me! I'm the bad guy."

"What am I? A ten year old?" Myde whispered, annoyed, looking at his friend as though the latter was stupid.

"Look, the others are gonna go back to storage because of me, remember? And you could get into trouble too!" Woody sighed.

"Hey, I wanna get outta here as much as you do. But thing is, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I simply let you go out and struggle your way home by yourself. Now me, I used to be a bad guy, and a real slacker, so this sort of thing isn't what I normally do." Myde explained, still whispering. "I wanna help you get back home, Wood' and back to that Andy kid of yours."

Realising that Myde wasn't going to take no for an answer, Woody sighed in defeat, "All right, all right. But you have got to keep quiet."

"Sure thing, Sheriff." Myde nodded.

With that, the two side-stepped carefully around the junk food until they reached the clearing and to the armrest where Al's head was resting on, standing beside it. Myde nodded before crouching low and allowed Woody to climb onto his shoulders, before slowly standing up and lifted the cowboy doll up to the level of the armrest, while the worldly traveller waited anxiously.

Woody then slowly climbed up and carefully walked onto the sleeping Al's shoulder and chest, reaching out his left arm to grab his right arm, but paused when he heard an monsterous-like gurgle coming from the man's stomach that went all the way up to Al's throat...and when he let out a wheezing breath, Woody gagged as quickly as possible, nearly tearing up at the awful smell, using his hat to try and wave it back as much as possible before putting it back on his head, softly groaning in disgust.

"Ooh...that's really nasty." Myde whispered in disgust when he saw Woody do that, already having an idea on what just happened. Bad breath was always one of the worst things ever. For poor Woody to be right at Al's head, neither wanted to know what that fat guy even ate, other than the cheesy dibbles.

"Try it at my end." Woody whispered as he heard what his friend had said.

None the less, he held his breath and slowly reached out for his right arm, this time succeeding, and sighed in relief when Al' didn't wake up. He was just about to rejoin Myde to get outta here, when all of the sudden...

" _~Woody's Roundup. Come on, it's time to play~_ "

Both Myde and Woody froze when the TV was suddenly turned on and Woody's Roundup was suddenly turned on.

Uh oh.

"Ah!" Al' cried out when the sudden noise woke him up, and when he jolted upright, he unknowingly catapaulted Woody and his arm off him and onto the floor where Woody had no choice but to freeze up lifeless.

"Uh-oh!" Myde whispered before hurriedly hiding under the couch to avoid being seen as silently as he could.

Al' in the meantime, stood up and apparently a bit disorientated from a dream he'd been having before calming down after realising where he was. To his great confusion as he had no idea what just happened, Woody and his arm were on the floor. Still tired and realising he'd fallen asleep on the couch, he then returned Woody into the glass case while picking up his right arm before searching for the remote.

While stunned, Woody briefly came to life and saw that the remote had been in front of Jessie. Ugh. Was she that frustrated at him to the point in having turned the TV on just to force him to stay? What was wrong with that woman? Woody quickly froze up when Al' spotted the remote as well before turning the TV off and then walked out of the room...with Woody's right arm in his hand.

Once Al' was gone to his bedroom to sleep out the rest of the night, Woody jumped out of his glass and yelled angrily at Jessie who also came to life when he did so, "What is your problem? Look, I'm sorry Myde and I can't help you guys out. Really, I am. But you didn't have to go and pull a stunt like that."

"What? You think I did that?" Jessie asked, disbelievingly. What in the world was Woody talking about? She noticed that the tv mysteriously turned on as well, but even she had no idea how that happened, and now Woody was accusing her for doing it?

"Oh, right, right. Yeah, the TV just _happened_ to turn on, and the remote _magically_ ended up in front of you." Woody replied in heavy sarcasm, while Myde made his way to them once the coast was clear again, though in retrospect, he was suddenly feeling that he should back off.

"You callin' me a liar?"

"Well, if the boot fits..."

"Say that again..." Jessie dared, becoming more and more furious by the second.

"If the boot-tah fits." Woody repeated, omniously.

That did it. That went over the line big time.

"Okay, cowboy...!" Jessie growled, titling her hat forward in preparation of a massive fight.

The moment Myde managed to leap his way up to the shelf, he cringed as he arrived at the wrong time, shivering in terror at how scary Jessie looked right now. Even Bullseye was terrified as the horse leaped out of his case and soon both the horse and Myde clinged onto each other, shivering and fearing for their lives.

"YAAH!" Jessie growled as she leaped from her case and soon both she and Woody were in a huge fight, with Jessie having the full advantage due to both having two arms and having Woody underneath her, while both Myde and Bullseye cringed and winched at the scene before them. "How do ya like that? Take it back! Take it back!"

"This is what happens when you push a girl's wrong button." Myde said to Bullseye, as memories of when Larxene would attack him for no reason back in Organization XIII...and many times before he became a Nobody years earlier.

"I heard that!" Jessie yelled at Myde while still focusing on giving Woody more than just a severe loss of one arm. The young man flinched, whimpering in fear.

"Hey, don't take out on Myde just 'cause he made a comment! Besides, don't think just 'cause you're a girl I'm gonna take it easy on ya. YAH!" Woody cried out.

"Jessie! Woody! You stop this at once!" Prospector yelled, but accidently tilted his box forward caused caused the box with him inside to fall forward and land on it's front. Fortunately, both Woody and Jessie moved out of the way before he ended up squashing them.

Worried, Jessie and Bullseye both hurriedly repositioned the box the correct way, even though the Prospector was perfectly fine as all five of them gathered.

"I don't know how that television turned on, but fighting about it isn't helping anything." He pointed out.

"Well, it wouldn't have happened if Woody had both his arms, ya'know." Myde pointed out in return.

"Well, the fact is he doesn't, Myde. Besides, it's late." Prospector said, more calmly this time, suggesting, "So, Woody, I suggest both of you wait until morning. The cleaner will come, fix your arm..."

"And then I'm outta here." Woody finished, stubbornly, irritated.

"Me too!" Myde nodded.

Both of them then suddenly noticed Bullseye's lips quivering in sadness before the toy horse lowered it's head, silently sobbing.

"Hey, whoa. Take it easy, Horsey." Myde quickly said, cooling down completely as did Woody. "We're not angry at you, alright?"

"He's right, don't take it that day." Woody added.

"I really gotta get back to Sora and others." Myde said.

"And with Andy-"

"Andy, Sora, Andy, Sora." Jessie repeated in annoyance after cutting Woody off, walking away while doing her best to comfort Bullseye as she took him with her. "That's all they ever talk about."

Even though they really wanted to find Andy and Sora, both Myde and Woody couldn't help but feel guilt that only grew slightly worse when it came to hurting the feelings of both Bullseye and Jessie. Even though both knew there was nothing they could do, both of them wished there something they could do in fixing up this mess.

Until then, they were still stuck here until tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: The Heartless boss-fight Sora and the others fought against is based on the garbage monster boss battle in the PS1/Nintendo 64 game version of Toy Story 2. I once played the Nintendo 64 game many years ago. Sorry for the lack of fights, so I'll try and make it up for it in other chapters.**

 **See you in the next chapter, fellow readers!**


	16. CH15: Mix-Up and Decision

**Author's Note: I won't be able to update again for a little while-maybe a bit longer-due to the weekend being busy and daily life with work, studies and such. The good news is, either this is the last chapter of the Toy Story world or the next time I'll update will be.**

 **We'll see what happens.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH15: Mix-Up and Decision.**_

 _Back with Sora and the others..._

The two groups had been travelling through out the entire night, fighting Heartless, being careful in not being seen, though there had been a few close calls where Sora was almost picked up by a toddler before a cat had startled her and cause the child to run off to her parents which gave Sora a chance to rejoin his friends. So now early the next morning, Sora, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Skuld, Mickey, Isa, Buzz, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Donald, Goofy, Jack, Hamm, Rex, Potato Head and Slinky were travelling through the bushes in front of a tall building, with Buzz hacking away the branches that got in the way with his karate-chop.

And by then, he was beginning to become the only one who wasn't even the slightest exhausted. Sora yawned while stretching his arms, and Kairi rubbed her eyes a little.

They had to have at least cleared seventeen blocks by now. Eighteen tops. It felt more like a thousand miles at this point.

"Hey, Buzz. Can we slow down a little?" Lea moaned, feeling as though he was about to drop and fall into a peaceful coma for at least two weeks. "Not all of us are super active and capable of staying awake for 24 hours."

"Not to mention that some of us are carrying over six dollars in change." Hamm added as he and the others slowed down and to their relief, Buzz paused again. By then, most of the group were so exhausted that almost everyone was ready to collaspe, some of them panting.

"Even a pirate has to sleep." Jack groaned, wanting nothing more than to either give himself a leg massage or float on at least a dingy on the ocean and fall asleep.

"Losing health units..." Rex panted and wheezed. "...Must rest."

"Oooooh." Donald moaned, collasping onto his stomach and struggled to stay awake due to exhaustion.

"Is everybody here and accounted for?" Terra asked, looking around and doing a mental count.

"Not quite everybody." Mr. Potato Head, leaning as he was tired, waved weakly.

"Who's behind?" Riku asked.

"Mine." Slinky answered, as his bottom, having trailed behind, finally caught up with everyone else before slumping to the ground.

"Yo, guys." Lea spoke up, having walked a bit ahead and was gazing out through a small clearing of the bushes, and had a smirk on his face. "Got a riddle for ya's; Why do toys cross the road?"

"Lea, not now." Isa said as he and everyone else, after a short rest, walked to catch up to the redhead.

"Oh, I love riddles." Rex said, before asking, "Why?"

"To get to Chicken Guy's place on the other side." Lea answered, smiling widening as he pointed in front of him at what he was looking at.

"You mean to the chicken's on the other side!" Hamm cheered as he was the first to notice and shared the young man's relief.

Sora and the others paused and looked and their eyes widened when on the other side of the road, was indeed Al's Toy Barn; looking like a barn with a large background of a countryside with fake cows that had voice recorders of real cows moo-ing. There was also a large Chicken statue holding a pitchfork. They made it!

"All right!" Sora cheered.

"Hot Dog!" Mickey cheered.

"We did it!" Kairi cried out, happily.

"Yippee! The chicken!" Rex cheered.

However, the cheer instantly died down when everyone saw yet another obstecle; Cars driving on the road that passed between them and Al's Toy Barn. One car drove onto an empty Soda Can, squashing it flat and knocked it to the group's side where it landed in front of them, causing them to stare in horror at how dangerous and deadly crossing was going to be. One false move...and they would be turned flat like pancakes.

"Gawrsh." Goofy mumbled, scaredly.

"Oh well. We tried." Rex said lamely and turned to head home, only for Buzz to grab hold of his tail to stop him will still having his eyes on Al's Toy Barn despite the dangers.

"Well...looks like we have to cross." Sora said, simply.

"What!?" Everyone else except for Kairi, Mickey and Buzz exclaimed, shocked at Sora's decision.

"Are you crazy?" Lea protested.

"That is more of a death sentence if we do that, and I've barely escaped with my life more than once this month!" Jack added.

"It's too dangerous. There's no way we can cross it without being run over." Aqua nodded in agreement.

"You're not turning me into a mashed Potato." Mr. Potato Head added.

"I may not be a smart dog, but I know what roadkill is." Slinky said, just as worried.

"Well, how else can we save Woody and Myde?" Kairi pointed out, and while she was twice as scared in crossing the giant road in front of her, the safety of Myde and the Cowboy doll won over her fear...but only half won.

"She's right. We just need to figure out how to cross without getting killed." Mickey agreed with the Princess of Heart.

"But how?" Donald shrugged.

"There must be a safe way." Buzz muttered, more to himself than anyone else. It was extremely dangerous, but he was still determined to rescue Woody, and he wanted to help Sora's group to find their friend since they were going out of their way to help him and other toys to find the kidnapped Cowboy doll.

As he glanced around to find the safest option, something came across his sight; about at least twenty orange cylinder like cones, having holes in the bottom as one was lying on it's side were lying just a few feet from where the worldly travellers and the toys were. That's when he knew that safest option came into mind.

"I have an idea. Follow me." Buzz spoke up, approaching the cones which got the attention of Sora and everyone else and that's when some of them knew what Buzz had in mind.

"What're they?" Sora asked, never having seen strange plastic objects that looked more like upside down Ice Cream Cones.

"Traffic Cones? How can we cross the road with Traffic Cones?" Mr. Potato Head asked as he and everyone else approached.

"It's simple. We place the Traffic Cones on top of us, and cross the road when there are no cars coming towards us. At my signal if there are cars coming, we drop and stop until it's safe to cross. We'll keep doing this until we reached the other side." Buzz explained.

Realising what Buzz meant, Sora nodded, understanding. "I get it!"

The others on the other hand, weren't as thrilled at this idea, even though they followed both Sora and Buzz's leads and placed the traffic cones over them and while they couldn't see much, they would have to do their best. Fortunately, all they had to do was just go forward and not make turns...easier said than done, though.

"This is just a recipe for disaster." Isa murmured in dismay.

"We're all gonna die." Hamm softly moaned.

 _Five minutes later..._

Once Buzz was certain that the cars had passed by for now due to the red light stopping others for a short time, he signaled everyone to follow his lead and one by one(or two due to Slinky having two traffic cones for his front half and bottom half), crossed the road as quickly as possible, though most of them were extremely nervous.

However, not even halfway yet when the green light lit up and cars began to go again...coming straight towards the group.

Fortunately, Buzz sensed this.

"Drop!" He yelled.

Everyone dropped. Though while they had a close call, they were already making quite a mess with the traffic. Cars who saw the Traffic Cones on the road that appeared out of nowhere, had to sway and swerve before being forced to stop, though it was starting to cause a car crash.

"Go!" Buzz called as he sensed that it was safe again to cross.

Drop, go, drop, go. This is what the two groups did, and while they were still nervous, the more they walked and stopped, the more closer they got to their destination. The last time they had to drop, a massive truck carrying a concrete cylinder lost control and while the worldly travellers and the toys crossed again, the item the truck was carrying slid off and rolled onto the road with a thud, but thankfully missed everyone who reached the sidewalk of the other side and once they were in a safe place hiding behind a sign out of sight, the group flipped off the Traffic Cones and sighed in relief.

"Ah, that went well." Mr. Potato Head commented.

"But it's too bad we made a big traffic jam." Goofy pointed out as he gazed at the chaos that he and everyone else caused.

Cars were piled up nearly into each other and were stuck, unable to even drive pass Al's Toy Barn. The Cylinder rolled right into a street lamp, knocking it over where it crashed and the lightbulb shattered into pieces. Sora and his group winched at the damage before them and the toys. Even Rex winched at the crash.

"Oops." Xion cringed.

"Good thing no one will even know we're the ones who caused this in the first place." Lea tried to lighten the mood.

"It was Lightyear's rather stupid idea to cross the road like we did." Jack shook his head.

"Well, at least we made it in one piece." Sora pointed out.

"Good work, everyone. We're that much closer to Woody." Buzz praised, taking the lead once more, with the others following.

"And hopefully to Myde." Xion added.

"We'll find him." Roxas told his friend. "He may be lazy..."

"A whimp," Sora added.

"Good at running away," Lea added.

"Loud with that stupid Styer of his, not to mention his hand writting is sadly cringe worthy of that of a five year old..." Isa commented.

"Yeah, all of those things..." Roxas admitted, before saying, "But he's a good guy, though. Even I never had much of any problems with him with anything else. Like you and Axel, Demyx always treated me like a normal person."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, he is a casual kind of guy, isn't he?" Lea admitted, rubbing the back of his head...which in toy form was plastic and it annoyed him to no end. Despite this world being slightly fun, he couldn't wait to leave to turn back to normal once they board the Gummiship.

"Once you get to really know him, he really is a good person. I just hope he's okay." Sora agreed.

Though as the two groups headed towards the Toy Barn, if they had known that the real whereabouts of both Myde and Woody were actually in the very building they were just at minutes ago, they never would've crossed the road in the first place.

* * *

Having finding a couple of trollies to use to their advantage to sneak into the store, Sora and all of his friends hurried over towards the front door, which were glass slide auto-matic doors. However, to their dismay, there was a sign that made them stop and all groaned.

"Aw phooey." Donald groaned, "It's closed."

"We're not preschool toys, Donald. We can read." Mr. Potato Head sighed.

"Gawrsh, how can we get in now?" Goofy asked.

"Guess we'll just have to wait." Terra sighed.

They then noticed a guy, who was completely oblivious to all of them, apparently a worker of Al's Toy Barn, approaching the slide doors and the moment he stepped onto the mat, to everyone's surprise, the glass slide doors opened while another worker inside was critizing him for being late. Once the man was out of sight to somewhere else inside, that's when it was time to move.

"Come on, fellas. Let's go!" Mickey declared, hurrying over to the slide doors.

"But the sign says it's closed." Rex pointed out as he and everyone else followed the King.

"Doesn't matter since the doors are open." Skuld stated.

Once everyone got onto the mat, they realised they were too light to open the door with just one step. So the group tried to stomp or jump onto it to get the doors to open.

"Wait. We have to do it all together." Aqua informed the group.

Realising that she was right, all at once, the worldly travellers and the toys jumped at the same time and this time were successful. They then hurried inside before the doors closed and then slowed to a walk to venture inside the Toy Store. Rex, though, paused when something caught his eye. On a small counter, the T-Rex Toy saw a bunch of magazines of the Video Game franchise based on Buzz Lightyear about food.

To his surprise, he found a small logo that said, "Guide of how to defeat Emperor Zurg". As Rex had tried and failed so many times in defeating Zurg in the "Buzz Lightyear VS Emperor Zurg", he cheered in excitement before grabbing one of the books before opening it and began to read through the pages to find the guide while catching up to four of his old friends and fifteen of his new ones who all paused in front of the so many aisles of different kinds of toys that was so huge. There was like at least nineteen of the aisles, plus an office somewhere and ect.

"Whoa...!" Sora, Roxas and Ven gapped in awe. Their other companions were also equally stunned and amazed.

"Whoa. This is even larger than the regular store in Twilight Town." Lea whispered, placing his hands on his hips briefly.

"Whoa, Nelly." Slinky muttered, just as stunned. "How are we gonna find Woody in this place?"

"May I suggest we find the man who dresses like a Chicken?" Jack pipped up suggestively. "That would be the most logical place or person to find if we want to find Woody and possibly even Myde if he is here. Savvy?"

"Sounds like a plan." Riku agreed.

"Let's split up and look. It'll make the search faster and easier." Buzz informed, "Move out."

Everyone did as that, spliting up. Sora and Kairi were with Hamm and Slinky. Lea and Isa were with Roxas and Xion. Ven was with Skuld, Aqua and Terra. Mickey teamed up with Jack, and Riku. Donald and Goofy were with Rex and Mr. Potato Head. Buzz decided to search alone.

As such, each group fought against lingering Heartless that appeared in every second Aisle they checked until most of the groups met up and found something even easier to make the search even faster.

* * *

In one aisle nearly 15 minutes later, Rex was blabbering on about what he discovered in the book and only Goofy was sharing great interest in this due to him being, well, goofy.

"You know, they make it so you can't defeat Zurg unless you buy this book. It's extortion, that's what it is." Rex was saying.

"Gee, that kinda sounds really unfair to the players, if ya' ask me." Goofy thought as he listened, thoughtfully.

The two's conversation was only annoying both Donald and Mr. Potato Head who both wished Goofy and Rex would just shut up already. While Donald covered his ears with his hands, he noticed that, to his slight jealously, Mr. Potato Head pulled off his ears to mute the noise that was coming from Rex. One advantage of being a puzzle-toy.

"I wish I could do that sometimes." Donald said sadly.

"Hey, I always thought the golden sceptre was the only..." Rex said again as he noticed something else in the book.

"Incoming!" Sora's voice shouted behind the four of them, along with sounds of...a bunch of squeeling wheels?

Goofy, Rex and Donald turned to see what was going on and screamed in fright when they and Mr. Potato Head who also noticed braced themselves when five toy cars skid and came to a stop near them. One was pink, another was blue, another was red, another was dark blue, and another was yellow. The pink car had Slinky and Hamm who was at the steering wheel. The blue one admitted Ven, Aqua, Terra and Skuld with Terra at the wheel. The red car had, ironically, Lea at the wheel with Isa, Roxas and Xion as his passengers. Sora and Kairi were in the yellow car with Sora at the steering wheel, and finally, Mickey, Riku and Jack were in the dark-blue one, with Jack having held onto the sides for dear life since he had a bit of a scared expression on his face, and Mickey at the steering wheel.

"Ha-ha! Hi-ya, fellas!" Mickey waved, smiling. "Want a ride?"

"Thought we'd search with style." Lea smirked, placing one arm on the side of the car, before adding, "It was the Piggybank's idea."

"Great idea, Hamm. Hy-yhuck! This should make finding Woody and Myde faster." Goofy praised happily as he boarded in Sora and Kairi's cart, while Donald decided to join Mickey, Riku and Jack in their car, and Rex and Potato Head stepped inside the pink one.

"Nice going there, Hamm." Mr. Potato Head said, before shoving Hamm over to the side passenger's seat while taking over the steering wheel. "So how about letting a toy with fingers drive?"

"This is the fourth Aisle most of us checked so far, and I know where to go next. Follow my lead." Skuld instructed since she was the navigator at the moment, and t this, Terra drove while the car he, Skuld, Ven and Aqua were took the lead.

"You heard the lady. Let's get goin'." Lea told the group, having the car he and his group were in to follow the blue car. The car with Sora, Kairi and Goofy, and the car Mickey, Riku, Donald and Jack were in were half a second behind.

The toys' car made to follow, but Mr. Potato...well, he wasn't that good at first time driving. First he jerked the car forward, hitting one shelf, before reversing and hit another. Finally, while managing to get the hang of it, drove so fast and accidently knocked down boxes of toys that scattered onto the floor while following the others.

Though as they passed a couple of aisles after this, Heartless in Toy-Car forms appeared, which left the group having to either try to avoid or fight them. Fortunately, the worldly travellers were able to multi-task at this; Those who drove just continued to drive, while their passengers summoned their weapons and whacked and slashed and used magic at Heartless, knocking them away when they attempted to get to all five toy cars, and while they had a few close calls, they managed to get themselves and the toy-friends out of it okay before going into a Hot Wheels aisle.

"Say, you guys are pretty good in driving and getting rid of those guys." Hamm praised, quite surprised.

"Yeah, without you guys, we'd be done for." Slinky added.

"Oh, it was nothin'." Mickey replied. "Just making sure everybody and every place are safe and sound."

"Wish we could owe you guys for the score we owe you for helping us." Mr. Potato Head admitted.

Sora smiled, "Who says we're keeping score? We're all friends, right?" with all of his companions nodding in agreement.

"Wah!" Rex cried out, excitedly, "It says how you defeat Zurg! Look!" and inadvertedly blocked three of his friends view by shoving the book in front of them and causing Mr. Potato Head to unable to see where he is going.

"Hey! Rex!" Mr. Potato Head cried out.

"Get this outta here, _"geekosaur."_ " Hamm yelled, shoving the book out if his and everyone else's faces while shoving back to Rex.

Just as another large Heartless appeared and Slinky quickly cried out, "Look out!", forcing everyone to skit to a sharp stop, accidently bumping into each other and also bump into the said Heartless who stumbled back into a containor of colourful balls which due to the force of the Heartless stumbling into it, accidently opened it while Aqua, Skuld, Mickey and Donald used their magic to quickly eliminate it. But they were in for another problem.

Soon hundreds of balls rained down onto everyone.

"Turn back!" Roxas cried out.

"Hang on!" Lea shouted, gearing up the car as did the others in their car, speeding off back into the direction they came from while the balls were following them, and soon all five toy cars were forced into spins that made some of them dizzy.

"Brace yourselves, guys!" Sora cried out as he tried to get the car he, Kairi and Goofy were in back in control. Lea, Terra, Mickey and Mr. Potato Head did the same.

Rex, while trying to hang on, felt his guidebook slip out of his claws, much to his horror. Without thinking, he jumped out of car he was in and tried to catch it but was too late.

"My source of power!" Rex cried out, and was further dismayed when the book was slid right under another shelf, far from his reach. "No! Come back! Daaaah!"

He then quickly realised that he was left behind and then ran to try and catch up to all of his friends who, having regaining control, were oblivious that Rex was left behind.

"Hey! Wait up! Hey! Come on! Slow down!" Rex cried out.

Finally, though in the back seat, Jack noticed to his disturbance in the side view-mirror of the car he, Mickey, Riku and Donald were in that Rex was indeed behind all of them, and from the mirror, the image seemed a bit large while Rex chased after all of them and the others.

"Dinosaur _overboard!_ " Rex screamed out.

"Hey, stop! Oi! Stop!" Jack shouted to everyone else, "Dinosaur overboard!"

Hearing this and realising that it was why Rex was screaming randomly but none of them knew why until now, all skid to a stop at last, just as Rex told them to slow down once more, before he accidently tripped and landed into the yellow car face first, briefly stuck.

"Are you okay, Rex?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"He wouldn't have gone overboard if he kept his cakehole shut." Jack stated, remembering how that mess started out in the first place.

"Welcome to my world." Mr. Potato Head rolled his eyes, before he, Sora, Mickey, Lea and Terra drove the cars into gear once more, continuing their search through each aisle, searching for both Woody and Myde, and randomly encountering the Heartless that kept on getting in the way.

"Nah, he's not that bad. I've met worse." Lea commented.

"Like who?" Mr. Potato Head asked with a quirked eye-brow.

"Somebody who would go on and on and on and on about the same thing 24/7. It would drive me to boredom, Isa almost going completely nuts in irrition and even Myde to fall asleep standing." Lea chuckled, referring to Xemnas's meetings about Kingdom Hearts constantly in the original Organization XIII.

Eventually everyone in all five toy cars found themselves in an aisle that was lit up blue and, to their amazement, were hundreds, if not thousands of replica figurines of Buzz Lightyear, all in identical space-ship like boxes which stunned the worldly travellers...though it made Xion a bit uncomfortable, but smiled when Roxas rubbed her right shoulder to comfort her.

"There's so many of Buzz." Mickey muttered, amazed.

"How can we tell which one is the Buzz we know?" Goofy asked, a bit stupidly.

"The one that isn't in a box." Jack rolled his eyes, while Donald face-palmed himself.

"Speaking of which." Terra spoke up, noticing someone familiar ahead of them, walking with their back turned towards them.

"Hey, Buzz!" Sora called out, as he, Lea, Terra, Mickey and Mr. Potato Head pulled to a stop.

However, unaware to all of them, this wasn't the Buzz they were friends with. While he was exactly the same, he was wearing a new amazingly belt around his waist, and also unaware to everyone, the Buzz they know had discovered his counterpart and to his dismay, had discovered how delusional he himself had been a year ago when he first met the other toys including Woody. After a brief fight of struggle, the new Buzz won and had trapped the old Buzz in the cardboard box and was placed onto the shelf, and he had seen his friends' arrival, but no one had noticed him.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The new Buzz demanded when he heard Sora's voice and whirled around, glaring at them as he didn't recongise them.

"Quit clowin' around and get in one of the cars." Mr. Potato Head told him, unaware that this wasn't their Buzz.

"Buzz! Buzz!" Rex popped up excitedly as he was still in the car with Sora, Kairi and Goofy. "I know how to defeat Zurg!" having memorized everything he read in the book that he lost.

Unaware that he was just a toy as were the other four toys, the new Buzz lit up with hope and instant trust to the 'green lizard' man. "You do?"

"Come on. I'll tell you on the way." Rex nodded.

As the new Buzz, coming to realise that all of these people meant no harm, decided to trust them and climbed into the car with Mickey, Riku and Jack, who, along with Aqua, Kairi, Terra, Isa and Skuld, all instantly felt that something was quite strange in 'Buzz's' behavior.

"No, no, guys!" The real Buzz cried out, trying to get his friends' attentions. "You've got the wrong Buzz! You've got the _wrong Buzz!_ "

Unfortunately, his voice was muffled from his prison and thus none of his friends could hear him as the new Buzz climbed into one of the cars as all five cars drove off once more to continue their search.

"Hey, where'd you get the awesome lookin' belt, Buzz?" Lea asked, noticing the blue fancy belt that had a botton on it.

"Well, young man, they're standard issue." New Buzz replied.

Kairi on the other hand, glanced at Sora and muttered softly, "Hey, Sora. Don't you find Buzz acting a little...weird?"

"...Um, only a little. But I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Sora replied, shrugging.

As he watched helplessly that all of his friends took off without him and with the Buzz Lightyear that trapped him here, all the real Buzz could do was continue to struggle and scream, even though he still couldn't be heard by anyone, and if he didn't get out soon, he'll be resold to somewhere else and stuck in the similiar position Woody was right now.

"Nooooooooooo!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, back at Al's apartment..._

Myde had been waiting for a good nearly almost all day to come out of hiding from underneath the couch since this morning. The cleaner, who was an old geezer in his seventies or something, had arrived with a case that had all kinds of paint and cleaning small tools and needle and thread that got him to work on Woody.

Woody had been dusted off, had some paint replacement from the years of being Andy's toy, chipped paint covered with matching paint, his right arm sewed on perfectly in good strong stitching, his boots polished, and finally, the name Andy covered in paint before he was finally done and placed back into the glass case. The old guy claimed the toy to not be a toy at all, but rather just a display model. Well, that wouldn't stop Woody from heading home, though.

After that, when the Cleaner finally left, Al', who was astonishly pleased and claimed that Woody looked like a new toy, immediately got into action to what he attempted to do last night; photographing Woody and the Roundup gang in many poses until it reached nearly two in the afternoon and Al' had all the photos that he wanted, chuckling to himself.

"It's like printing my own money." Al' said to himself as he gazed at the photos he took. Then to his annoyance, the phone rang and he answered, "Yeah, what?"

When the caller answered, he quickly became polite and said, nervously while trying to keep calm, "Oh, Mr. Konishi. Yes, uh, I-I have the pictures right here."

As Al' then moved to the door knowing that he had to get to his office immediately, he then lied while doing so, "In fact, I'm in the car right now on my way to the office to fax them to you. I'm goin' through a tunnel! I'm breakin' up!"

Once Al' closed the door behind him and left the building, Myde sighed in relief before coming out of his hiding and approached the others who came to life once more, with Woody marveling on how he looks now.

Needless to say as Myde leaped onto the small table and rejoined the others, he lets out an impressed whistle at Woody. "Lookin' pretty good. I almost didn't recongise ya'."

"You're telling me. It's like I'm fresh out of the box!" Woody said happily, and was even happier to have his right arm back in the right place and able to use it again normally. "Look at this stitching. Andy's gonna have a hard time ripping this."

"Great." Jessie said, sourly, turning away. "Now you both can go."

She then jumped off the table and stormed off to the window, fuming.

"Well, that's a good idea." Myde replied, snootingly, with Woody nodding in agreement.

Even so, both slightly hesitated. As much as they'd been angry and annoyed with Jessie, the lingering guilt of the fate of the others sort of hanged in their chests.

"Boys, don't be mad at Jessie." Prospector muttered, as though reading their minds, in a father-like behavior. "She's been through more than you know. Why not make amends before you leave, huh? It's the least you can do."

Myde and Woody paused, before looking at Bullseye who looked sad and nodded, as though agreeing with the Prospector. The two finally sighed in defeat.

"All right, but I don't know if Myde and I can do good in it." Woody sighed, before leaping off the table and went to the window, with Myde following behind, before joining the miserable Jessie on the window sill, where she was gazing out the sky, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see it again for eternity.

"Yo. Whatcha doin' up here?" Myde said, as friendly as possible.

"I thought I'd get one last look at the sun before I get packed away again." Jessie mumured, looking heart-broken and sad. This only made Myde and Woody feel worse, but there wasn't anything either of them could do.

"Look, I'm sorry for last night, but...I don't belong here. Never have." Myde spoke again, sighing. "Sora's...not just any normal kid...at least not anymore. You seriously have no idea what he and his buddies went through. If it weren't for him...I wouldn't even be alive right now."

Jessie didn't say anything to that.

Woody next spoke, sighing as he wanted Jessie to understand, "Look, Jessie, I know you hate me for leaving, but I have to go back. I'm still Andy's toy. Well, if you knew him, you'd understand. You see, Andy's a..."

"Let me guess." Jessie interrupted, finishing for Woody, "Andy and Sora are real special kids...and they both play with both of you, it's like...even though you're not moving, you feel like you're alive...because that's how they both see you."

"Huh?" Myde blinked, confused. While it still miffed him that everyone thought that Sora was his owner and that he himself was just a toy due to being in the form of one in this world, everything else that Jessie said did surprise him a little, as though she was speaking through experience.

It surprised Woody too. "How did you know that?" He asked.

"Because...Emily was just the same. She was my whole world." Jessie answered, going back into memories as well.

It then dawned quickly to both of them; Jessie once had an owner named Emily who was just like Andy.

"I was her favorite toy; her best friend." Jessie began, before explaining her life with her original owner many years before while reliving it at the same time.

* * *

( **~Missing You-KH 2.5~** )

 ** _FlashBacks-Jessie's memories._**

 _Emily, a young five year old, would constantly dress up like a cowgirl and even had a red hat that was similiar to Jessie's as the doll was on her bed, sitting in front of the pillow like she always does. Emily used to play with her by having Jessie ride on a toy plastic but realistic horse, camp in the bedroom under the blanket, and go out to the park in the country which was always beautiful, especially in Fall. Emily played with Jessie on the swing before the two would happily fall into the pile of leaves that fell from trees._

 _But as years went by, Emily began to outgrow Jessie and had unknowingly had her fall under her bed while playing with a new friend and going into fashion and make up, soon placing all of her years of cow-girl theme under her bed as she reached pre-teen years, much to Jessie's sorrow. Still, the cowgirl doll waited for her owner to say she would always love her. But she was lonely and forgotten._

 _When Emily accidently dropped her make-up kit under her bed and searched for it, she then noticed and felt a familiar toy she hasn't played with in years and dragged her out and smiled._

 _At first, Jessie thought things would finally go back to normal._

 _But it wasn't meant to be. As Emily's mother pulled up to a small donation van, Emily gave up all of her childhood toys including Jessie into a box before heading back into the car. Jessie, in horror and heart-break, could only watch as the girl had loved her...had abandoned her and drove away, never to be seen again..._

* * *

End of Flash-Backs.

( **~End Missing You~** )

When Jessie finished her story, Myde and Woody shocked at what they heard. No wonder she'd been bitter about the two of them having owners; she herself had been abandoned and stacked away when no one else would come and buy her, because no one was interested, until Al' and the Toy Museum came long. But the search for Woody was still along, and just when Jessie thought she'd finally have the chance to begin new life...Woody and Myde had crushed her hopes and made her relive the past of hurting over and over for the last nearly 24 hours.

"You never forget kids like Emily, or Andy, or Sora, but they forget you." Jessie concluded, her legs drawn up to her chest as she hugged her knees.

Sighing, Myde said, more softly even though he felt very terrible for her. "Jessie...for the last time, Sora's not my owner. I'm not even his friend."

"Jessie, I... I didn't know." Woody began.

"Just go, both of you." Jessie mumured, burying her face into her arms, unable to look at them anymore, and tried her best not to cry.

It ached Myde's heart, as memories of his childhood started to resurface and how many times he changed when it came to interests. Despite this probably being the only world that had living toys, he wondered how many times he hurt his own old childhood stuff's feelings. In the Organization, all Xemnas cared about was Kingdom Hearts. All Saix cared about was collecting Hearts. Myde when he was Demyx...had been weak, useless and the biggest slacker ever, and possibly selfish, and that hurt him even more.

Without saying another word, Myde and Woody, who was feeling even more guilty himself, finally and silently leaped off the window sill before approaching the heat duct, unscrewing the nut that was loose before pulling it out, and lifted the grate open, about to enter when another voice questioned both of them that made them pause, and while it didn't effect Myde but it made him feel twice as guilty, it affected Woody.

"How long will both of you last?" Prospector asked, as he'd been pushed to the floor with Bullseye to be closer to both Myde and Woody. "Do you both really think Andy and Sora are going to take you to college, or each of their honeymoons with their own wives? The boys are growing up, and there's nothing either of you can do about it."

' _Sora's a lot older than you think, and unlike most kids...he isn't even in school. He's out there with his friends who are the same age as him or a bit older, fighting Heartless, beating up the bad guys, protecting as many worlds as he can from darkness...to protect everyone. Especially kids like Andy who can grow up and not end up losing his heart and end up dead forever._ ' Myde desperately wanted to say that. He really did. But he knew that he couldn't. It would make the others crazy and no one would believe him.

Not only that, but Prospector was wrong about one thing; Some kids who don't want to grow up end up in Neverland and stay there to be children forever. Myde hardly went there, but he heard a bit about it, about Peter Pan and those Lost Boys. Then again, grown ups like Captain Hook end up staying there and even they don't grow any older at all. But the former Nobody wasn't going to mention that, as much as he wanted to.

"It's your choice, Woody and Myde." Prospector said, making either of them choose. "You can go back, or you can stay with us and last forever. You'll be adored by children for generations."

Myde sighed, before saying apologetically, "Look...as much as the offer is kinda tempting...I'm gonna pass. I mean, sure I don't wanna die anytime soon but...to me, living forever takes the fun out of life. Besides...I don't think I'll fit in with you guys at all."

He made to leave, but paused when Woody stood, frozen.

Woody had listened in, and it dawned to him that the Prospector was right. Eventually like with Jessie, Woody himself would be discard and lost forever, thrown away and no longer played. Andy wouldn't be a child forever and then where would it leave Woody? As Bullseye sadly went up to him, that's when Woody made up his mind, which surprised Myde.

"Who am I...to break up the Roundup gang?" Woody answered.

"Wait. You're...you're staying?" Myde asked, stunned.

"Yep. I'm staying." Woody replied.

As much as Myde did want to leave and help out Woody, now that his friend had changed his mind and decided to live out in a Museum forever, it irked him a little more. What if the Heartless suddenly attacked if he himself just left on his own and worry about safety of Woody and the others?

Sighing, Myde said, "Well...I ain't going with to the Museum...but I'll stick around to see you guys off. It's the least I can do."

The Prospector smiled, with hope and relief.

Woody then slammed the duct heat shut once more, and as Jessie turned to look, expecting to see him not there, to her surprise, and growing hope and renewed happiness...he was still there with Myde, and the cowboy doll smiled up at her. It made her smile in return.

Woody was actually staying...and neither Jessie, Bullseye or the Prospector are going to be stacked away again after all!

* * *

 _Back with Sora's group..._

When the group finally found Al's small office that was cramped and rather messy, they began searching for Myde and Woody...and were not having much luck at all.

"Myde? Are you here?" Sora asked as he and Riku looked into yet another box they and everyone else, except for Rex and New Buzz had been searching through, as the two were discussing the secret entrance of Zurg's hideout, even though while Rex was only referring to the video game, New Buzz, oblivious that he himself was only a toy, thought this was the way to the real place.

"Nah, another empty box." Riku sighed, disappointed.

"Hey, Woody? You in here?" Hamm asked as he and Lea opened up another cardboard box.

"Nah, this one's empty too." Lea shook his head with a sigh.

As everyone searched and called out to their two missing friends, Jack had managed to climb onto the desk, before noticing a small fighting boxing-ring toy with a blue plastic fighter and a red plastic fighter who were also living toys. Deciding to see if either of them knew the whereabouts of Woody and Myde, he approached them.

"Excuse me, gentlemen." Jack said, getting their attention. "You wouldn't happen to have seen a lad with a broken arm or another lad with a ridiculous...mullet-hair, would you?"

"Why, no. I haven't." The blue fighter said, surprisingly politely, which instantly changed when the red fighter protested.

"Hey, he was talkin' to me!" The red-fighter yelled.

"No, he was talkin' to me!" The blue fighter argued.

The two of them then began punching each other until the red-fighter's head cranked up and he froze, ending the really quick game. Jack by then, a bit traumated and winching at this, just silently backed away and avoided in being seen by them again. Those two were just as worse in their arguments than Pintel and Ragetti, and just as strangely discussed as those two Royal Navy trooper-idiots he met a year ago.

"You know, call me crazy, but I think we actually came to the wrong place." Ven spoke up, rubbing the back of his head after he and Terra came up empty handed at another empty box for the fifth time now.

"I think you're right, Ven." Terra replied. "Only problem is...where else could Al' have taken Woody? And where else could Myde be?"

"You mean we came all this way for nothing?" Mr. Potato Head asked, becoming irritated.

Before anyone could answer, everyone then heard a voice that sounded awfully familiar and footsteps approaching the door that was getting closer and closer. Immediately knowing that someone was coming, Sora, his companions and the toys quickly all hid behind the shelf close to the door, just in time as Al' came walking in, talking on his phone while dropping his leather large hand-bag, that would possibly fit all of them if they went inside, in front of them.

"No, it was a big pile-up, but I don't want to bore you with the details." Al' was saying to the person he was talking too, going over to the Fax machine, and completely unaware of the worldly travellers and the toys that were hiding behind him.

"It's him." Aqua whispered, eyes narrowing.

"The Chicken man." Goofy whispered as well.

"Geez, he's fatter than he is on TV." Lea cringed while keeping his voice down.

"The guy who kidnapped Woody." Sora murmured, glaring at Al's back.

"Oh, that's the kidnapper alright." Mickey added.

New Buzz, still oblivious to the actual truth, whispered more to himself than anyone else, "A kidnapper. An agent of Zurg if I ever saw one."

Al' in the meantime, was giving out the fax number before sliding one of the photos he took of Woody which copied it to somewhere else before the photo carelessly floated down towards in front of the group who most of their eyes widened as they saw it.

"And the pièce de résistance. I promise the collection will be the crown jewel of your museum." Al' was saying to obviously Konishi.

"It's Woody." Slinkly muttered, recongising the photo of the cowboy doll.

"Did he just say museum?" Donald whispered, having heard what Al' just said.

The group continued to listen as the reason behind Woody's kidnapping became more and more clear, "Now that I have your attention, imagine we added another zero to the price, huh?...What?"

What Konishi said next made Al' cheered in victory while holding the phone away briefly, "Yes! Ye-ee-ee-es!" before speaking to the other man once more, "You got a deal! I'll be on the next flight to Japan!"

"So that's what it's all about." Mickey realised, whispering.

"He stole Woody to sell him over to a Museum in another place...just for money." Isa muttered, his face turning to anger and disgust.

"That's disgusting." Lea grunted angrily.

"That low-life." Sora hissed softly, just as disgusted. Realising that Al' was about to leave and now knowing that if they went with him secretly, he could lead them to the real whereabouts of Woody. "Guys, let's sneak in here so he can take us to where Woody is."

Everyone, realising that Sora was right, didn't argue and even New Buzz, thinking that the speaker was Zurg, all stuffed themselves into Al's back as quickly as possible until they all managed to squeeze inside, though Rex's tail was sticking out slightly. Fortunately, Al' didn't even notice this or the fact that his bag felt a bit heavier, and instead, was cheering to himself before making his way out of the office to begin packing.

* * *

Unaware to all of them, the real Buzz, who had been continuing to fight his way to free himself from the box his counterpart had trapped him in and finally managed to kick himself out before un-wiring himself. He then heard a familiar voice and risked to peak. He saw Al' who was happily singing himself. But what Buzz saw made him gasp.

He saw Rex's tail sticking out slightly and made him fear that Al' had found his friends and were now stealing them. Seeing Al' walk off, Buzz hurried to follow but even as Buzz used his gymastic skills and flying toys to try and catch up to him, he'd been unable to and crashed into the slide doors that closed before sliding down to the ground. He tried to jump up and down, but since he was on his own, he was stuck and could only groan as he saw Al' get into his blue car and drive off.

To his surprise, though, it was a very short drive...right to the other side of the road where he and his friends had been earlier this morning and parked right outside of the tall building, which made Buzz want to kick himself; Having crossed the road, he lead the other toys and the worldly travellers to the wrong side of the road where they'd been standing in front of the right place all this time; that building was Woody's real whereabouts.

If only Buzz could get there...

Seeing several boxes next to him, he suddenly had an idea. He kicked at the bottom box before moving out of the way when all of the boxes, due to the lack of support, fell and landed right onto the mat. It was enough weight to get the slide doors to open and close repeatedly. Buzz used this to his advantage and ran out, hopping over another box and ran through the car park of Al's Toy Barn and towards the building.

Unaware to Buzz, however, the box he leaped over was purple...and had Emperor Zurg's name on it, and was repeatedly blocking the two slide doors from closing properly. Just then, through the red plastic see-through linging, a black fist punched through it, before it was joined by the rest of it's body; It was an action figure of a purple cloaked man or robot, with red laser-like eyes, a blast in the place of his right arm, yellow teeth, and he had an angry and evil look to him.

He was the toy version of Emperor Zurg, and much like the new Buzz, thought he was the real villian. And the moment Zurg saw Buzz running, it searched anger through him and black mists of darkness briefly covered his body.

"Ugh! Destroy Buzz Lightyear! Destroy Buzz Lightyear! Destroy Buzz Lightyear!" Zurg chanted as he, having wheels instead of legs, rolled to chase after Buzz...but was too slow. None the less, this would cause even more problems.

* * *

 **A/N: I know that I still suck at battles and ect. Sorry about that. I found it always funny when Rex tried to catch up to the car Jurassic Park style. Actually seen Toy Story 2 first before I even saw the first Jurassic Park film on DVD.**

 **I won't be able to update again for a little while, but don't you worry, I will hopefully sometime next week for the final chapter of the Toy Story world before we move on to the next world. See you then!**


	17. CH16: True Nature

**Author's Note: I'm back again! Though I think this one might be longer than the other worlds so far.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH16: True Nature.**_

As Al' pulled up at the partment building, he wasted no time in getting out and heading towards the Elevator to begin packing for Japan. In such so that he didn't borther in taking the bag and left it in the car. Thus, it kept Sora and all of his friends trapped inside. Now that Al' wasn't there, everyone was allowed to move.

"He didn't take the bag!" Rex gasped, dismayed.

"That's just great." Riku grumbled in sarcasm.

"No time to lose!" New Buzz said, making sure that the coast was clear before leaping out before realising that the door was locked. Peaking through the side window, he saw just in time that Al' stepped into the elevator. "He's ascending in the vertical transporter."

"The what transporter?" Sora asked as he and everyone else got out of the bag and now stood on the driver's seat of the car, only to have New Buzz grab his arm while pushing a red botton that extended plastic but cool looking wings.

"All right, everyone, hang on! We're gonna blast through the roof!" New Buzz declared while grabbing Kairi's right arm...completely oblivious that he cannot fly.

"Uh, Buzz?" Sora blinked, confused. Kairi was right; Buzz was acting weird...

"To infinity and beyond!" New Buzz says and attempted to fly up...but to his great confusion, nothing happened. What was going on?

An awkward pause.

"What are you, insane? We're wasting time." Mr. Potato Head said, before going over to try and unlock the car himself, with Rex being next to him. "Stand still, Godzilla."

Rex gives his friend a boost up to the car lock and stood still, while Mr. Potato Head strained to try and and pull it up, but since he had weak arms, he wasn't one for physical strength. While Sora and Kairi were both let go, they and everyone else shared awkward glances while New Buzz puts away his plastic wings, confused and still oblivious to the truth.

"I-I don't understand. Somehow my fuel cells have gone dry." New Buzz thought to himself.

"Anyone got any bright ideas how to get out of this car?" Lea asked, shrugging.

Jack in the meantime, looking quite annoyed before something caught his eye. A strange looking...whatever it was on the arm rest of the car, or handle that opened it from the inside, possibly. He couldn't tell, as these things were foreign to him. Wondering what the strange square thing in a metal hole was, the pirate pushed it forward. The moment he did, it successfully popped the lock open but it also sent Mr. Potato Head flying, his arms pulled off and the rest of him bouncing backwards as he cried out in alarm, before landing upside down in a cup holder next to Hamm who chuckled at this.

Everyone, even Jack, were startled as they noticed this. When the pirate realised what had happened, quite stunned and shocked, he turned back to Mr. Potato Head and grinned nervously.

"Sorry. Honest mistake." Jack replied, sheepishly.

"Well, at least you got the door open." Mickey said, seeing how it happened.

"I did?" The pirate asked, confused.

True to Mickey's word, Terra, Lea, Isa and New Buzz pushed the door open a little before the latter hopped out and checked around the area just in case there was any signs of danger.

"Oh! Would you look at that?" Jack muttered, surprised.

After retrieving Mr. Potato Head's arms, he, Sora, Jack, Kairi, Terra, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Skuld, Hamm, Rex and Slinkly followed New Buzz to the double glass doors which unfortunately were too heavy and too high for them to reach the handles without getting into trouble. New Buzz watched as the Elevator's number reached to the top floor.

"Blast! He's on level 23." New Buzz grunted, irritated.

"How are we gonna get up there?" Slinky asked, dismayed.

"I don't think the Keyblade Gliders can help with this problem." Aqua thought, worriedly.

"Especially if the windows are locked, and people might see us." Terra nodded in agreement.

"Maybe if we find some balloons, we could float to the top." Rex suggested, looking up at the top floor.

Hearing this made Isa groan and pinch the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "Not you too."

"What's wrong?" Rex asked, puzzled.

"That's exactly the same thing Myde suggested a while back in an attempt to climb a mountain." Isa shook his head, dismayed at the lack of brains, remembering back in Arendelle not even a week ago.

* * *

 _"Maybe if we find some balloons, we could float to the top." Myde suggested jokingly._

 _Isa groaned before tugging the mullet-headed man's ear, causing Myde to cry out girlishly once more, while the blue-haired man told him in sheer annoyance, "What kind of highschool did you go to? Kindergarden level?"_

* * *

"Are you guys kidding?" Mr. Potato Head rolled his eyes, before suggesting a plan that came up in his head, "I say we stack ourselves up, push the intercom and pretend we're delivering a pizza."

"How 'bout a Hamburger?" Lea suggested with a shrug, in no small amount of sarcasm. "With ice cream, fries and a chocolate milkshake."

"And a hotdog." Hamm added.

"Hey, guys! Found a shortcut." Sora called up, and when most of the others turned to look, they found that Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy and Mickey had found a heat duct on the side of the building.

"A secret passage. Good work, young warrior!" New Buzz praised, hurrying over to the heat duct, and with Sora and Riku's help, pulled the grate off before setting it aside. As everyone else gathered around, New Buzz said to Rex about their earlier conversation back at Al's Toy Barn office, "Just like you said, lizard man. _In the shadows to the left._ "

"No idea what you just said, but...let's go!" Sora instructed.

"Okay, lets move!" New Buzz agreed, taking the lead, with everyone else following barely half a second later and thankfully, the heat duct tunnels were big enough for all of them to move around in a groups of five, though they knew that they had to watch out for Heartless.

While noticing that New Buzz was seemingly talking to himself, Skuld couldn't help but comment, "Something very strange is going on with him."

"I think the Buzz aisle went to his head." Hamm muttered.

The group then stopped when they were stuck in a triple fork in the road, the one to their right was blocked, while the one in front of them and the one to their left continued onward. Just as they were about to decide which way to go, suddenly everything around them shook, almost like an Earthquake.

"What is that?" Jack asked.

"We've been detected!" New Buzz cried out, "The walls! They're closing in!"

Though the others didn't see that the walls were closing in, New Buzz quickly pushed Mr. Potato Head up to the ceiling above them in hopes of 'proping' the walls to stop them from being done for.

"Hey! Hey! Put me down, you moron." Mr. Potato Head yelled.

"Hey guys, look! It's not the walls. It's the elevator!" Rex called out, looking at his right as the wall that originally blocked it off came down, revealing a large square room.

Seeing that the T-Rex Toy was right, he and everyone else hurried over and glanced at what they realised was the roof of the Elevator, and as they looked up, the walls were lit up due to the light on the ceiling. Upward was really high that seemed like a thousand feet up. Large caple ropes were holding the elevator to drag it up and down.

"Come on. We've got no time to lose. Everyone, grab hold." New Buzz ordered while giving Mr. Potato Head a rope that was attacted to him, before pulling out sucken cups, before beginning to climb upwards for himself and everyone else.

"Uh, Buzz? Why not just take the elevator?" Ven asked, confused.

"They'll be expecting that!" New Buzz replied.

"We're all gonna be too heavy for you!" Sora protested, but New Buzz didn't listen.

"We're gonna die. You know that, right?" Lea sighed, exasperated.

 _10 minutes later..._

It felt like an eternity since Sora and the others grabbed onto the rope, and most of them were fearing that they were never going to make it at the rate New Buzz was going due to carrying eighteen of them all up. New Buzz, having learned the hard way, strained to climb, but was stubborn and continued to climb none the less.

All of the sudden, due to leaning back too much, Hamm felt some of the coins he'd been carrying slide out and fall into the darkness below. "Uh-oh. Hey, head's up down there!"

One hit Mickey on the head and he cried out, "Ow! Gosh, that's rainin' money there."

"Whoa!" Sora cried out as a couple nearly hit him. "That was close."

"That's a Bank losing money, mates." Jack commented.

A couple of coins landed onto Donald's eyes which had him to close before he ends up blind. "Hey!" he then shook them off and opened his eyes once more, asking in annoyance, "How much further, Buzz?"

"Half...way...there!" New Buzz strained.

Rex, who was directly behind Buzz and in front of everyone else, strained before realising in horror that he is about to slip. "My arms can't hold on much longer!"

To his and everyone else's horror, Rex lost his grip and slid down onto Hamm, then Slinky, then Mickey, then Sora, and soon everyone were all stuck into a large ball screaming in alarm while holding on for dear life, but due to now all of them hundled up, the extra weight was causing New Buzz to begin sliding and thus it was too much for him to continue on and if he didn't do something, they were all goners.

That's when an idea came into mind...which, if he knew what he really was, it was suicidal. Okay, let's be honest here; it was suicidal no matter what he thought.

New Buzz pushed the botton on his belt which glowed in blue light, before preparing to jump as he informed everyone, confident, "Hang tight, everyone. I'm going to let go of the wall."

"What!?" Everyone else asked, shocked and horrified.

"He wouldn't!" Skuld said, incrediously.

"One." New Buzz began to count.

"He would." Riku sighed, realising that New Buzz was serious.

"Two."

"No, don't, Buzz! You're gonna us killed!/Are you insane!?/Buzz, no!/Let's think about this!" Were at least the more clear words from some of the others as everyone cried out to try and get New Buzz to not do anything that could very well be the end of them. Everything else the others said were jumbled up and sounded more like panicked gibberish.

"Three!" New Buzz finished and let go, doing some pose and unaware that it wouldn't work, which caused him and everyone to fall, most of them screaming in terror and bracing themselves.

Fortunately, two things happened; one, the Keyblade wielders quickly used Gravitia and Barrier to slow the descend and prevent casualties, and two, the elevator was already ascending back up and was halfway when the group fell onto it, so the fall was only about 7 or 8 feet below before they landed onto the roof of it, but were still stuck on a pile, with New Buzz on top of them and was unaware that it was the elevator that was carrying him and the others up and not his belt.

"To Infinity...and Beyond!" New Buzz chanted. As they got closer to the 23rd level heat duct tunnel, he nodded to himself. "Approaching destination. Reengaging gravity." He pushed the botton off.

Once they reached it, New Buzz cautionly checked before he was sastifyed that it was all clear. He turned to the others and announced this, and found that, even despite the Keyblade wielders and the Elevator having saved all of them, everyone moaned and felt dizzy and sore and in Rex's case, parayized in trauma that he could only take baby steps forward.

"Gawrsh...Ay-yhuck..." Goofy moaned weakly.

"It's okay, troops. The antigravity sickness will wear off momentarily." New Buzz ensured, believing that his so called Antigravity belt was the cause of this and not what really happened, before turning to face the tunnel again and commandered, "Now, lets move!" and took off in good amount of speed.

"I'm never climbing like that again as long as I live." Lea moaned, his back killing him.

"Remind me to glue his helmet shut when we get back." Mr. Potato Head requested, before he and everyone else slowly moved to follow.

However, little did everyone know, between the gaps of the elevator, the real Buzz managed to hide after having found where his friends had gone into to find the way up, and was now waiting for the right moment to show everyone the truth behind him being left behind and the New Buzz's actions.

* * *

 _In Al's apartment room..._

Al' was busy hurrying to pack everything in boxes and suitcases, wheeling most out as the clock was ticking. At the same time, he was talking to someone again on the phone. Woody, Jessie, Bullseye and the Prospector were all in foam shapes to be carefully put into the suitcase, while Myde was again hiding under the couch, just waiting for the time to say goodbye to his new friends before he could leave to find Sora and the others.

"To overnight six packages to Japan is how much?" Al' asked, and when the price was given to him, he asked again, "That's in yen, right?...DOLLARS!? Ugh! You are deliberately taking advantage of people in a hurry. You know that?...I'll do it! All right, fine! I'll have the stuff waiting in the lobby, and you'd better be here in 15 minutes. Because I have a plane to catch!"

Al', while talking, hurried out the door once more and closing it behind him to continue his work. When he was gone for a short time, it gave Myde and the toys a chance to breathe and the former approached the toys who got out of the foams...except for the Prospector who needed help in doing so.

"Well, this is it, huh?" Myde said, a little sadly.

"Yeah, sure is." Woody replied and while he was sad to have to say goodbye to a new friend, he felt the strange excitement flow inside him.

"Woo-hoo! We're finally going! Can you believe it?" Jessie cheered.

"That's custom-fitted foam insulation you'll be ridin' in, Bullseye." Prospector said to the excited toy Horse. "First class all the way."

"You know what?" Woody finally spoke, excitement really showing. "I'm actually excited about this. I mean it. I really am!"

"And why shouldn't you be?" Prospector replied.

Soon all of the Roundup gang got out of the foam and began dancing happily, as Myde watched on, before sighing in sadness and actually felt...very uncomfortable. Now that the moment was coming, something felt very off about all of this. He wasn't sure what it was, but...it seemed as though something bad was about to happen.

He shook it off and decided that it was paranoia, before chuckling when Bullseye lifted Woody onto his back in which the Cowboy doll realised he wanted to do a rodeo.

"Ride like the wind, Bullseye!" Woody cheered, before yelping when the saddle somehow slid off the horse and caused him to fall onto his back. Bullseye blushed in embarrassment.

"You okay there, Wood'?" Myde laughed as he and Jessie made to help him stand.

"W-Watch it. Wait, wait." Woody laughed as their fingers briefly touched his chest and sides. "I'm ticklish, okay?"

' _Didn't know toys can be ticklish._ ' Myde thought to himself, smirking.

"Oh, you are?" Jessie asked, as a cheeky idea came into mind.

"No. No, no, no." Woody half-heartedly pleaded, only to be rendered into hopeless of uncontrollable laughter when Jessie attacked full on in her tickle attack all over, much to Myde and the Prospecter's amusements.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Roxas moaned, as he and everyone else continued to follow New Buzz through seemingly endless turns and twists of the heat duct tunnels.

They turned to their right, and just when they were about to continue forward to pass the tunnel to their left, everyone paused when they heard a voice cry out from that direction.

"Please! No!"

"What was that?" Sora asked, quickly becoming concerned as the first thought in his mind was that someone was in trouble.

"That's Woody!" Slinky said happily, howling in relief.

"This way!" Sora instructed, taking the lead before he and the others skid to a stop behind the grates of the heat duct, finding themselves to see what they suspect was Al's partment, the true location of Woody's whereabouts, and as they were hearing, all they heard was his pleads for someone to stop doing...something.

"Ugh...I can't see a thing." Sora grunted in a whisper, before glancing at Mr. Potato Head...or more accurantly, his eyes.

After getting the Toy's permission, Sora used one of Potato Head's eye for navigation and the toy himself to see at the same time. At his instruction, Sora held the eye to the left, then higher and higher, until Potato Head saw, though still couldn't see what was really going on...Woody was being attacked by a group.

"What's happening?" Terra asked.

"Oh, it's-it's horrible! They're-They're torturing him!" Mr. Potato Head cried out, horrified, much to everyone else's shock and horror.

"Oh no!" Donald cried out.

"What're we gonna do!?" Goofy cried out, worriedly.

Jack glanced at the grate, before gazing at the toys until his eyes locked onto Rex and suggested to the others, "We could always use his head."

When everyone else followed Jack's gaze at Rex, despite this being a silly idea, they realised what Jack had in mind; use Rex's head to barrel open the grate and break in to save Woody. So with that, the group held the Dinosaur forward and upside down, taking several steps back, before counting down to prepare to run and back it down.

"Okay! One...two...three!" Sora shouted, and ran along with the others.

After a few seconds, Rex exclaimed as he knew that this was going to be extremely painful, "But I don't wanna use my head!"

As everyone yelled in charging, Rex screamed as he tried to brace himself for the impact. But as no one really knew what was going on in the room, since Woody and Myde had already removed the nut-bolt earlier, Sora and the others easily sped through while flipping the heat duct open and continued to charge right past Myde and the other toys until the rescue group realised too late, crashing right into a box and landed in a heap of pile on top of each other.

The impact caused Jessie to stop her tickle attack as she, Woody, Myde, Prospector and Bullseye all looked up in surprise, wondering what in the world was that. The five toys Woody was able to recongise as his best friends, while Myde, to his surprise and instant relief, was the familiar group of fifteen he'd been travelling with, and like him, all in toy forms.

"Oh, nuts." Donald groaned, glaring in irritation at Jack due to his stupid idea that landed them and the others into this mess in the first place.

When the group all looked up, the worldly travellers' eyes all widened in confusion and relief when they saw Myde who was equally confused and relieved.

"Buzz, guys!" Woody said happily to New Buzz, Slinky, Hamm and Mr. Potato Head, never having thought he'd see them again, even for the last time. "Hey, how did you find me, and who're these new toys?"

"Myde?" Sora asked, shocked. The former Nobody had been here all this time with Woody? What was going on?

"Sora? Guys? You're here?" Myde asked back, pointing at the group. "I thought for sure that...you wouldn't be able to find me."

" _This_ is Sora?" Woody asked, quirking an eye-brow as he pointed at the spiky-haired crown-chained necklace teenager in toy form.

"Wait a minute...you mean that action-figure toy is the Sora you were talkin' about?" Jessie asked, greatly surprised that Sora was indeed not Myde's owner after all. The kid himself wasn't even a little boy as she'd been expecting...close to more being sixteen years in appearence even though she thought now that Sora too was just a toy.

"Told ya' he wasn't my owner." Myde grinned at the Roundup gang toys.

"Huh? What's going on?" Sora asked as he and everyone else stood up, briefly in confusion and while the five toys with them glared at the three other toys that seemingly kidnapped both Woody and what they suspect now was Myde, the worldly travellers, seeing both of them alright and unharmed, were even more confused.

"That's what I want to know." Prospector responded, quickly shocked and annoyed by these intruders.

"Myde, you're okay!" Xion cried out happily, running up to towards the Melo-Water wielder, wrapping her arms around the surprised Myde's waist and nearly knocked him over in her enthusiastic reaction. "We were so worried about you!"

"You were...worried about me?" Myde asked, feeling the warmth form inside his chest at this, and wondered if this was a dream.

"Of course we were. What kind of question is that?" Roxas answered, smiling, "The same way as these guys were worried about Woody." gesturing at the five toys who glanced at each other, wondering how to respond to this.

But before anyone else could say anything, New Buzz suddenly heard some kind of noise and immediately glomped Woody to the floor, aiming his Laser to the middle of the room while saying warningly, "Watch yourself!"

When Sora and his group and Myde immediately sensed the familiar darkness, they and the toys turned just in time to see Heartless appear, threatening to attack all of them. Those who haven't seen Heartless before all screamed in terror.

"Wh-what are they!?" Jessie exclaimed, shocked at the sudden intruders that just appeared like real ghosts.

"They're the Heartless!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Oh, why did they have to appear now!? It was nice and quiet around here." Myde groaned in dismay, now knowing that most of his secrets were out, and while he and his worldly travel companions all summoned their weapons, much to the surprise of the Roundup gang when they saw him summon his Styer for the first time.

"Buzz, you and the guys protect Woody! We'll handle the Heartless!" Sora informed New Buzz while holding a tight grip on his Keyblade.

"Yes, sir!" New Buzz saluted, before turning his attention to the other Roundup gang.

"Don't worry, Sora! We'll handle the three other bad guys and spring Woody outta here!" Slinky said, as he, Hamm, and Mr. Potato Head charged, while Rex just stood by, being slow in thinking.

"Uh, Myde?" Woody asked.

"I'll explain later...and just for the record, sorry for not telling you sooner." Myde hurriedly said apologetically, before quickly whacking one Heartless away that tried to catch him off guard. He then spun around his Styer around at more Heartless that tried to attack as some of them, taking forms of Cowboys, shot out fiery pistol shots at him which he extingished with his water abilities. The former Nobody then created a water piller to get rid of the other three Heartless that while nearly hit him, were defeated into oblivion.

Sora and Riku both sped forward while making stabbing motions against the Robot-Heartless that tried to fire lasers at them but was caught off guard when the two Keyblade Masters stabbed it in half before the two of them cleaved it with series of combos with their Keyblades. While Riku then slashed downward to large spiky Yo-Yo Heartless that rolled and managed to hit everyone that was fighting the Heartless, knocking them back before he finally destroyed it while giving it a sky-upper cut, Sora in the meantime tossed his Keyblade at larger Robot Heartless, hitting it twice before casting Blizzard to breeze in a block of ice. The sixteen year old then slashed and sliced it before using his Flowmotion and spun around it until he thrusted it with his light and Keyblade at the wall, defeating it instantly.

Kairi, Mickey, Xion, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Skuld, Jack, Donald and Goofy each used their Keyblades in their own skills as always including combats of swordsmanship, magic and other slashing and hacking skills against the Heartless as well as either potions or healing magic whenever they, Sora, Riku and Myde also got hurt during the battle.

Soon enough, once the worldly travellers finished off the Heartless as quickly as possible, they turned to gaze at the toys who most were still busy confronting Jessie, Prospector and Bullseye despite Woody's and even Myde's protests.

"Grab Woody and lets go!" Slinky called out as he kept Jessie and Bullsye trapped in his springs.

"Wait-ah! Hey!" Myde cried out when Kairi and Xion both grabbed his arms and pulled him with them and the others as they made their escape.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Sora waved at the three other toys.

"Fellas, hold it!" Woody cried out before New Buzz carried him over his shoulder, "Buzz, put me down!"

As the two groups made to escape, much to the shock of Jessie and Bullseye and the dismay of Prospector, to their and everyone else's shock and utter confusion...

"Hold it right there!" The real Buzz ordered, holding a hand out bodly as he stood between his friends, his counterpart and the vent.

"Buzz?" Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Skuld, Jack, Hamm, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Rex and Woody all asked in great confusion that another Buzz, also out of the box, stood in front of them and without a belt as they, Myde and New Buzz all skid to a stop.

"You again!" New Buzz grunted in anger as he realized that the 'imposter' had escaped and now had followed him and the others all the way here, meeting the real Buzz in the middle as the two walked up to each other.

"Woody! Thank goodness you're alright." Buzz sighed in relief in seeing his friend safe and well.

"Buzz, what is going on?" Woody asked, confused at there are two of Buzz and now he couldn't tell which one was which, especially since both of them knew him and the others, only to be thrown to the ground unceremonily by New Buzz.

"Hold on!" New Buzz protested, glaring at his rival. "I am Buzz Lightyear, and I'm in charge of this detachment."

"No, I'm Buzz Light-" Buzz tried to say calmly.

" _I_ am Buzz Lightyear!" New Buzz interrupted and argued.

" _I'm_ Buzz Lightyear!" Buzz argued, glaring right into his counterpart's eyes.

"So, who's the real Buzz?" Sora demanded at both of them while Woody stood up. If one of them was responsible for the mix-up, then it was no wonder things had been acting quite strange ever since the Buzz Lightyear aisle at Al's Toy Barn.

" _ **I am!**_ " Both Buzzes chorused while pointing at themselves.

New Buzz, still oblivious to the truth, told Sora's group and the five other toys, "Don't let this impostor fool you! He's been trained by Zurg himself to mimic my every move."

While he was busy talking, the moment New Buzz finished, the real Buzz had a smug knowing look as he pushed a purple botton on the side of the helmet which caused it to flip open. Realising that his helmet opened up and still not knowing that he's just a toy, New Buzz panicked and wheezed, gasped and seemingly struggled to hold his breath as though the air was toxic all around him.

The worldly travellers and the other toys just stared awkwardly with skeptical or dumbfounded looks on their faces the way how New Buzz was reacting, before looking up at the other Buzz who to further prove the point, held up his boot which the bottom of it revealled the name Andy on it in permament ink.

"Buzz!" All of the worldly travellers except Myde, and all of the five Toys said in sheer relief and happiness to be reunited with the real Buzz, gathering around him and saying their relief and apologises.

"I knew you were the real one, Buzz. I felt it when we met the one with the belt." Kairi was saying.

"We're sorry that we got the two of you mixed up." Aqua said.

"How'd you end up being replaced anyway?" Sora was asking, wanting to know the incident better.

"I had a feelin' it was you, Buzz. My front end just had to catch up with my back end." Slinky said.

Myde smiled at the reunion of Woody and his five other Toy friends and realised that Sora and the others had been searching for both Myde himself and Woody and if he'd been given a guess, while he ended up here two days ago, his companions ended up in Andy's room and had set out a rescue mission when they found out of Woody having been stolen by Al'.

As everyone calmed down while Buzz forgave his friends and was happy to be back, New Buzz, still struggling to not breath the 'toxic air', managed to close his helmet once more and managed to sigh in relief despite only being a toy like the other toys and not like the worldly travellers.

When he saw the reunion happening, he spoke up, asking, "Will somebody _please_ explain what's going on?" which got everyone else's attentions.

"It's alright, Space Ranger." Buzz smiled, approaching his confused counterpart and decided that it was a waste of time to convince him about the true life and instead played long, whispering, "It's a code 546."

"You mean it's a..." New Buzz gasped, shocked and amazed, falling for it.

"Yes." Buzz nodded.

"And he, Mickey and Sora are..." New Buzz asked, gazing at Mickey, Sora and Woody.

"Oh yeah." Buzz nodded again.

Gasping again, New Buzz approached the two and knelt before them, gasping both Sora's left hand and Woody's right hand, bowing his respect to them and Mickey, "Your majesties!"

"Uh..." Mickey laughed nervously.

"Um..." Sora blinked, a little creeped out.

Woody just chuckled nervously while he and Sora both pulled their hands away. The new Buzz gave the Cowboy doll memories of when he and the other toys first met Buzz a year ago on Andy's sixth birthday.

"Okay, the guy with the belt is really freaking me out." Myde commented with a quirked eye-brow. Who would've thought that there wer toys in this world that actually thought they were real people from other worlds?

"You try having him around and nearly killing you by leaping off a wall and doing all the ridiculous acts like he's a real person." Isa sighed, exasperated. "Thankfully the elevator, Sora, Aqua, the king and Riku saved us from being smashed into pieces."

"Now I'm really glad you guys are here and okay." Myde shuddered at the thought of what would've happened if his companions really did end up dead in the elevator.

The blue-haired man rolled his eyes with a smirk, before shifting awkwardly now that Myde was reunited with everyone including him. Isa then sighed and decided to let it all out but still calm, "Never thought I would say this, Myde, but...I missed ya'."

"Never thought I was say this either, but...I'm really glad you're okay too." Lea added as he approached the two.

When Myde looked at all of his companions, they all nodded their sentiments that they all missed him when they came here. He didn't know what to say, or how to react. He felt really awkward, before restoring himself to rub the back of his head.

"Even though I'm a right pain in the butt?" Myde asked, sheepishly.

"Aw, it doesn't matter about your personality, Myde. We know that you have a good heart. Besides, it never bothered any of use that Goofy has always been clumsy." Mickey said with a smile.

Goof nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Myde. I may be goofy, but I always care for my friends. And I can tell that you made friends with Woody too, right?"

"Yeeeeah, about that..." Myde began, now nervously before turning to Woody who just stared at him. Sighing, the mullet-haired man muttered, "I'm...sorry for not being completely honest for the last nearly two days, Wood'."

"Nah, it's okay. I get why you didn't say anything. I'd probably wouldn't believe you and tell you constantly that you're a toy, like I had to when I first met Buzz last year." Woody shrugged, accepting the apology, before asking, "But uh...that just leaves the question how you guys manage to bring those things in your hands up and those masked intruders you call the Heartless."

" _Looong_ story. Short version of it is that the Heartless attack everybody randomly." Myde nodded, "Besides, I knew you'd think I was crazy...like how that guy is totally nuts and thinks he's a person and not a toy." he added while gazing at New Buzz who was even more confused.

Jack then stepped up to both of them and said, rather hurriedly, "Apologises for interrupting, mates. But may I suggest that we get a move on before Al' comes back which could be at any exact moment?"

"He's right. We better go. You're both in danger here." Terra nodded in agreement.

"Al's selling you to a toy museum in Japan!" Rex added to Woody.

"I know." Woody laughed and stepped away from his friends. "It's okay, Buzz. I actually wanna go."

"What?" Sora's group and Rex asked, shocked.

"Yeah, he uh, made up his mind a few hours ago. Me, I'm just stickin' around 'till he leaves." Myde added, his arms folded to his chest.

"Whaddya' mean?" Mickey asked, shocked and confused even more.

"Look, the thing is, I'm a rare Sheriff Woody doll," Woody explained before gesturing at Jessie, Prospector and Bullseye, "And these guys are my Roundup gang."

"Your Roundup gang?" Riku asked.

"Rare Sheriff Woody doll?" Ven added.

"Woody's a rare toy?" Goofy asked to Donald, very confused. The white duck just shrugged, just as clueless.

"What is he talking about?" Kairi asked to Myde.

"He's based on an old black and white TV show _"Woody's Roundup"_. I wish I could show you guys. It's a great show!" Myde explained.

"And I was a star." Woody added, quickly turning on the remote that was on the floor and turned on the TV, where the scene of Woody and Bullseye riding through the outwest in the last episode before the show was cancelled and left in a cliffhanger, "See, now, look! Look! Look at me! See? That's me!"

"This is weirdin' me out." Roxas muttered to Lea and Xion as the latter nodded in agreement with the spiky-blonde haired former Nobody while all three of them and Isa were reminded of Genie taking form of the black and white Mickey in Agrabah when he emerged from the giant Turtle of the Vanishing Isle. Even Hamm and Potato Head were weirded out. The show itself reminded Sora, Mickey, Donald and Goofy of the Timeless River back at Disney Castle.

Woody in the meantime continued to the now unamused Buzz, "Buzz, it was a national phenomenon. And there was all this merchandise that just got packed up. Oh, you should've seen it. There was a record player and a yo-yo...Buzz, I was a yo-yo!"

" _Was?_ " Lea repeated, skeptically as he shared a skeptical look with Roxas and Xion.

Buzz shook his head and told his friend, "Woody, stop this nonsense, and let's go."

"Buzz..." Woody sighed, in slight sadness, "I can't go. I can't abandon these guys." gesturing at the Roundup gang once more. "They need me to get into this museum. Without me, they'll go back into storage, maybe forever!"

"Woody, you're not a collector's item. You're a child's plaything." Buzz reminded, starting to get angry and trying to get his friend to understand, saying the exact same words the toy in front of him told him when he was delusional a year ago himself, "You, are, a _toy!_ "

"For how much longer?" Woody argued. "One more rip, and Andy's done with me. And what do I do then, Buzz? Huh? You tell me."

Calming down, but still angered and sorrowed at his friend's decision, Buzz said one more time, "Somewhere in that pad of stuffing is a toy who taught me that life's only worth living if you're bein' loved by a kid. And even with or without a sixteen year old young man who is much like that same toy in personality, I had travelled all this way to rescue that toy, because I believed him."

"Well, you and Sora both wasted your time." Woody said with finality and turned around stubbornly.

Seeing how Woody wasn't going to change his mind on this, knowing that this was the final time they would bee seeing him, Buzz announced to both groups and to Myde, "Lets go, everyone."

"What about Woody?" Slinky asked, shocked and saddened.

"...He's not coming with us." Buzz somberly replied, turning to leave.

"But...!" Sora began, before sighing when the others in the group shook their heads.

"He's heart decided. There's nothing we can do about it." Terra said lowly.

Even Myde reconsided Woody's decision but sighed none the less. "I'll...catch up with you guys in a little while. I promised to see them off. It's the least I can do."

"Do what you want, Myde. We'll be waiting for you." Lea nodded.

As the fifteen worldly travellers and the other toys began to follow Buzz, Rex pointed out, sorrowed and not wanting to believe this was very well the last time they'll see Woody ever, "But-But Andy's coming home tonight."

"Then we'd better make sure we're there waiting for him." Buzz answered, as he opened the heat duct, having everyone enter in sorrow one by one. Slinky, having been one of Woody's closest friends, looked back at his old friend in sorrow, before hopping inside, head down. Sora and Buzz were both the last ones.

Woody, finally turning and while saddened to see his old friends go, said to Buzz for the final time, "I don't have a choice, Buzz. This is my only chance."

"To do what, Woody?" Buzz asked, eyes narrowing, "Watch kids from behind glass and never be loved again? Some life."

"Not to mention breaking the hearts of your other friends that were really worried about you and were hoping to see you again, and when Andy finds out that you're gone, he's really gonna be upset." Sora said, almost angrily, but also sorrowed and disappointed. "You're doing this without even ensuring them in person that you're okay and without so much of a goodbye. Even I would never do that to any of my friends."

With that, Sora and Buzz both entered the heat duct and closed the grate behind them and rejoined the rest of the group to return New Buzz to Al's Toy Barn and then Sora's group would wait for Myde before they could return the five other Toys back to Andy's house in a mission failure.

Myde sighed while placing both hands on his face before rubbing his neck a second later. Sora was right. Woody was doing this without really thinking of the consenquences. Buzz was also right about one thing; Woody would be stuck behind glass and watching kids just gaze at him, and not be played or loved anymore. So much so that even Woody was beginning to have second thoughts as Buzz and Sora's words repeated in his head, while they were duly noticed of the show still being on.

To the concern and confusion of Jessie, Bullseye and the Prospector, Woody sorrowfully turned and saw the puppet of himself playing a guitar while singing as a goodbye to the young audience of the ending of the episode. He then sat down on a duct tape lying on it's side and gazed sadly, seeing how a young human boy appeared on screen, and then hugged the doll-sized puppet lovingly while the TV-Woody continued to sing.

The more Woody thought about this, and even scrapped away the paint that covered Andy's name, the more he began to realise how stupid he was in making the decision to go to Japan when Andy still loved him and despite that it wouldn't last forever, Woody realised that he wanted to watch him grow up into a caring young man...just like Sora who, for a mysterious reason, took form of a toy. But then again, was it really normal in this world to have Toys that came to life?

Not in the worldly traveller's opinion, since while the Space Ranger thing was just imagination, there were other worlds but not like in movies or false science. Those worlds had many of different kinds...even humans who could use magic and fought Heartless to protect many others...especially children, like Andy. Without Sora or any of his companions, this world would be gone...and both Woody, his friends and Andy along with it.

"What am I doing?" Woody asked himself, before leaping up and called out to Buzz as he ran to the Heat Duct, instantly re-changing his mind.

"Woody, where are you going?" Prospector asked as he and the others realised what was going on.

"You're right, Prospector. I can't stop Andy from growing up. But I wouldn't miss it for the world." Woody told him, silently staying that he was going home where he belonged.

Myde, seeing this, smiled and approached his friend, saying, "Well then, better get you home, pal'." and with Woody's nod, the two friends hurried to the heat duct.

Much to the Prospector's shock and dismay. "No!"

The two lifted up the grate fully and made it to stay up, before Woody called out to both Sora and Buzz who had paused for a moment before having continued to walk away, "Buzz! Sora!"

"Woody?" Sora asked, eyes wide as he and Buzz turned, with hope.

"Yes?" Buzz asked.

"Yes?" New Buzz, thinking that Woody was taking him and peaked from the corner of the tunnel, also smiling with hope.

"I'm coming with you!" Woody declared, happily.

Myde was about to follow when he suddenly remembered the Roundup gang and suddenly had a better idea, before saying, "Woody! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Realising that Myde was right, Woody knew what his new friend meant and thought of the same idea, especially since he didn't to abandon their new other friends either. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. We'll be back in just a second."

"Don't go anywhere." Myde added, joining Woody to convince the other three toys.

"All right!" Sora cheered as everyone else, who also heard this, came up and cheered in relief and happiness, knowing that Woody had decided to come with them after all.

"Hey, you guys. Come with me." Woody said to Jessie and Bullseye.

"What?" Jessie asked, shocked at the proposal. Just when she thought that all hope was lost, what Woody had proposed gave her hesitating pause but at the same time, she knew why; Woody wasn't going to abandon them because he was their friend.

"Andy will play with all of us. I know it!" Woody continued.

"Woody...I-I...I don't know...I..." Jessie stuttered, hesitating. What if Andy didn't like her because she was a girl doll?

"Wouldn't you give anything just to have one more day with Emily?" Myde said, uncharacterisically warmly. "Besides, you'll be amazed that even boys can play with some girl toys and stuff and girls play with boy toys and stuff. You're a toughy, and you've seen what Xion, Kairi, Skuld and Aqua can do. It's never on the outside of anything. It's in the inside, especially in the heart."

"Come on, Jessie. This is what it's all about: To make a child happy. You know it." Woody added. When Jessie still hesitated, he turned to the Toy Horse and asked, "Bullseye, are you with me?"

Bullseye, already making up his mind, happily licked Woody in the face as a yes, he wanted to go. He admittedly had been curious what Andy was like and on top of that, he can still be with his favorite rider. Seeing this made Myde laugh at the cute scene.

"Okay, good boy." Woody laughed before walking over to the Prospector's box which, unaware to everyone, had turned around and which everyone thought that he was silently sobbing. "Prospector, how 'bout you?"

To his, Myde's, Jessie's and Bullseye's shock, when Woody turned the box around...it was slightly open and empty! To confirm on what was happening, everyone heard a loud bang and turned to see the source of it. Their eyes widened to find the Prospector right there, having slammed the grate shut and was screwing the nut-bolt back into place, tightening it with his pickaxe.

"Prospector!?" Jessie asked, shocked and unable to believe it.

"No way!" Myde gapped, mouth open in shock.

"You're out of your box!" Woody exclaimed, twice as shocked, and even more so when the Prospector had sealed shut the heat duct, and thus trapping him and Myde in the room with no way out except to the Museum.

The Prospector, having successfully sealed the heat duct shut, turned back and walked towards the TV remote while saying to both Woody and Myde, "I tried reasoning with you, boys, even though now I know who your friend really is, Myde. But you both keep forcing me to take extreme measures."

He turned to face all four of the others with an angry and now very selfish and evil look on his face, turning the TV off with his pickaxe. That's when both Woody and Myde realised the entire truth behind all of this.

"Wait a minute, you turned on the TV last night, not Jessie!" Woody said angrily, now realising that it was the Prospector that prevented Woody and Myde from escaping last night, and in doing so to prevent himself from being declared guilty, the shorter toy cruely framed Jessie which meant that he didn't care for any of them at all. He only cared for them all because he wanted to be admired in the Museum forever and didn't care what others thought of their own thoughts or feelings.

Ignoring Woody's accusion even though now he is guilty for his actions, the Prospector was not even the slightest sorry for his evil actions, "Look, we have an eternity to spend together in the museum, and now Myde can spend that eternity as a toy and join us, because since he is in a form of a cowboy, he's not allowed to leave this world, ever. He is one of us now. Let's not start off by pointing fingers, shall we?"

"That's just seriously low, man! No wonder they call you Stinky Pete!" Myde growled, angrily. "Forcing others to do what you want to do is selfish and bad, and that's why the Heartless are around, because it ain't just because of Chicken Man, it's because of you! The darkness in your heart is there, you told the Heartless to stay put to avoid it, didn't you?"

"Well, ever since you mentioned in having appeared out of nowhere, I knew that you were not like anyone else, especially since Al' wasn't aware of you being here. Your friends earlier just confirmed it." The Prospector said, with darkness seeping briefly around him before it vanished.

"Prospector, this isn't fair!" Jessie yelled, feeling betrayed by the toy who she though of as her mentor, but now realised that it was never the case. Last night and now were the proof of that.

" _"Fair"_? I'll tell you what's _not fair_ ; Spending a lifetime on a dime-store shelf watching every other toy be sold!" Prospector growled furiously. "Well, finally, my waiting has paid off, and no foolish human from another world or a hand-me-down cowboy doll are gonna mess it up for me now!" before angrily tossing his boxs back into the display case.

That's when both Myde and Woody remembered that they were trapped and the others were waiting for them. The two, panicked, hurried back to the heat duct but were unable to pull it up.

"Sora! Roxas! Everybody!" Myde cried out.

"Help, Buzz! Guys!" Woody cried out.

"It's too late, boys." Prospector said, not sorry at all as he climbed up onto the box, "That silly boy Tora with the beyblade and that silly Buzz Lightweight can't help you."

"It's Sora with the Keyblade!" Myde yelled angrily at Prospector.

"And my best friend name is Buzz Lightyear!" Woody added angrily.

"Whatever." Prospector waved off, jumping back into his box and growled as he closed it, waiting for Al' to take him and his now prisoners to Japan for all eternity, "Foolish child wasting his time going on adventures, and I always hated those upstart space toys."

What will become of both Woody and Myde now? Will Sora, Buzz and their friends be able to save them, Jessie and Bullseye?

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so the Toy Story world will be five chapters long, because the next chapter is definately the last chapter of Toy Mania.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	18. CH17: True Meaning of Playtime

**Author's Note: A bit off topic in this; While I wasn't able to see the Solar Eclipse in reality, at least I managed to see it on the News today and it still looked amazing!**

 **Anyway, this is definitely the last chapter of the Toy Story world. Sorry for the little misjudgement on that, guys. Let's move on, shall we?**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH17: True Meaning of Playtime.**_

No matter what Myde and Woody did, even when their friends now trapped in the Heat Duct, they couldn't get it open since the Prospector, now his true colours were revealed, had tightened it so much that the only way to unscrew it was with a screw driver which unfortunately wasn't in the office.

"It's stuck!" Woody cried out, even when both Sora and Buzz tried to unscrew it from the other side.

"What do we do?" Ven asked, worriedly.

Rex, remembering how they opened the grate the first time earlier even though it was already opened, asked, "Should I use my head?"

"It will only give you pain, mate. It won't work this time even if we try it." Jack shook his head, already knowing that with the grate being sealed shut, the second attempt would only result in hitting Rex's head so hard that it would give the toy T-Rex the mother of all headaches.

Just then, everyone heard a sound from the otherside of the door, and to their horror, footsteps heading straight towards it which meant only one thing.

"It's Al'!" Myde cried out, horrified, and even though time was running out and he could just wait until the others found another way to get him back...he didn't want to abandon Woody, Jessie and Bullseye. So as Jessie and Bullseye both quickly returned to the foams as though nothing happened, he turned to Sora and the others and whispered, "...Sora, Buzz, save us."

Without time to response, as Al' stormed in, Sora and the others backed away and could only watch in horror as Woody and then Myde, without much choice, both collasped onto the floor as though they were lifeless toys, even though mentally, Myde was panicking as he never had done this before since his arrival and prayed that he wouldn't screw up.

"Look at the time. I'm gonna be late!" Al' was panicking himself, before unthinkingly noticed Woody on the ground and then saw apparently another 'cowboy doll' he'd never seen before, and asked as he placed Woody back in the foam before picking up the frozen Myde, "Hey, where'd you come from, little guy? Oh, never mind! I'll just take you, anyway! I can't miss this flight!"

Al' then packed all of the Roundup gang toys and then placed Myde on top of them in the green suitcase while saying to himself while going through his list, "All right. Let's see. Uh, wallet, keys, tickets, uh, passport, beef jerky...very expensive over there.I just gotta get outta here now!"

' _Myde!_ ' Sora cried out in his mind, horrified at the fact that Myde had allowed himself to be captured and taking the risk of being put into a Museum and now the mullet-haired former Nobody was counting on him to save him and Woody.

So as Al' wheeled the rest of the merchandise, the toys and Myde in the boxes and suitcase, Sora's group and the six other toys knew what had to be done in order to save Myde, Woody and now their two new friends Jessie and Bullseye.

"Quick, to the elevator!" Buzz commanded.

No one argued as all of them raced through back to where they came from as fast as they could as outside the vents Al' was hurriedly pushing the botton to get the elevator to hurry up. From the sounds, everyone knew that it was getting closer and closer. However, New Buzz gasped as he and the other skid to a stop when a strikingly very familiar figure rose into view from the very roof of the elevator. The menacing red laser eyes, the black horns and purple cape...no, it couldn't be...!

"So, we meet again, Buzz Lightyear, for the last time." Zurg spoke menacingly at New Buzz, glaring with pure hatred. To everyone's further shock, darkness was slowly seen around him, and Heartless were there as well, which meant that like the Prospector, the Heartless were briefly following this villian of a toy.

"Who're you!?" Sora demanded, glaring back, while Rex screamed in horror as he and both Buzzes recongised the villian.

"It's Zurg!" New Buzz, Rex and even Buzz exclaimed in shock. Where had Zurg come from?

Without answering Sora's question or having any care of the casualties of New Buzz's new allies, Zurg held out a triple cannon blaster that was in the place of his right arm and prepared to fire.

"Watch out! He's got an ion blaster!" Rex panicked.

"And he's got Heartless too!" Goofy added, panicking as well.

"Leave Zurg to me! Sora and your troops handle the Heartless!" New Buzz said boldly, preparing to fight.

"Got it!" Sora responded, already something his Keyblade, as the rest of the worldly travellers summoned their weapons.

"Do you really think you can handle my new minions with that feeble weapon, boy?" Zurg challenged, evilly.

"You don't have any idea what we're capable of." Aqua answered instead, glaring heatedly at Zurg.

Zurg just laughed, before firing what he thought were heated energy balls, though in reality they were really just nerf balls from a nerf gun he was wielding. None the less, most of the group ducked while New Buzz flipped up and over his arch enemy who kept on missing him before firing his Laser at him and while it was just a blinking light-bulb, it still managed to cause some damage to Zurg who growled, before his anger grew and then fired once more, but New Buzz kept on dodging and fighting him.

Just as the elevator began to descend. Sora wasted no time and leaped onto the elevator himself along with his companions, some of them using the iron ropes to slide down as did the other toys who knew that the worldly travellers would have to protect them while they handled the Heartless. Rex was the last and hesitated, nervously.

"The emegancy hatch! Come on!" Buzz called out, he and the other toys hurrying over to the emergancy hatch of the Elevator.

"Rex! Come on! Jump!" Goofy called up, before shrieking as a Heartless nearly scraped him before he managed to whack it with his Shield in self-defense.

Finally, not wanting to be left behind, Rex tried to copy the others, but his arms missed and instead fell rapidly while screaming loudly...right on top of Mr. Potato Head. The two layed there for a couple of moments, moaning.

Sora thrusted his Keyblade at as many Heartless as quickly as possible, even in the most athletic skills he learned along the way during this new journey. He then joined with Donald and Goofy to do their special trinity skills they used on their first two adventures, holding up their weapons skyward as multiple of the combination of Sora and Donald's magic created a display of fireworks that swallowed up some of the Heartless into a ball until it briefly exploded, but they and everyone else knew they had to be careful to avoid in snapping the ropes and then causing a devastating crash that could kill everyone, both on top of the elevator and inside the elevator.

Lea used a combination of his own Fire-balls that formed onto the blades of his Chakrams, tossing them at the Heartless he was facing that caused twice amount of damage before creating a much half-sized larger one and then switched out for his Keyblade, whacking it with the second weapon that bounced around seven of the Robot-like Heartless he was facing like a pinball game machine until all of the Heartless were gone and the attack stopped.

Terra and Isa thrusted their Keyblade at the two larger Robot-Heartless that were two times taller than them, first attacking it's dangerous laser arms while doing their best to avoid it, and then when the arms were gone, Isa switched out for his Claymore and thrusted it downward, hitting it head first and surprisingly not causing the elevator to shift, thankfully. Terra in the meantime used a D-Link with Ven and tossed his Keyblade at the Heartless's chest twice before whacking it with much of his strength to the side of the elevator, sending it falling below into the abyss.

Kairi, with little training sparing time with Aqua in the gummiship's simulator due to not being able to go anywhere else while also not crashing the vessel, elegently spun around her Keyblade, whacking the Heartless that came to her before jumping out of the way when another tried to attack from behind. She then casted Blizzard to freeze one before using her special Pink Orb of Light attack that send it flying beautifully and destroying not only the Heartless that tried to attack her, but also three others that were unfortunately in the same line as it was. With that done, she whirled while carrying her Keyblade with her and successfully sliced a cow-boy Heartless cleanly in half.

Mickey was spinning repeatedly while doing his somur-sault with his Kingdom Key-D Keyblade that did sever damage to the Heartless he was fighting before sending out golden Orbs of Light that instantly destroyed seven of them. The King wasted no time in hurrying over to Riku and Ven who both teamed up in thrusting their Keyblades at the Heartless they were facing, using the combination of thrusts, tossing their weapons simulationly, Ven using Blizzaraga to freeze three Heartless and smashing them into pieces, and Riku using Firaga to melt four Heartless before whacking them to the side where they too fell. The two teenagers and Mickey then formed in a circle and used their powers to spin around and around in a circle of light that defeated the Heartless that tried to get to them but were destroyed by the three Keyblade wielders.

Roxas dodge-rolled out of the way when a knife-armed Heartless attempted to slice him in half before he responded by whacking and slashing at the Heartless in his skilled combo before stabbing it backwards with his Keyblade as he remembered Elizabeth do a similiar skill back in the Caribbean. He then burrowed some of Xion's power and was able to summon her Keyblade with is left hand and preformed a double combo at five other Heartless, doing twice amount of damage with two Keyblades and then finished them off in an X like skill before Roxas returned the other Keyblade to Xion.

This allowed the former Replica to reclaim her weapon and continue her fight with the aid of Skuld and Aqua, as all three of them were facing quite speedy Heartless that gave them a bit of trouble, but there was nothing like the Stopza spell that couldn't do the trick. Xion leaped into the air and then thrusted her Keyblade downward that finished off two Heartless single handedly before swiping another quickly when it tried to give out a surprise attack. Aqua in the meantime twirled her Keyblade while glowing in white light before sending out a special attack of Rainbow Light that beautifully rained down at the Heartless and followed them no matter where they went until they were hit and severally weakened. It gave the Keyblade Master a chance to use her combo skills as well as the combination of Firaga, Blizzaraga and Thunderaga to finish them off.

Skuld in the meantime held out her Keyblade in front of her and then spun around and around and around while the tip of the weapon glowed and finally, while super careful not to hit anyone or anything else, a beam of light shot out like a glowing laser of blue light and as she spun, nine Heartless that tried to get to her were met and sliced in half by the power of her attack and sent into oblivion even before she was gone with the attack.

Jack just used his usual swords man skills, managing to slice a couple of heads of the Heartless off before dodge-rolling out of the way to avoid in being sliced in half. When several more appeared and he found himself a bit stuck, around thin metal disks were next to him to his right and then an idea came into mind. The pirate then picked one up and tossed it almost like a frisbee, successfully catching one off guard and causing it to stumble back and clumsily fell off the elevator, falling into the darkness below. Jack then used this distraction to kick another Heartless in the stomach while blocking it's claws with his Keyblade, sending it to fall after it's fellow Heartless in the similiar fate.

New Buzz found himself stuck and hiding behind part of the elevator's roof while Zurg continued to fire angrily until the former noticed several disks next to him which gave him an idea. Taking them, New Buzz stood up from his hiding place and tossed them like frisbees at Zurg who managed to block two, but was hit in the face by the third, causing him to cry out in agony and to look away. It gave New Buzz a chance to rest for a few seconds before making to attack again, only to pause when Zurg somehow disappeared...

But it was a distraction for himself as New Buzz found himself in the choking grasp of Zurg who suddenly appeared next to him, raising him high up, before attacking him while New Buzz was unable to defend himself, being smacked into the part of the elevator three times, which in doing so hit one of the toy's record bottons, twice before it could finish it's sentence.

" _Buzz-Buzz-Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!_ " Said the voice recorder.

"Come on! Hurry!" Buzz told his friends while the worldly travellers and New Buzz were busy fighting the Heartless and Zurg. The four other toys now stood in front of the emergancy shaft and made to open it.

Rex was just standing there, whimpering helplessly as he protested to four of his friends, "But Buzz, Sora and the others are in peril!"

Zurg by then had twirled New Buzz above him several times before tossing him to the side of the elevator where the latter layed, trapped and exhausted as Zurg now stood over him, preventing his escape.

"Surrender, Buzz Lightyear! Your new allies may have defeated my minions, I have won!" Zurg commanded, declaring his victory.

"I'll never give in." New Buzz argued, glaring with pure hatred at his enemy. "You killed my father!"

What Zurg said next sent him into pure shock and utter dismay, as it also shocked Rex as well, even though it was for a different matter.

"No, Buzz." Zurg said, softly this time but still not sorry. "I _am_ your father."

"Nooooo!" New Buzz cried out, feeling the crushing defeat for the first time in his life. He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true!

While the worldly travellers were almost done with the Heartless, Rex, not wanting New Buzz to give up, hurried over and pleadingly told his newer friend, "Buzz, you could have defeated Zurg all along! You just need to believe in yourself!"

To Rex's and soon Sora's group's horror, Zurg aimed the blaster right at New Buzz after turning it to full power(even though it wouldn't make much of a difference since it was just a flashy light with a plastic nob) and made for the killing blow. "Prepare to die!"

"NO!" Sora cried out, dismayed.

"Ah! I can't look!" Rex cried out, turning around since his arms were far too short to cover his eyes.

However, as it did, he unwittingly and accidently whacked Zurg with his tail, which caused the villian to wheel backwards and was unable to stop himself while Zurg slightly panicked. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Whoa!"

Too late to save himself, Zurg was rolled right off of the elevator's roof and fell.

"ARRRAGGGGHHHH!" Zurg yelled as he fell into the darkness below and apparently to his death.

When he realized what just happened, Rex stood over the side and stared down at Zurg's demise, unable to believe what just happened. In his accidental proneness, he actually did it for the first time in ages, except that it wasn't in the video game; It was in real life!

"I did it..." Rex said, unbelievably, before cheering happily to himself, "I finally defeated Zurg!"

"Well...that's one way to beat a bad guy." Lea commented as he joined Rex after all of the Heartless were defeated for now. He then smirked and said to the toy dinosaur, "Nice one, man."

"Thanks, Lea. You were right. It _is_ a huge difference between video games and reality!" Rex replied, turning to the redhead.

New Buzz on the other hand, despite having been saved and Emperor Zurg finally defeated for good, felt the sudden loss and could only mourn as he gazed below at where Zurg had fallen.

"Father..." He moaned.

* * *

While the fights were happening even though Al' had been fully unaware and was waiting impatiently to reach ground level, Buzz was holding Slinky's bottom as low as possible with both Potato Head and Hamm holding onto his legs as long as possible. Slinky, hanging while getting his angle right, swinged himself forward and successfully clipped open the case which allowed both Woody and Myde to open it and the two, seeing the Slinky dog, grab onto his paws to pull themselves out.

And they so close even as the elevator finally reached ground level, but the Prospector, having seen this, came back out of his box and angrily yanked them off with force which caused Myde and Woody to let go and pulled them back, shoving them back in while the case closed and resealed itself, while Slinky, being forced to let go, slammed face first into the wall.

When everyone else, even the worldly travellers saw this, they all jumped down though they ended up falling and landing on top of each other just as the glass doors were about to close. Seeing this, Mr. Potato Head had an idea and tossed his plastic black hat like a frisbee where it successfully blocked the doors from closing and leaving a gap large enough for everyone to race outside before he retrieved it while the doors closed behind as he was the last one out.

But they were too late as Al' was already driving off with their friends inside.

"How do we get'em now?" Donald asked, dismayed.

"Pizza, anyone?" Mr. Potato Head asked jokingly, as he noticed the answer to solve that problem.

Everyone else turned to where he was looking at and saw an old gurnished coloured car with a billboard sign that said "Pizza Planet" on top. The driver's seat door was open which meant the owner of the car wasn't going to be out for long.

"C'mon!" Mickey told everyone, taking the lead.

"Go, go, go!" Buzz instructed as he and Sora made to follow, only to stop in surprise when New Buzz ran backward and successfully caught one of the nerf balls that was thrown at him.

"Buzz, you coming with us?" Sora asked to New Buzz.

"No, I, I have a lot of catching up to do with my dad." New Buzz replied, somewhat childly before tossing it...right onto Zurg's head. Apparently Zurg survived the fall but has been rendered with amnesia and thus, did not remember in being evil at all. Only being a father to New Buzz.

"Good throw, son. That's my boy. Go long, Buzzy!" Zurg cheered proudly, before firing another nerf ball into the air in a new game of catch and throw.

"Oh, you're a great Dad! Yippee!" New Buzz cheered, happily and childishly hurrying to catch it. It made Sora and Buzz quickly understand and smile a fond goodbye.

"See ya." Sora waved.

"Farewell." Buzz smiled.

The two then quickly rejoined everyone else as they all hopped into the car and close the door shut, thankful that the car was still put into gear, which saved them from having to try and turn it on.

"Does anyone know how to drive?" Rex asked.

"Not me." Jack replied.

"Sora, help me steer." Buzz commanded, using a pizza box to make himself and Sora a bit higher so that they can hold the steering wheel before he continued, "Slink, Ven, you guys take the pedals. Rex, Goofy, you two can navigate. Hamm and Potato, operate the levers and knobs."

Mr. Potato Head, standing on Hamm's back, fiddled with the said knobs, only to turn on the air conditioning which blew onto the faces of Ven and Slinky who were both about to take the pedals.

"Whoa!" The two exclaimed at the cold air.

Just as both Goofy and Rex climbed onto higher part of the car at the front window, they and everyone else heard three unfamiliar, or familiar in Buzz's case, voices above them which caused them to look up and saw three small green little men squeeky toys in blue space suits, having three eyes and a single attenna each, hanging from the review mirror on a white string.

"Oooooh!" The three green men said in awe in seeing the group for the first time.

"Strangers." The first one said.

"From the outside." The second one said.

"Uh, hi?" Terra waved, awkwardly, while Kairi and Xion both thought the squeeky green toys were so cute, and even both Aqua and Skuld thought they were adorable, much to the discomfort of their companions.

"Oh, no." Buzz groaned in dismay, shaking his head as more memories came into his mind before shaking them off for now. They had friends to save.

"Hey, he's at a red light! We can catch'em!" Goofy said as Al's car stopped at the red light.

"Slink, Ven, now!" Sora quickly called out.

Both Ven and Slinky pushed hard at one of the pedals, but despite the jolt movement, the car remained firm and stuck into place, much to worry of everyone. It got worse when both Goofy and Rex saw that the light turned green and Al's car drove off.

"Ah! It turned green! Hurry!" Rex shrieked.

"Why won't it go?" Buzz asked.

"Use the wand of power." Three little alien toys instructed as they pointed at a stick with a metal ball on top.

"You mean this?" Jack asked, staring at the said 'wand of power' before shrugging and with the aid of Lea and Isa, the three of them pulled it to their right right up to the letter D that none of them noticed even now.

None the less, it got the car going in high speed and Sora and Buzz successfully managed to get onto the right side of the road though the car did drive right though the traffic cones that were in place, but the worldly travellers and toys had no time to worry about that. Due to the speed of the car, not only had the rest of the worldly travellers and toys had to hold on for dear life, but the passenger seat's cabinet opened and soon items landed on top of Lea, Donald and Hamm.

"Ouch-hey-Ow!/Ow-hey-OW!/Oh-ow-oh!" Donald, Lea and Hamm all grunted as the items bounced on their heads and onto the floor.

"Guys, which way?" Sora asked to Goofy and Rex.

"Left!" Rex instructed, before both Sora and Buzz turned to the left and onto the lane and directly behind Al' who was completely unaware that he was being followed. "I mean right!"

"Don't worry, left is right!" Goofy said, ensuring that they were on the right track.

"Buzz, he's turning left! He's turning left!" Rex hurriedly repeated as Al' turned to the left side of another road. Buzz, being on the left side of the wheel, jumped and bodily turned the steering wheel to the left.

But due to this and nearly dangerously put the car to it's side, the force of it loosened the string from the review mirror and the alien toys immediately knew they were in big trouble.

"Oh, oh boy!" They cried out, worriedly.

Mr. Potato Head, seeing this, quickly jumped and grabbed onto the string and held on as long as he could while standing on the opened window while the three alien toys were screaming and fearing that they were about to fall and be squashed, "Whoa-oa-oa-oa!"

"Geez, what kind of loser wouldn't have this mileage?" Lea asked as he, Donald and Hamm were reading through the car's manual guide that had fallen out of the conpartment.

"Oh, I seriously doubt he'd ever get it." Hamm commented.

"Sora! To the right! To the right!" Goofy cried out when Al' now turned to the right on another road.

This time Sora mimicked what Buzz did, but only in the opposite direction as the latter did moments ago. This time, it allowed Potato Head to pull the three alien toys back inside the car, but all three of them crashed onto the passenger's seat and the string becoming completely loose which allowed the latter toys to now move freely.

"You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful." The three alien toys said in gratitude, giving Potato Head the fallen right ear that fell out while the latter shook away the dizzy spells after moaning about it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever." Mr. Potato Head waved off as he thankfully reclaimed his ear and put it back into place.

The rest of the drive was straight forward because Sora and everyone else were heading right towards this world's airport. Despite someone outside announcing to anyone who was driving about the White Zone being used only for unloading and loading for a short time, they parked right in front of the glass doors at the boarderline checkouts and stopped the car.

"Gawrsh, fellers. We can't park here." Goofy pointed out as he and the others took a peak from the passenger side's window without being seen by the normal-sized people. "It's a white zone."

"There he is!" Mickey spoke up, spotting Al' who was putting the green case onto a conveyerbelt where all small bags and cases go into in order to board the plane.

"How can we get in without being seen?" Riku asked, doubtfully.

As the group looked for a way to sneak in, Kairi then spotted something caught her eye; a large pet carrier that was fit for a big dog or puppies. Or in this case, everyone that was currently in the car.

"I have an idea." Kairi announced.

* * *

Following Kairi's idea, everyone snuck into one of the large pet carriers and when no one was looking, with a hole made underneath Buzz, Sora, Riku and Terra, the four dragged it with the cage door closed and snuck onto the conveyerbelt next to to where Al' was standing and he was rudely and warningly telling the worker at the desk who was placing the green case onto it.

"Listen, Flight-boy, the contents of that case are worth more than you make in a year!" Al' told him.

The worker, while mentally groaning, patiently told the costumer that he understood, while they were completely unaware that Sora and everyone else in the pet carrier were waiting as they were being carried towards the entrance of the back somewhere.

"The Mystic Portal! Oooh!" The little alien toys, who had come along for the ride, said in awe.

"Okay, fellas. Once we get through, all we have to do is find the case." Mickey told the group, firmly and with determination.

As the group in the pet carrier were carried through the flippers of the entrance, there in for a huge shock as, right in front of them, were hundreds if not thousands of conveyerbelts going in all kinds of directions, up and down, side to side, going up like esculators, almost like zillions of rollercoaster rides that were all tangled up together. There were also thousands of different kinds of bags an suitcases in many kinds on every one of the conveyerbelts.

The sight made Mr. Potato Head gasp in utter horror and disbelief.

"...I am going to hate this." Jack muttered, seemingly terrified in blank shock.

Everyone then screamed when they were sent sliding down in high speed towards a lower conveyerbelt before they finally landed, but the impact caused the group to tumble out and land on top of each other briefly, groaning and moaning.

As Goofy recovered along with everyone else, he immediately spotted the case in a distance in front of them, and pointed out, "There's the case!"

"No, there's the case!" Donald pointed out as he spotted another case that was exactly the same as the one Goofy spotted on the conveyerbelt directly below them.

Seeing how some of them were finding it difficult which one to follow, Sora knew what to do. "You guys take that one, we'll take this one!" He instructed as he and Buzz hurried to the one in the distance, with Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Goofy and Slinky following them.

The rest of the group jumped onto the conveyerbelt below and hurried to catch up to their green case while some of the worldly travellers had to fight off Heartless that appeared and tried to stop them. Despite the annoying Heartless getting in the way, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Skuld, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Jack, Donald, Hamm, Potato Head, Rex and the three toy aliens managed to successfully reach their case and yanked it open.

"Myde! Woody!" Lea shouted...

Only to realise that it was the wrong one, because instead of Myde and the other toys they were expecting, all they found was high class Camera set. Everyone groaned in irritation and annoyance due to this, and now had to count on Sora's group to reach their case which was the right one.

"Oh, nuts!" Donald groaned.

"Bugger!" Jack cursed.

"Nice flash, though." Hamm admitted.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora and his group were running as fast as they could towards their case while running past and dodging other suitcases and bags that were in the way, and were fighting off Heartless that also appeared.

Unfortunately, bad things happened.

First, one flying Air-plane Heartless caught both Riku and Mickey off-guard, pushing them off from the conveyerbelt and onto the one below before the duo were forced to fight it as it came to confront them.

"Riku! Your Majesty/Mickey!" Sora, Kairi, Goofy, Buzz and Slinky cried out, worriedly.

"Just go and save Myde and Woody! We'll be fine!" Riku called up.

Despite the worry, the remaining five knew that he was right. So with a hesitated nod, the group continued on and hopped over another bag. But secondly, Slinky's back-legs got caught on the leather handles and got stuck. It only got worse when that bag was sliding to conveyerbelt to their right as he cried out in alarm.

"Whoa-oa!" Slinky cried out, causing the others to stop as well. "Guys! Guys! My back end's goin' to Baton Rouge!" as he tried to pull himself free but was unable to get a grip on time.

"I'll save you, Slinky!" Goofy hurriedly said as he hurried and grabbed onto Slinky's front legs, but was pulled along with his friend to the other conveyerbelt in full force.

"AHH!/YA-HOO-HOOEE!" Slinky and Goofy both cried out in alarm.

"Goofy! Slinky!" Sora, Kairi and Buzz cried out, horrified.

Despite wanting to hurry to save them, the remaining trio hesitatedly nodded and hurried to catch up to the case, knowing that their friends would have to catch up a little later. However, in front of them was a larger Heartless that materalized, taking the form of several suitcases on it's arms and legs, it's huge yellow eyes glaring down at them to stop them from continuing on.

"Back off!" Sora shouted as he and Kairi both summoned their Keyblades while Buzz also stood into place despite that Donald wasn't here to give him a magic boost to briefly turn his light-bulb into a real Laser. So he would have to rely on his karate-chop actions with his arms.

Sora, Kairi and Buzz jumped out of the way when the Heartless thrusted a fist downward and causing everything in the entire area to shake violently that briefly made the entire system stop and all of the conveyerbelts freeze in their tracks. Well, at least they wouldn't have to worry about being too late at the moment. The trio then attacked at it's arm while avoiding it's other arm in trying to grasp either one of them or all three of them combined.

Sora tossed his Keyblade like a boomarang at it's head, causing it to lean back while being hit twice again. The young Keyblade Master then used his Flowmotion and leaped up on it's chest before thrusting his weapon at it's face with series of combos and slashes and whacks, spinning his Keyblade forward like a baton that spun around almost freely in his hand, causing damage to it several times before leaping down and then attacks it's left arm when it tried to grasp Kairi who was busy whacking it's left leg severel times while jumping away to avoid in getting crushed.

Kairi then casted Fire that burnt off one of the attacted suitcases on it's leg, before thrusting her Keyblade once more at it before leaping out of the way and then switched to it's right leg, repeating the process until she successfully caused it to kneel forward on one knee, which gave her, Sora and Buzz, who had been punching, kicking and karate chopping at the Heartless each time he got up close without getting hit, a better advantage to keep on fighting while it was immobile for a short time as they hurried to defeat it. The trio all charged into it's chest and causing it to roar in agony before they quickly leaped back when it recovered slightly to stand up fully once more.

However, they realised too late when they were about to attack, the Heartless held out it's arms and then flared up at least ten suitcases at them that knocked Sora, Kairi and Buzz back almost five feet away. Despite this, they quickly recovered and Sora casted Curaga on himself and two of his friends to restore their strength and health. Just as Sora and his friends made to attack again, they suddenly found themselves engulfed and swallowed up by the grasp of the Heartless's hand that took form of a brown travel suitcase, sealing it shut and trapping them inside.

When Sora, Kairi and Buzz quickly saw that the Heartless was attempting to devour them into darkness by doing this, all three of them quickly whacked and slashed at the inside of their prison with both Sora and Kairi's Keyblades and Buzz's Karate Chop with most of their strength as fast as they could while getting some damage due to the Heartless slowly trying to swallow them up completely and at last successfully break free from the suitcase hand and leap out back onto the conveyerbelt. The impact of freeing themselves also caused more damage to the Heartless itself. Sora used this to his advantage by going into his Valor Mode and being able to use two Keyblade, double-comboing it as fast as he could.

Kairi and Buzz both attacked it's legs once more while Sora was doing this until they all got the same idea. First Buzz thrusted Sora up with his hands while giving the teenager a boost, which allowed the Keyblade wielder to shoot out a beam of light right at the Heartless's chest before landing next to Kairi who nodded before she materalized a large orb of pink light which Sora whacked right at it's face, weakening it even further despite it still standing firm and becoming more aggressive.

However, the Heartless found that due to the power of light from two Keyblade wielders, it was suddenly paralyzed and frozen and took weak to try to even move. This allowed Sora, Kairi and Buzz to finish it off with the combination of swordsman skills, magic, karate skills, and then finally Buzz chopped at it's right leg that caused it to stumble kneeling position once more and then Sora and Kairi jumped into the air and then with slashed at it's head and chest combined before finally using some of Sora's powers to help both of them levitate and as the two teenagers held hands despite blushing in doing so, held out their Keyblades as two beams of light shot out from their weapons and right through the chest of the Heartless where it fell backwards before disappearing before it could even land on it's back.

The heart floated free from the Heartless's chest and fading into the darkness along with it's body, disappearing forever. Because of the Heartless' defeat, everything in the area returned to fuction and all of the conveyerbelts moved once more. Quickly healing themselves with Sora's Curaga magic, the trio then hurried once more as fast as they could, continuing to dodge the normal luggage until finally they reached the green case as it was nearly at it's destination.

"Okay, guys! Let's go!" Buzz said to Myde and Woody as he and Sora unlocked and opened the case...

Only for the Prospector to emerge and punched Buzz squarely in the face, causing the latter to stumble into Sora and the two then cried out in alarm when they both tripped and fell backwards off the conveyerbelt, much to Kairi's horror.

"Sora! Buzz!" Kairi screamed out, running up to the side, horrified that her two friends had fallen to their deaths.

"They got what they deserved, little girl!" Prospector growled angrily, making to move out and push her over, "And you're goin' with them!"

"Over my dead body, Stinker!" Myde yelled angrily as he and Woody emerged and the former wrapped his arm around the Prospector's neck, attempting to choke him. As cold as it was, no one did that to his friends.

The Prospector, despite being choked, managed to bite onto Myde's arm, causing him to scream in agony before the former tossed him over him and crash onto the conveyerbelt.

"Hey! No one hurts any of my friends!" Woody growled angrily as he shoved his body onto the Prospector, where the two of them rolled out of the case that reclosed and the two rolled and struggled against each other to overpower one another until the Prospector managed to kick Woody off him.

The cowboy doll landed with a thud, while Myde summoned his Styer before he and Kairi who was just as angry with the evil toy attempted to thrust at the Prospector. To their shock, he managed to block them with his pickaxe before he kicked Kairi in the stomach that caused her to stumble back and then punched Myde in the face. The two of them were forced to stumble next to Woody and their weapons dismissed themselves.

The Prospector stormed up to them before using his pickaxe to re-tear the rip on Woody's right arm and despite that it could still move it, Woody cried out, horrified while Myde and Kairi both cried out his name.

"Your choice, boys." Prospector warned and ordered, refusing to allow either of to escape. "You can go to Japan together or in pieces. Woody, if he fixed you once, he can ya' again and you can be fixed as well, Myde. Now get in the box, both of you!"

"Never!" Myde and Woody chorused.

"I'm not letting you force anyone to do what you want against their will! Especially my friends!" Kairi told Prospector angrily as she quickly stood in front of them, her arms spread out to protect them both at the risk of her life.

"Fine! Then I'll finish you off first, brat!" Prospector said, preparing to kill the foolish teenage girl who despite the slight twinge of fear, stoof firmly in her place.

"Kairi!" Myde cried out, horrified.

Just before the Prospector could even do so, however, a familiar Kingdom Key-Keyblade came flying from above and knocked the Prospector's pickaxe out of his grasp before it returned to Sora suddenly came up to three of his friends and stood in front of them with his Keyblade in hand, glaring at the evil toy in front of them.

"If you want Kairi, Myde and Woody, you'll have to go through me!" Sora grunted, angrily.

"Sora!" Kairi, Myde and Woody cried out in huge relief, and the former actually feeling tears form in her eyes.

"You again!" The Prospector growled angrily at the teenaged young man. Before he could pick up his own weapon, however...

"Now, guys!" Sora called up suddenly.

At Sora's signal, suddenly flashes of blinking light stunned the Prospector who was blinded due to the constant flash that forced them to shield his eyes, as above all five of them were Buzz, the rest of the worldly travellers including Riku, Mickey and Goofy, and the other toys including Slinky were using the Camera set the other group found earlier before jumping down and landed on the other conveyerbelt.

With the Prospector being unable to see, he realised too late what happened when Terra appeared behind him and grasped him by the back of his shirt.

"No, you don't!" Terra smirked as he held a firm grip.

Despite being captured, with his sight quickly returning, the Prospector glared at all of Andy's toys, shouting, "Idiots! These fools were once children who like all children destory toys! You'll all be ruined, forgotten! Spending eternity rotting in some landfill!"

Myde leaned up close to the Prospector's eyes and said firmly, "That's not true for all kids, Stinky Pete. Sure toys don't last forever and neither do people...but guess what? Even museums don't last forever. For all you know, there might be an Earthquake and the museum caves in or somethin'. Besides that, if it weren't for Sora and the others here, none of us, not even _you_ would be here right now."

He then smirked and added, "And you'd be surprise that some kids keep their toys even when they do grow up and give them to their own kids to play with." before chuckling as he and the others knew what was coming up next.

"And speaking of children, I think it's time you learned the true meaning of playtime." Woody smirked, playfully pulling at the Prospector's face, before turning to something behind him and everyone else, "Right over there, guys!"

When the Prospector saw what Woody was pointing at, his eyes widened in sheer horror as everyone walked towards it with him trapped in Terra's grasp.

"No, no-ho! Nooooo!" The Prospector screamed in horror, but it was too late and his final fate has been decided.

* * *

The Prospect had been shoved into the front netting of a little girl's pink dolly back that slid out of the baggage room and right down to the pick-up conveyerbelt. The owner, a little girl being close to five years old, was holding a girl doll as she picked up her bag, and found, to her young gullible mind thought, it was a new toy given to her.

And boy was this doll ugly. But at least she had a new toy to play with.

"Look, dolly! A big ugly man doll! Ooh, he needs a make-over." The little girl squeeled while placing her plastic beautiful doll next to the Prospector in the net before placing the back onto her back.

The Prospector, coming to life, could only gasp worriedly.

"Hi!" The girl doll greeted, as her face was turned to the right. "You'll like Amy."

When she turned her face to face him, the Prospector gasped in shock when his new companion's face had the right side of her face painted on with a little mini colourful rainbow and a bunch of other make-up. "She's an artist." The girl doll said, dreamingly.

Doomed to his fate of having an owner for the first time and doomed to be decorated, the Prospector could only whimper and sob in despair while the little girl named Amy happily rejoined her parents.

* * *

"Ah ha, ah ha, ah ha ha ha!" Myde bursted out into a hysterical laughter as he and his friends watched the Prospector disappear to be a little girl's new toy.

"Well, that's one way to get rid of an old stubborn bad guy." Lea teasingly said, chuckling.

"Served him right." Isa smirked, amused.

"Oh man!" Myde laughed, catching his breath while wiping away tears of laughter that formed. "That's even better than him setting his butt on fire while trying to put out the fuse of the dynamite on the last episode of Woody's Roundup."

"He seriously did that in the show?" Isa asked, struggling not to laugh.

Lea on the other hand, chuckled while trying not to burst out into a hysterical laughter. "Not the brightest idea in the world."

"That's what I said." Myde smirked.

"Guys! Hurry!" Sora called up to the trio.

When Myde, Lea and Isa turned to see that all of their friends had successfully got Jessie and Bullseye out of the case, they were almost to the end of the road. Realising what it meant, the trio quickly rejoined them and stood on the sidelines of the platforms that weren't moving and watched as the now empty case save for the foam inside slid all the way down to be packed up to board the plane, while the workers were fully unaware of the events that unfolded.

"That was close!" Rex said, sighing in relief.

"I agree." Skuld nodded.

"Is everybody alright?" Mickey asked, and was relieved when everyone said that they were.

Well...physhically at least.

"I don't know what to do now." Jessie mumured, rubbing her arms nervously. Not only that the Prospector had betrayed her into a life that she realised wasn't meant for her, or Bullseye, or Woody, and also that Myde and his friends were not toys at all, though she still didn't understand how it was possible.

She got some comfort when Woody hugged her and, Jessie in response hugged him in return, as he was one of her true friends all along.

"It's okay, Jess'. It's time to take you home." Woody said.

Hearing this, Jessie backed away slightly and asked her greatest fear, "What if Andy doesn't like me?"

"Nonsense, Andy'll love you." Woody said, smiling, before adding as he also forgot another detail, "Besides, he's got a little sister."

"He does!?" Jessie asked, excitedly when she heard this. "Why didn't you say so? That's so great!"

"Glad to see that worry's already solved. Now Jess' can still be with her friends, have new cool owners and make new friends too." Myde smiled, happily, which surprised all of his companions who stared at him, stunned. This confused him at their expressions. "What?"

"Who are you and what've you done to Myde?" Lea asked, suspiciously.

Myde rolled his eyes, "Ah, c'mon. I may be a total slacker and most of the times a complete whimp, doesn't mean I don't care for any of my friends, both old and new."

Despite the surprising slight change in their mullet-haired companion, Sora and the others all smiled, rather proudly and happily at their friend. While his words while true, Myde had mutured due to his time being with Woody, Jessie and Bullseye and even had risked his life to go with to Japan as he didn't want to abandon the three of them, and even fought against the Prospector to save Kairi from being pushed over with Sora and Buzz.

"Ah, I'm just kiddin'." Lea laughed, giving the younger man a slight punch on the shoulder. "Ya' did great, Myde."

"For once, he's right. You sticked to Woody's side rather than going out on your own when he needed help the most." Isa said with a warm smile. "You were great, Myde."

"Besides that, you're a tough fighter too and a good friend." Sora added.

It was Myde's turn to be stunned, and when he glanced around at everyone who all nodded and/or smiled at him, he felt very emotional as tears began to well up in his eyes, though he tried so hard to avoid in having his feelings get the better of him.

"Oh, guys...that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me..." Myde sniffled and tried very hard not to cry.

Seeing how Myde was about to cry, Woody, in slight embarrassment, suggested to all of his toy friends, "Lets...go home."

* * *

Later that night when Sora's group and Woody's group returned to Andy's room by hijacking the suit-case cart from the Airport as it was their quickest transport, while the rest of Andy's toys were happily reunited with their friends, especially Woody and welcomed Jessie, Bullseye and even the three toy aliens(who couldn't stop giving their gratitude to Mr. Potato Head, much to his annoyance) to their new home. all of Andy's Toys made a welcome home sign as they piled up on Andy's bed while the worldly travellers hid underneath the bed to wait until Andy left the room for a short time to give their final goodbyes to their new friends as things were now alright in this exciting and fun world.

As on cue, a seven year old boy was happily singing to himself when he came running into his room, having short brown hair, a T-shirt with a Cowboy design, shorts, red shoes and a red cowboy hat, before he used a chair to climb up a shelf where his mother placed Woody onto days earlier when he left for Cowboy camp.

"Hey, Woody!" Andy, the boy greeted, only to be slightly saddened and confused when his favorite toy wasn't there. "Woody?"

As soon as he turned to see where else Woody was, Andy was greatly surprised and happily delighted where he saw all of the toys on his bed. Not knowing the full truth of the adventure that happened, the boy thought it was a welcome home toy party and what's more, give new toys were added; a Cowgirl, a Horse which Woody was riding on, arm still broken but that didn't faze him, and the three alien toys from the Buzz Lightyear franchise.

"Oh, wow! New toys! Cool!" Andy said happily, quickly grabbing Woody, Bullseye, Jessie and Buzz to quickly play with, calling to his mother outside of his room, "Thanks, Mom!"

The young seven year old happily played with all four toys with his very powerful imagination for at least half an hour until Andy's mother called down that dinner was ready. A bit disappointed to stop the game in his short time in being home, Andy obeyed and told all of the toys that he'll be back, as though they were actual people.

When he closed the door behind him, all of the toys came to life once more, while the worldly travellers came out from their hiding, all smiling.

"I like him. Fine young man. Very energetic." Jack admitted.

"You were right, Woody!" Jessie said happily, already contend to her new life despite being called Bazooka Jane, but even she liked that name. "Andy's better than Emily!"

"Told ya' he'd love you." Woody smiled.

"Ya' know, call me crazy, but Andy kinda reminds me of myself when I was a little kid." Sora spoke up, smiling warming after watching the seven year old boy happily play. Riku and Kairi both nodded in agreement.

"I think we can all agree that all kids are energetic." Lea chuckled.

"Welp, looks like things are alright now." Mickey said.

"Uh...almost." Riku couldn't help but comment.

Wondering what he was talking about, most of everyone turned to see that Mr. Potato Head was giving pleasure to Mrs. Potato Head by smooching her arm, until that moment is ruined when the three alien toys came up to them, and repeated their gratitude, which made him groan and mentally wished that the three annoying toys would just leave him alone.

"You saved their lives?" Mrs. Potato Head asked, stunned that her husband had done such a heroic and kind act, hugging him, "Oh, my hero!"

To his further dismay, Mrs. Potato Head was cooing at him and what she said finally possibly was the worst thing of his life.

"And they're so adorable!" Mrs. Potato Head hugged one of them before declaring as she already made up her mind, "Let's adopt them!"

"Daaaadddy!" All three of the alien toys squeeled happily like children, gathering around their hero who was now their adoptive father, hugging him.

"Oh, no." Mr. Potato Head groaned softly in utter dismay.

"Ooookay..." Terra muttered, freaked out now.

"That's so sweet. I'm so happy for them." Aqua said, smiling at the adorable scene.

"Oh, brother." Donald rolled his eyes at the scene, and felt sorry for Mr. Potato Head. Especially since he knew what was like to take care of triplets, like his own nephews back at Disney Castle.

Just then, Woody gave out a startled cry as his hat was glowing magically and floating off his head. While the toys were stunned by this strange event, the worldly travellers knew what this meant. With a nod, Sora materialized his Keyblade before holding out the weapon, the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from Woody's hat. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"Whoa, Nelly!" Slinky blinked, stunned. "What was that?"

"Don't worry. The world's safe from darkness now." Riku told them.

"Are you leaving?" Jessie asked, saddened as she and the other toys gazed at Sora's group.

"Yeah. Time for me and the others to go. Got other worlds to help out and all." Myde said, sad to leave this world behind.

"Thanks for all of your help, guys." Woody said, saddened but understanding.

"If you're able to, come back anytime." Buzz added.

"Will do!" Sora promised.

After sharing a fond goodbye to the living toys that had become their friends, the worldly travellers once more left Andy's room out of the window and once in a safe hiding place, teleported back to the gummiship to leave this world behind with a new lesson and fond memories, and flew off to another world that was calling out to them to continue on their quest to find the Book of Propchies, locate Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis, stop Aced from doing anything more risky and find a way to stop and defeat Chaos and if they had to, Bhunivelze to save the Realm of Light once more.

 _ **{Toy Mania}**_

* * *

 **A/N: And that's it for the Toy Story world! What world will Sora and his companions head to next, that's a mystery that's to be solved in the next chapter of this epic adventure!**

 **See you soon!**


	19. CH18: Another Keyblade Wielder

**Author's Note: WARNING: Major Spoilers: Might have to go back a couple of chapters in which Lamuria(Marluxia's Original) is, because his actual name is...well, let's just say that he's in Union X and his real name is revealed in that game. (Sweatdrops)**

 **Well, here's another new chapter and we're taking a first brief visit to another world before we enter the next Disney world. Oh yes, and this chapter will reveal a bit more spoilers too.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH18: Another Keyblade Wielder.**_

As Sora and his friends finally reappeared in the gummiship, the first thing everyone noticed was that they were back to their original forms and no longer in toy forms they were in for the last nearly 72 hours in Toy Mania, and it was such a huge relief to Jack and Lea.

"Ugh, finally. I missed my soft, normal hair." Lea moaned in relief, immediately running his hand through his hair's original soft but spikiness.

"I never want to be a toy ever again." Jack muttered, already feeling the huge difference in his normal form and having utterly disliked in feeling completely strange, which as the others had told him, was also known as plastic.

"Call me crazy, but it was kind of cool to be toy." Sora admitted, though like two of his friends, he was utterly relieved to be back to normal as well.

"You're crazy." Lea and Jack both chorused, giving the teenager skeptical and slightly incredious looks.

"At least that world is safe for now." Roxas shrugged. "So I guess it's onward to the next world, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

Having time to relax for a little while and Myde was telling Lea, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Sora, Kairi, and even Isa about what the show "Woody's Roundup" was like, having memorized most of the episodes, especially all of the hilarious moments of the Prospector which had them laughing as the images formed into their heads, especially since it more amusing when the evil Cowboy doll had definitely deserved the punishment back at the Airport in Toy Mania. Even Riku, Terra, Aqua, Mickey and Jack, who caught parts of the conversation, laughed at those moments.

"...And in the episode that was supposed to be the second last one of the series, Stinky Pete tried to put the fuse out by sitting on it, only to end up burning his butt and screaming about his biscuits burning." Myde concluded through laughter, which had most of the group burst out laughing.

"The show may be weird, but now I kinda wish I'd seen all of it." Roxas said through laughter.

"Never thought I'd hear a man who would try and sit on a fuse, because if that took brains...then he was obviously and incredibly, stupid." Jack commented.

Ven was about to comment when he noticed at the corner of his eye that Skuld hadn't been laughing during the entire conversation or Myde's retelling. In fact, she didn't seem to have even noticed, because the Keyblade wielder was gazing out at the cockpit window at the stars they were passing in the Gummiship. Suddenly feeling that something was up, the young wielder stood up and approached the young woman which the others noticed when he stood up.

"Hey, Skuld? What's wrong?" Ven asked, slightly concerned.

Apparently, she'd been in deep thought, but seemed to acknowlage Ven's approach.

"I just can't seem to figure out why he's so...familiar." Skuld admitted.

"Who?"

"Lamuria. The man whom we fought against in Arendelle."

This got everyone's attention at the mention of Marluxia's Original form they encountered outside of Elsa's Ice Palace in Arendelle before they entered Toy Mania.

"What's that s'posed to mean?" Lea asked, furrowing his brows.

"To be honest, I'm not sure." Skuld shook her head. "It's just...his name sounds similiar to another name that I'm struggling to remember, and his face and hair...it's strikingly familiar. Like as though...I've met him before."

"Hmm...Now that you mention it, I'm gettin' the weird sense of deja vu from that guy too. Maybe it's because my heart's been inside Sora's for so long and that when Roxas returned to Sora, I was able to see through his memories and see everything both of them were seeing." Ven admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Marluxia was one of first to have told me about the Heartless when I first joined the Organization couple of years ago. Then again, I never payed much attention to him and barely got to know him much since he left for Castle Oblivion." Roxas said.

"How was it that he came to this Organization XIII?" Skuld questioned to the others.

"Xigbar found him wanderin' around and convinced to join under Xemnas' orders." Lea shrugged, before adding, "Then when it came to Sora and Roxas, Marluxia and Larxene joined a secret coup to turn Sora into their puppet by using Namine's powers and use them both to overthrow him and take over the Organization. I was sent to find out the truth as a double agent when I was Axel."

"The Organization already suspected there were traitors, and I already had a feeling that Marluxia was one of them when I was Saix." Isa nodded, adding, "But other than that...none of us really know where he came from before he became a Heartless and a Nobody."

"He certainly liked plants and flowers, that's for sure. Everybody else sometimes called him the Graceful Assassin, and with a Scythe like his, I could see why." Myde shuddered.

"I still don't remember much about Castle Oblivion, but when we fought against Lamuria, I had this sense of deja vu in my head." Sora commented, in deep thought himself. "At that time, I saw a memory of myself on a path in the middle of the night...I think it was after we beated Xehanort's Heartless and closed the door to darkness."

* * *

 _ **Flashback: Beginning events of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories...**_

 _Two years ago...after the events of Kingdom Hearts..._

 _One night after the great battle, Sora sat up after seemingly having an unusual dream and saw that Donald and Goofy were sleeping and snoring away. Finding himself unable to sleep, the teenager stood up before deciding to take a bit of a walk while his mind was that on finding Riku and King Mickey._

 _When Sora came to stop at a crossroads of four paths and stares into the sky, an unfamilair man's voice suddenly alarmed him into defence mode._

 _"Along the road ahead lies something you need."_

 _Sora quickly whirled around, but found no one. Just as he thought on who was it that was behind him, he suddenly sensed something behind him once more and quickly turned around, this time seeing an unfamiliar man in a black coat, standing in front of the middle road. He had a hood one, so Sora couldn't see his face._

 _"However-in order to claim it you must lose something that is dear to you." The man continued before strangely disappearing into thin air, leaving Sora stunned and confused._

 _Who was that guy, and where did he come from?_

* * *

End of Flashback.

"...Not sure why, but I think...that was Marluxia leading me to Castle Oblivion." Sora concluded, now concerned.

"Yeah, totally was him." Lea sighed, shaking his head. "Wasn't me, or Larxene, and definitely not Vexen, or Zexion or Lexaeus."

"But if Marluxia is back as Lamuria, why did he attack us?" Kairi asked, worriedly. "If he has his heart back, what is he really doing?"

"Maybe it's how Dulor betrayed us back at Port Royal." Mickey thought, concerned while having the helm of the Gummiship. "I mean, how can we know about the rest of the Organization before we beat 'em?"

"Braig, Dulor and Lamuria...what could they be thinking?" Isa thought.

"Let's see...Me, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Mar', Dulor, Braig, Lexaeus, Xaldin, Vexen, Xemnas, Zexion, Larxene..." Myde counted, before blinking worriedly, "Well, so far most of us are doin' the right thing, right? The ones who were really nasty are Xehanort, Lamu-whatever it is, Dulor and Braig were bad guys right?"

"What are you on about?" Donald asked, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Well, Larxene always had a bad and scary temper, I'm just wondering if she's gonna be in the bad guy catagory too." Myde answered.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case." Lea agreed, though a little surprised that Myde had actually come up with something that they may have to watch out for.

"If you ask my experience, the mind of a woman is always difficult to make out." Jack commented, sourly.

"Coming from a man who gets on women's nerves no matter what he does." Riku rolled his eyes.

Despite the slim possiblity of encountering Larxene's Somebody, Sora and his friends couldn't help but feel like they would end up encountering her none the less, and most of them somehow sensed that there was a possiblity that shecould be another one of their future enemies during this adventures, but no one knew when or if it would happen.

Just then, the Gummiship's rader than blared, getting everyone's attentions as they all gathered around Mickey who along with Goofy and Aqua fiddled with the map, just as another world came up to them. It had a tall clock tower, with a train tram running, and from what most of them could make out, it had a sunset of red, orange and yellow.

In an instant, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Roxas, Xion, Lea and Isa immediately somehow recongised it.

"I know that world!" All ten of them exclaimed in unison.

"You do?" Jack asked at the ten of them, puzzled. First time they arrived in a world that is familiar to Sora and the others, not like the previous three such as Kuzco-Topia, Arendelle and Toy Mania.

"Let's make landing and see for ourselves." Mickey declared to everyone.

* * *

 _ **{Twilight Town}**_

The moment the sixteen worldly travellers appeared via teleport from the gummiship, they gazed around at in a large area of a couple of trains. Sora and his friends then ventured out and into the familiar area where it overlooked the rest of the town and a forest, and the familiar warm sunlight of twilight. It was then Sora and most of the others knew where they were.

"It's Twilight Town!" Donald exclaimed happily.

"Gawrsh, sure brings back good o'l memories, huh?" Goofy thought.

"You're tellin' me." Lea said, fondly as he, Roxas and Xion all gazed up at the Clock Tower with smiles on their faces, as memories came into their minds; the times when the three of them would just at the top in front of the clock on the edge, eating Sea-Salt Ice Cream, having conversations, and watch the sunset.

"I sure miss those days just sitting up there, eating ice cream with you guys." Roxas said.

"Me too." Xion agreed.

"You use to go up to that clock tower above us?" Terra asked, curiously.

"Yeah. Right after our missions, we used to go up there and hang out." Roxas answered, "Especially watching the sunset."

Aqua smiled, "Well, you're not the only ones. I miss the days when Terra, Ven and I would sit together in the Land of Departure, and gaze up at the stars." as both Ven and Terra nodded in agreement.

"Sounds just like how me, Sora and Riku would sit by the Papou Tree at home to watch the sunset and sunrise on the island." Kairi said, with a warm smile.

"Gosh, I guess we all have fond memories that are always within our hearts." Mickey thought.

"Yeah, and when this is all over, we're all gonna live in peace and if we're able to, visit each other to share more good times, without the worry of Heartless and bad guys." Sora said with determination for a brighter future.

The moment of Sora's speech came to a sudden halt when Heartless appeared in front of the group, much to their annoyance and forced them to bring out their weapons once more.

"Speaking of Heartless..." Isa sighed, exasperated.

However, before the group could even make a move, all of the sudden, they heard an unfamiliar female voice yelling out as suddenly the Heartless in front of them, striking the Heartless with surprising ease before unleashing the power of light that oblierated the rest of the monsters. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Jack, Myde, and Skuld were astonished by the skill of an familiar young woman who had long orange ginger hair tied up in two loose ponytails, a white short skirt dress with long loose sleeves, white matching boots that went up to her knees, blue eyes, and a Keyblade that looked similiar to Skuld's, except that the teeth were a crystal like star-snow flake with a matching key-chain, and the hilt around the handle were shaped like feathered wings.

The group were so distracted by the new girl's appearence and her skills that they didn't notice another lone Heartless appearing behind them only for it to be eliminated by an arrow just when they turned around to hear it's demise. They then turned to see another unfamiliar young woman, with strawberry blonde hair that hanged on her left shoulder in a small side-ponytail, and an outfit of pink and white with grayish blue gloves, and long socks that went up to her thighs, and purple shoes. In her hand is a crossbow in a very strange design.

"Is everyone alright?" The pink-haired girl asked to the group.

"Uh...yeah." Sora replied, awkwardly.

"We were just about to fight those things, but thanks, anyway." Lea said, shrugging with one shoulder, as he and everyone else, including the two new women all dismissed their weapons. To his and the rest of the group's surprise, instead of the pink-haired woman's weapon vanishing, it turned into...a Moogle?

On top of that, as the other girl dismissed her Keyblade, a strange creature poofed from a dust of cloud. It looked a stuffy toy cat with beady blue eyes, wearing a pink cape and wearing a pouch with a star design on it. Skuld's eyes widened at the sight of the little cat.

"That sure took care of the Heartless. Great job, guys!" The little cat praised in an adorable voice to the two new girls who nodded.

"What!? It talked!" Donald exclaimed, surprised, as were everyone else.

"It's so cute!" Kairi cooed, and Aqua and Xion agreed with her.

"...Chirithy?" Skuld asked, stunned, immediately recongising the little cat.

Chirithy, the little cat, seeing Skuld, tilted it's head before saying, "Oh! You must be Skuld! It's really nice to meet you."

"One of the Keyblade wielders of the past. So they really are here." The ginger-haired girl said, thoughtfully.

"I guess that means these people are the ones who are also trying to solve the problem with the Heartless, right?" The pink-haired girl asked, approaching the group with the Moogle.

"...Did I hit my head or something?" Myde asked, cluelessly. To his surprise, the Moogle hovered over to him and examined him before it hovered back to the other girl.

"Nope. Your head is just fine, Kupo." The Moogle said.

"What is going on?" Sora asked, confused.

"Wait, if you have a Chirithy with you, and you know who I am...you must've been brought here as well." Skuld said the ginger-head. "Did you get lost in the Realm of Darkness too?"

"...It's complicated with me, but I guess you could say I was lost to darkness. My name is Strelitzia. Nice to meet you." The girl, Strelitzia, replied and introduced herself. "This is my Chirithy."

"Nice to meet you, everybody!" Chirithy greeted.

"And I'm Serah. This is Mog." The pink-haired girl, Serah, introduced herself and the Moogle nicknamed Mog.

"Nice to meet you, Kupo!" Mog said.

Seeing that all four of them were friendly and had light in their Hearts, Sora's group decided they can be trusted for now.

"I'm Sora, and this is Riku, Kairi, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Myde and Jack." Sora introduced himself and the rest of the group who all gave their own greetings to Strelitzia, Serah, Chirithy and Mog.

"Strelitzia, you said that you were lost to darkness and according to Skuld, you came from the same place she did. What are you doing here?" Aqua questioned to the new Keyblade wielder.

"I honestly don't know." Strelitzia shook her head. "As such, all I know is that someone brought me and my Chirithy back to life after we were both struck down. I didn't understand how or why, but I do remember a voice. It was...strange yet comforting. It sounded like a woman, but all I remember was being surrounded by light, and I could hear it say, ' _It's time to give you a second chance. Rebuild your life. Help others, and then you will be able to live in peace_ '. That's when I found myself in another world, and met Serah."

"A voice and a light..." Sora repeated, before he and most of the others realised what it meant. "That means..."

"It was Cosmos." Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Kairi, Riku, Aqua, Ven, Mickey, Donald and Goofy all finished for Sora.

"You know who that is?" Strelitzia questioned.

"We have a hunch on who saved you and brought you back. See, from what we learned so far a little while back, Cosmos is a Goddess of Light." Sora explained.

"With the help of a certain something, Cosmos is the one who had brought me back a year ago." Lea added, "It's a long story."

Strelitzia looked a bit skeptical.

"I think they might be right." Serah spoke up, standing by Strelitzia's side. "It could also explain the same voice I heard that brought Mog back to help me."

"You were told to help too?" Xion asked.

"Yes. I was living off a normal life, but one day, a voice came in my dreams. I can't say much, but it told me that something I once knew before was coming back, and I had to be strong, especially since my older sister vanished. That's when I met Strelitzia and Chirithy and reunited with my friend, Mog." Serah explained.

"Gosh, sounds like ya' both went through a lot. That means you all came from another world." Mickey realised.

"It's more of the case that like me and Ventus, Strelitzia and her Chirithy came from the same world before the Keyblade War." Skuld corrected, before adding, "I never thought I'd see any of the Chirithy's again, not when mine is gone."

"Wait a minute. Your Chirithy?" Sora asked, confused.

"They only lasted two years, unfortunately. But each Keyblade wielder back then had their own Chirithy to guide them on their journey. Sort of like supporters and eventually they become our close friends." Skuld explained, "But if a Keyblade wielder dies or falls into darkness, their Chirithy suffers the same fate."

"It's an awfully sad thing for us. But we accept it as well as being there for our wielders and friends." Chirithy added to confirm it.

"So how come you came back too?" Ven asked to the little cat.

"I don't know. I guess I'm a special case." Chirithy shrugged.

"At least you're not a talking toy." Jack mumured.

"Jack!" Sora and the rest of the group scolded angrily at the pirate who shrank back a little, holding his hands up in surrender.

"That's not very nice." Mickey scolded angrily to Jack.

Strelitzia, Serah, Chirithy and Mog all shared somewhat awkward glances, before Mog muttered, "He's...awfully odd, Kupo."

"Join the club." Lea sighed.

"So what brings you guys here to Twilight Town?" Terra asked, after a moment of awkward silence.

"We thought there might be clues here in this town. We were just on our way to the forest where rumors say a mansion is when we sensed the Heartless and came here first instead." Strelitzia replied.

"The old Mansion..." Aqua repeated.

"Hey, ya'know. Maybe we'll find somethin' there to clues to stop Chaos and Maleficent too." Goofy thought as an idea came into his head, which surprised the rest of the group who all realised that he's right. Ansem the Wise used that place, and since there were still mysteries of it, maybe they can find the Book of Prophecies there.

"Good idea, Goofy." Mickey said, agreeing.

"Hey, why don't we all go together since we're going to the same place?" Xion suggested.

"Are you sure it's alright?" Strelitzia asked, slightly surprised.

"Sure. The more the merrier." Sora said with a grin, placing his hands behind his head. "Most of us know the way anyway."

Strelitzia, Serah, Mog and Chirithy glanced at each other again. Sora and his friends seemed really nice people with many personalities. The way things are going, perhaps they are who the voice instructed them to help in the first place. After a few moments, the four of them nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Let's go." Strelitzia said, holding out a hand with a smile. Sora chuckled, and shook hands with her with his own, in which everyone else all smiled while Mog and Chirithy both cheered happily.

* * *

While fighting off the Heartless through out Twilight Town and a shopping for a few supplies as they were running low on Potions, food and such, Sora and his group, along with Strelitzia and her group ventured on towards the old Mansion which most of them haven't visited in a long while. Though the closer they got to it, the more Lea, Roxas and Xion felt a bit uncomfortable, especially since that place is where Lea, as Axel, had defeated Xion in a heavy battle and that's when he lost her just as Roxas had lost both of them that day. It was admittedly the one place they wanted to avoid, but their friendship along with Isa and Namine would not change; not now.

The group reached the clearing and stopped in front of the familiar large old building, with a stone fence and a caged gates again locked. All in all, it was still as the same as Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Roxas and Xion remembered.

"Charming spot." Jack admitted.

"This is where Ansem has the computer that helped us get to Organization XIII's stronghold." Mickey explained, remembering the last time he and the others were here a year ago.

"Ansem?" Serah asked, confused.

"Organization XIII?" Strelitzia added, puzzled.

"Who're they?" Chirithy asked, sounding confused itself.

"Ansem the Wise was the Elder of a place called Radiant Garden and well, me and him were real good friends." Mickey answered Serah's question, before sighing in sadness as memories of Ansem's death resurfaced the moment he said that. "But...he sacrificed himself to help us, so...he's gone."

"I'm sorry, Mickey." Serah apologuised. She knew what was like losing someone close to her.

"Nah, it's okay." Mickey replied.

"As for Organization XIII...well, they were led by Xehanort, who is the reason behind this whole mess that got all of us caught up this since twelve years ago." Terra began. "He wanted to know about the Keyblade War, and wanted to recreate it. He used me as a vessel, tried to use Ven, and forced Aqua to sacrifice herself."

"And then he split himself into a Heartless while creating his Nobody. Short version, Sora and the others had to stop him several times until just a little while ago. We were all involved in many ways." Isa continued for Terra.

"The main reason for Organization XIII was, well, for Xehanort to split his heart and put twelve pieces of it into the rest of the members and turn them into clones of himself, while having lied to those said members about getting their Hearts back, since it was easier to do it when they're Nobodies." Lea added.

"How is it that Xehanort was able to do such a thing? It's impossible!" Strelitzia asked, shocked at this.

"We think it might've have something to do with his Keyblade which is the most unusual. Sora and I destroyed both of them and well, it's a really long story. But at the same time, the moment Xehanort was defeated, Chaos appeared." Riku answered.

"Chaos...? Are you saying that-?"

"Let me answer the true answer of that." A familiar voice cut Serah off, when most of them sensed the sudden pressence of Darkness in front of them, causing everyone to sharply gaze at the gates of the Mansion, finding that a familiar man in purple and black standing right there, glaring at them. "Loud and clear...Serah."

"You!" Sora growled, he and his friends quickly standing in defense.

"Who're you? Have I threatened you before?" Jack asked, puzzled.

Serah on the other hand, gasped in shock, her eyes widening. "Caius! What are you doing here?" She demanded.

This was newflash to Sora and his group who gazed at Serah and Strelitzia who both also glared hard at Caius Ballad who didn't seem anymore impressed at all either.

"Hold on...you know this whacko?" Myde asked, in disbelief.

"Oh, they go back much longer than any of you know." Another, slightly more charming voice that was unfamiliar spoke, causing everyone else to gaze in front of them again, when another man materalized from the Darkness. This man had magenta hair, a black oldish hat with a black coat, black leather pants and boots, a white shirt underneath which parts of his upper chest was seen, hazle eyes with very thin invisible beard.

"So, you are Sora and his little army. Now joined by two of the old wielders of the Keyblade, still looking quite young." The man chuckled, mockingly.

"Who are you?" Aqua demanded to the strange new man.

"Oh, do pardon my manners, miss. Ardyn Izunia." The man, Ardyn, introduced himself, bowing slighlty as though he were being polite upon this greeting. "Quite a crowd, all of you. It's no wonder you've met so many."

"...Doesn't ring a bell." Jack said to Ardyn.

"What is it that you're both after? How is it any of our fault with what is happening, when it was the one who predicted the Keyblade War in the first place?" Strelitzia demanded to both Caius and Ardyn.

"You all broke the sacred laws of the Chaos. Instead of doing as history should have done, history has changed when one of you unexpectedly formed into two humans when one should never have existed." Caius explained, taking a few steps forward, before pointing at Sora directly, "That person at fault is you, Sora."

Sora was shocked and confused. It was...all of his fault that Chaos appeared? Sure Roxas never meant to exist, but Sora knew that Roxas did deserve to exist and it was because of Roxas that Sora had been able to save Axel from dying and fading into Darkness and thus, it helped him regain his heart and become Lea once again. If that didn't happen...then Roxas and Xion would've still been inside Sora, Ven's heart would've still been in his own heart, Terra and Isa would've both still be in Xehanort's clutches, Aqua would've still been in the Realm of Darkness along with Skuld, and even Namine would've still been inside Kairi.

Shaking those thoughts away, Sora glared harder at Caius, pointing out, "You're crazy! The one who's at fault at this whole mess is Xehanort and he's gone now! My friends and I fought long and hard to stop him from creating another Keyblade War, and we managed to save those who needed saving!"

"Are you certain it's the right course?" Ardyn grinned evilly as he took a few steps to stand beside Caius. "Death is a permament thing, and you should know it. For example."

He turned his gaze to Roxas, Xion and Lea, continuing, "The friendship of those three was never meant to be, and and it's because of Lea that he held back the truth from the two young ones. How could be they trust him if he betrayed them before?"

"Shut up!" Roxas snapped angrily.

"And you," Caius turned his gaze to Aqua. "You acted on instinct rather than focusing on your true destiny. You are at fault for keeping Xehanort alive for the sake of your friendship with Terra."

"Stop it!" Aqua shouted, struggling not to let that lingering guilt get the better of her.

"And last but not least...you, little King." Ardyn smirked as he gazed at Mickey this time. "What kind of king would leave his subjects to help another while going out to try and solve the problem, already having failed to save others and left his Kingdom defendless?"

"Stop!" Mickey screamed, struggling himself.

"Who knows? Maybe all of you are what brought Chaos to life because of your own actions? Maybe things would've been better off in Xehanort's clutches. But you have killed him! The one who could've saved the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness, rejoining the two to recreate the world back to it's former glory!" Ardyn continued mockingly.

"STOP IT!" Serah shouted, with Mog already turning into her bow and Arrow, firing two arrows at the two men to get him to shut up. Unfortunately, Caius summoned his massive sword and swiped at the two arrows clean, shattering them into pieces.

Still, that didn't stop Serah from yelling, "No more lies! Caius, this isn't like you! What happened to protecting the Dead? Everything that you forced me and Lightning to go through? Are you trying to repeat what you forced me to do, to force Sora and his friends onto the wrong path?"

"You already nearly had me down the wrong path, Caius and Ardyn. I refuse to let you both do the same to these people. They have been doing the right thing as I can sense. They only got involved because they didn't have a choice, because they didn't know any better." Strelitzia added, glaring heatedly at the two men.

This was enough for Sora and the others to snap out of the trances that they all nearly became engulfed in with guilt and sudden lies they almost believed, and instead glared at the two new enemies once more.

"Fine." Ardyn shrugged carelessly. "You two finally beat us in that catagory. But do you really think you all have what it takes to bring peace to the Realm of Light?"

"Don't think you're off the hook, Ardyn. I still have doubts about you." Caius growled warningly at Ardyn who smirked.

The magenta haired man grinned, "Now, Caius. Would I really go and betray you?"

Caius snorted, "If I find out you were in the league of another behind my back, I will not hesitate to kill you myself."

There was a tensed silence for a few moments.

"Well, I think we shall take our leave. We will meet again, Sora." Ardyn finally said, before he vanished into a Corridor of Darkness that appeared behind him.

Before he followed, Caius glared at Sora's group and the others again, saying for the final time, "None of you have what it takes to defeat Chaos. This is a war of gods that will begin soon. The next time we meet, it will be in battle." before entering the portal and vanished as the Corridor of Darkness also vanished into thin air.

Relaxing a little when they realised that the two strange men were gone for now, Sora and everyone else shared concerned and slightly terrified glances.

"Whoa...that was scary." Myde thought.

"I really don't like them already. They remind me too much of Beckett." Jack nodded in agreement, shuddering a little at the memories of the lord of the East Indian Trading Company.

"That Ardyn guy reminds me too much of Xemnas." Lea shuddered, still feeling admittedly scared for almost falling for the man's tricks. What scared him even more was that Ardyn was right about a few things, but still, the blame for everything that's happened is Xehanort's.

"How is it that you all know those two men?" Skuld asked to Strelitzia, Serah, Mog who returned to his Moogle form, and Chirithy.

"It was a few months ago when we first encountered them. Back then, they tried to get me to fall into the despair of guilt. No one knows Ardyn Izunia or where he originally came from. But he is very manipulative and dangerous. Makes you think his words are true." Strelitzia explained first.

"Sounds like Xehanort." Terra sighed, and Lea, Roxas, Xion, Isa, Mickey, Riku, Sora, Kairi, Ven and Aqua both nodded in agreement.

"What about Caius?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

Serah looked uncomfortable, before eventually saying, with slight hesitation, "He's the reason why I was seperated from my sister. A long time ago when the actions he did had costed so many lives, he redeemed himself by sacrificing his life to be in a place where he could watch over the dead to guide them in a place that is forbidden to reach to those who are still living. It's...very complicated."

"I feel like my brain's turning into goo." Myde groaned.

"That's weird. Wonder why none of us knew about those guys when they would've joined Xehanort?" Sora thought, concerned and worried.

"Maybe it's because they're in another group, like Maleficent and Pete weren't working for Xehanort and Organization XIII, and Aced too." Mickey theoried.

"Wait, did you say Aced? Master Aced is here?" Strelitzia asked, stunned and shocked.

"Sora and the others encountered him a while back in another world. He has Mickey's mentor and two others captured and is another who is a worry to the Realm of Light. He...isn't who he once was." Skuld answered.

"I think we should investigate the Mansion and see what we can find. So many things are happening, even I don't know what is going on here." Chirithy suggested to everyone else.

Everyone nodded in agreement before heading through the gates of the mansion, though Mickey lingered behind and ended up pausing in his steps all together. Despite knowing that Ardyn had been trying to get to his weakness and trick him, Mickey was still haunted by the man's words. The blame was squarely on Xehanort's shoulders, but the king couldn't help but feel like part of this was his fault too.

Mickey felt his heart sink slightly. Even though he had to be strong and take on the role of being wise, he didn't think he was doing a good job at it. Was he really worthy of having the title of Keyblade Master?

"I wish Master Yen Sid were here." Mickey muttered to himself.

"Is everything alright, Mickey?" Aqua's voice jarred him out of his thoughts, before looking up and realised that his friend had noticed that he lingered behind and stopped all together, and, having been worried, she came back to him and was now kneeling to his height of level.

Sighing, remembering another thing that he failed at, Mickey replied, "I'm sorry, Aqua. Everythin' I did was a complete mess. Gosh, what happened twelve years ago is the biggest mess I ever made in my entire life. I couldn't save ya, twice in a row, I couldn't help to save Ven or Terra...and I wasn't strong enough to stop Xehanort, and ended up having Sora, Riku and everybody else get involved."

"It's not your fault." Aqua pointed out, feeling the similiar guilt as her friend was feeling; unable to support Terra when he had needed it, unable to protect Ven, unable to keep her promise she had made to Master Eraqus, unable to stop Xehanort from using her best friends and murdered their master, and had unwittingly allowed Xehanort to continue the terror for those twelve years in her attempt to save Terra from being lost in the Realm of Darkness by taking their place.

"...I let Xehanort to continue to do what he wanted...and I wasn't able to be there to stop him. It's my fault that you had to continue my fight, and ended up having Sora, Riku and Kairi finish what we started, and getting so many others involved; Lea, Isa, Myde, Donald, Goofy...and all of the worlds who had enough problems of their own. If I didn't do that, Terra would've been lost, but none of this would've happened. I just...I didn't want to lose him, but in the end, I still did, and even though we're all back together now...the Realm of Light is still facing grave danger." Aqua continued, the guilt slowly starting to get the better of her.

"I don't wanna blame ya' Aqua. All I want is to blame Xehanort...but it's not easy. I wish I wasn't so blind and naive." Mickey muttered, struggling not to cry. "It's worse when Master Eraqus was struck down, and Ansem sacrificed himself...and now Master Yen Sid is out there somewhere, in Aced's clutches with Angeal and Genesis."

"I guess we all made mistakes we're not proud of." Aqua sighed. "But still...we shouldn't dwell in the past that we can't change."

These words instantly hit Mickey out of his saddened trance. That would be something Sora would say. They all had the problems with Chaos and all of the villians and here he was blaming himself for something that can't be undone, when he and Aqua should be focusing on fixing up the mess that's happened and prevent the Realm of Light from being destroyed by the hands of Chaos and Bhunivelze.

"Ya' know, you're absolutely right." Mickey said, renewed determination growing, "The worlds need Sora and all of us, and so do all of our friends and families who are out there waiting. Besides, you, Ven, Terra, Lea, Isa and Myde were given a second chance, and I'm gonna do in all of my power to make sure none of ya's or anybody else get lost into darkness again."

Mickey's words had also renewed Aqua's determination as well. This was the Mickey she remembered; the one who was optimistic, determined, kind and brave, and also adventurous as well.

"Right." Aqua nodded.

"But um, just promise me one thing." Mickey added, a little sheepishly.

"Huh?"

To Aqua's slight surprise, Mickey wrapped his arms around her shoulders and neck as his face was slightly buried on her right shoulder in a hug, "Please don't go away again. I don't wanna lose ya' or Ven, or Riku, or Sora, or Kairi, or Donald and Goofy, or anybody else again. I don't think my heart can bear it."

"...I'll do my best not to." Aqua whispered, returning the hug as her arms wrapped around her friend's small but warm body.

Unknowingly to both of them, Lea, who had noticed Aqua having gone back to Mickey, had listened in to their conversation from the doorway of the mansion and sighed, guilt but determination mixed up in his own heart. Aqua was was; they all made mistaked none of them in this team were proud of, but Mickey was also right about oen thing; it's up to them and especially up to Sora to protect the worlds and stop the enemies as much as they can.

* * *

 _Half an hour later..._

"Nope." Sora muttered to himself as he looked through another room for the fourth time in a row since they started investigating the Mansion for clues. He and the others didn't know what Mickey, Aqua and Lea had been doing a little while ago, but neither of them questioned it.

Mickey pulled out a book from a shelf in the library and took a quick read before shaking his head, muttering, "Nope." putting the book back and continued looking.

"Hmm..." Lea thought as he checked one of the lower rooms, before shaking his head, "Nuh-uh." and headed back to the main stairway room.

Everyone else had been searching the entire mansion all over the place, but it seemed that despite all of the books and memories, they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Eventually they all gathered in the computer room where the teleporter to the simulation Twilight Town was still in place, and Roxas couldn't help but glare at it, sighing.

"...Guess this is a dud." Myde grumbled, disappointed.

"What about through that door?" Serah asked, pointing at the doorway next to the computer to the left next to the staircase where they came from.

"Nah, that just leads to the capsule room. Nothing interesting or useful that way." Lea sighed.

"What does this thing do?" Chirithy asked, gazing at the teleporter.

"That leads to the Alternate Twilight Town. It's basically the same as the real Twilight Town. I don't think it'll help us out either." Mickey answered.

"Alternate Twilight Town?" Strelitzia asked, confused. Jack, Ven, Aqua, Terra and Skuld were confused as well.

"It's just a simulated version of it." Roxas began, "Ansem put me in there to hide from Organization XIII and to help Sora."

"What's simulated?" Jack asked, dumbfounded.

"It means a digital copy of something that looks real but it isn't. It can even feel real when you touch it, but it's all basically done by technology." Isa explained to the pirate.

"Don't you think there might be another secret door or something? There has to be something we can find to help us out." Kairi thought, not wanting to admit defeat, but at the rate they were going, it was starting to seem like it.

"Gee, the only way to find the secret door is not knowin' it's actually there." Goofy shrugged, while leaning against the wall next to the staircase with one hand, only to suddenly hear an unusual sound when his hand unknowingly pushed a secret function plate which then caused the wall to slide downward and disappear, causing the Captain of the Knights to suddenly realise that the wall was no longer there and fell sideways down the hidden stairs clumsily while crying out in alarm.

"Goofy!" Sora cried out, worriedly, as he and the rest of the group cringed and winched in sympathy and worry as their friend tumbled down the stairs until they heard a crash and thud which told them that Goofy had stopped tumbling.

Without hesitation, everyone raced down the stairs into the dark room, where they found Goofy having crashed into a bookshelf where books and wards of paper landed slightly on top of him and all over the floor, and Goofy himself seeing stars circle around his head.

"Are you okay, Goof'?" Mickey asked worriedly as he, Sora, Donald and Kairi went over to him, while Myde found a light switch and switched it on, instantly lighting up the room which seemed similiar to Al's office in Al's Toy Burn, but more fit for Twilight Town and the mansion.

"Ay-yhuck, guess I found the secret room." Goofy said after shaking his head to rid the dizzy spells. This made most of his friends chuckle, while Donald facepalmed himself in exasperation.

"Of course you have. Not what I was expecting, but it's close." Jack commented, glacing around at the said small room that was big enough to fit at least 30 people.

The others by then were already investigating the room until something caught Riku's eye. A lone brown leathered book that had a picture of a rose on it. There was something...quite odd about it. Picking it up from the desk, the silver-haired teen flipped through the first place and read it, his eyes narrowing in confusion but at the same time, it was starting to make sense.

"Hey, guys. I found something." Riku called up, causing everyone, including Goofy who recovered, to come forward.

"What'dcha find?" Ven asked.

"Looks like a diary." Riku answered, before reading the lines on the first page aloud.

 _"Unknown Year: First Diary Journal I find in this new life._

 _I do not remember where I had come from or who I really am, aside from my name; Lauriam. All I know is I find myself in this mysterious Mansion in a strange new world I am unfamiliar with. Bits and pieces of my memories are that I had murdered someone to gain access to a special book that would give me answers to claim the power of a weapon._

 _But nothing else. So on my first day, I ventured to this mysterious town of Twilight, but none of this makes sense. But I must be patient. If I have to spend many days, weeks, months, or perhaps even years to learn of my past, then so be it. Until then, I will record my days in this journal to always remind myself should I lose my memories for unknown reason once more."_

"So...I'm not the only one who didn't know where I came from." Ven thought, frowning. The name Lauriam, it sounded strongly familiar.

"Lauriam...I suspected something was unsual about him." Skuld muttered, frowning deeply.

"Do you know who that is?" Xion asked.

"He was one of the Union Leaders of the second generation of Foretellers along with Ven, Blaine, Ephemer and myself. The last to join us, actually." Skuld explained.

"It can't be..." Strelitzia muttered, shocked and seemingly horrified.

"What is it, Strel'?" Myde asked.

"So this Lauriam...he's the one who ambushed Chirithy and I and stole my book." The ginger-haired girl realised, and Chirithy shuddered in realization as well, which made everyone else now even more concerned.

"What? Wait a minute, are you saying that...?" Ven trailled off.

"So you two are the second generation of the Foretellers, chosen by Master Ava?" Strelitzia asked to both Ven and Skuld who blinked in shock.

"How do you know?" Skuld asked, suddenly feeling a bad sense in this.

"...Master Ava chose me to be one of the new Foretellers. But, when I was searching for someone who was going to fight in the Keyblade War...Chirithy and I were ambushed and fatally beaten. My book was stolen from me, and none of us could see who it was since the abandoned room was dark. That's how my life ended in the first place." Strelitzia explained.

"You mean...?" Sora began.

After a moments pause.

"WHAAAAATTTT!?" Everyone else except for Jack, Strelitzia, Serah, Mog, and Chirithy all exclaimed in shock and utter disbelief.

"Lemme get this straight; You were chosen to be one of the five new Foretellers, but never got the chance to even meet Ven and the others and some guy in the journal here killed you so that he could take your place?" Lea asked incrediously.

"I never knew who it really was who killed me, but now it makes sense on how it happened." Strelitzia nodded.

"So Lauriam lied to us...but the question is, why?" Skuld muttered, shocked and horrified by this new revolation. "I still don't remember much of it at all. I don't even remember what he looks like."

"I wish I could remember it." Ven sighed, folding his arms to his chest, troubled.

"Hmmm...if what the journal says is right, I guess Lauriam wasn't even a real Keyblade wielder and wanted to use it's power as his own." Mickey theoried.

"That sounds similiar to what Xehanort tried to do." Terra thought, frowning.

"Oooh! I can't believe any of this." Donald groaned in dismay.

"Looks like whoever this Lauriam person is, had found his way here to the present, Kupo." Mog muttered after thinking this through. "Maybe he's still here since the journal doesn't seem that old. Maybe about 16 years old, Kupo."

"So Lauriam arrived here sixteen years ago." Isa thought, deepily.

Ven's eyes widened in realization as he said, "That's around the same time Xehanort found me before he extracted the darkness out of my heart."

"So, like you, Skuld and Ephemer, Lauriam could still be alive?" Sora correctly guessed.

" _Come on, Sora. Isn't it that obvious? I don't know about you, but I'm getting a feeling that this Lauriam guy and Lamuria are the same person._ " Vanitas pointed out as he rolled his eyes while materalizing once more next to Sora.

' _What's that supposed to mean?_ ' Sora asked in his mind, while focusing on the main conversation that was going on, doing his best not to look crazy.

"If Isa's theory is correct, then possibly." Strelitzia nodded in agreement, fully unaware of Sora multi-tasking between two conversations, one aloud and one in his head.

" _Exactly what I said, idiot._ " The raven-haired boy sighed, slightly exasperated. " _This Lauriam guy killed Strelizia to get a book, wanting a weapon which is clearly a Keyblade and then lied to Ventus, Skuld, Ephemer and this Blaine guy. Then we have Lamuria who, as Marluxia, wanted to use you as his puppet with Namine's powers so that he would use your Keyblade to overtake Xemnas. A big coincidence, if you ask me._ "

' _Gimme a break. So their goals in wanting the Keyblade is similiar, but Xehanort's goal wasn't that different with the X-Blade._ ' Sora pointed out, though he had to admit it, as much as it hated it, Vanitas did have a good point. Then again, he might be trying to gain Sora's trust, so the teenaged wielder wanted to be extra careful.

Seeing that Sora wasn't going to change his mind on this, Vanitas shrugged as he disappeared once more, " _Fine. But don't say I told you so._ " fading once more, much to Sora's relief.

Still...maybe finding Lauriam might not be a bad idea, and if they can, maybe they can question the guy in what his crazy goal was and why he killed Strelitzia in the first place to get the Keyblade.

"Then maybe we should go out and find this guy first." Sora suggested, and this slightly surprised everyone else, but it made sense at the same time now that they realised what he had in mind.

"And maybe he has the Book of Prophecies with him." Roxas added.

"But where can we find him?" Donald asked.

"Welp, the only way to find out is to look." Mickey stated.

"Right, and then ask him what's going on through his head." Sora agreed.

"Maybe he's with Aced." Kairi said, worriedly. "I don't know why, but I just have this feeling."

"I don't get it either, but I think you might right, Kai'." Lea nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go out and find them. It'll take a while in searching the worlds, but they still need our help anyway." Ven declared.

"Strelitzia, Mog, Chirithy and I'll stay here to look further around this town. Otherwise, we'll probably leave to other worlds too." Serah declared, with her three companions nodding in agreement.

"Then I guess we'll meet each other in one of the worlds at some point." Skuld stated. Strelitzia nodded in agreement.

"Be careful out there. It'll be really dangerous." Strelitzia said, worriedly.

"Don't worry, we'll be careful." Mickey promised.

These goals in mind, Sora's group left Strelitzia's group in the Mansion before leaving behind Twilight Town for the time being, promising themselves to return soon to look further into the mystery if they had to, while on their way to the next world that was calling out to them, now with an added goal on their quest.

* * *

 **A/N: I liked Strelitzia and was quite sad that she had to die just only two weeks after her introduction. That's the shortest introduction and farewell to a character in gaming history! And while I am fully aware that Lauriam/Lamuria may not be Strelizia's murderer in Union X, but I don't like Marluxia anyway, so I'm sticking him as a full own antagonist.**

 **See you in the next chapter in the next Disney world!**


	20. CH19: Expedition Of The Lost Empire

**Author's Note: Sorry that the last chapter wasn't that good, but I'll try and make up for it for this chapter and future chapters. Anyway, we are at the new Disney world of...*Drum rolls*** _ **Atlantis!**_

 **This is the second Disney world that has the voice actor Jim Varney who voiced Slinky in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, and also voiced Cookie in Atlantis and who sadly died before the film was even released. Rest In Peace, Jim Varney.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH19: Expedition Of The Lost Empire.**_

 _Meanwhile, in Midgar..._

While Cloud, Zack, Vincent, Rufus and the Turks knew that their friend Reeve Tuesti wouldn't be able to find all of the answers they were looking for in regards to the situation of Chaos which also resulted the threat the Lifestream and other realms of the dead were in, he was doing his best which was enough for them. Plus, Sora and the others were on a mission to the answers themselves, so they would be back at some point for an update.

Reeve Tuesti was a man in his late thirties with smooth black hair and small goatee, and wearing a business suit that was a slightly different to that of the Turks. As Commissioner of WRO, he was in charge of the things that were happening in the Organization.

"Reeve, what did you find?" Rufus questioned after a little while.

"Not much on Chaos other than what we already know. However, via using Cait Sith, what we found is quite alarming." Reeve began as everyone was seated in the WRO's lounge.

"So...what is it?" Reno asked, curiously.

"Along with the research on the Lifestream by you-know-who, an unusual report has been found among other things in Nibelhiem. There's a report page of a journal of sorts which is, unfortunately, written by Hojo." Reeve explained.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Cloud commented sarcastically. Of course Hojo had to be involved with another of these things that involves research. That sick man just didn't know when to quit, did he?

"So, what's it say?" Zack asked.

"It's faded, so the recovery team's already on their way back with the page itself. Though, there are a few things that are written on it that I was able to at least understand a little. _'The Eye on the strange weapon the new visitor is quite astonishing. He insisted on solving the mystery of it as it when he gazed at it and even just wielding it, he sees images in his mind...images of the things that are yet to come.'_ " Reeve explained.

"Xehanort's Keyblade." Vincent correctly guessed, frowning in concern.

"What you're saying is the eye design on Xehanort's Keyblade is more than just a design. It was able to enable Xehanort to see into the future." Tseng theoried.

"I don't know much about either of them, but you may be right." Reeve agreed with Tseng. "

Rufus frowned deeply at this new development. "I am fully aware that this is just a strange speculation, but given the description, perhaps the eye design itself...may not be a design at all." He spoke up.

This got everyone else's attention when the President said this.

"Are you saying that it's actually a real eye that sees into the future placed into that Keyblade?" Cloud questioned, skeptical and admittedly alarmed at the same time. The idea itself was ridiculous and disgusting, but at the same time, given what Sora and the others had said, how Xehanort is always somehow one step ahead before the evil man's demise, it made a creepy kind of sense.

"Wait a minute! Are you sayin' that someone else used that keyblade and put their eye into it and somehow managed to see the future through it or somethin'!?" Reno exclaimed, disgusted.

"Ugh. That's not a nice thought." Zack groaned, cringing in disgust. Elena looked like she was about to be sick even at the very thought of it, and he, Cloud and almost everyone else, even Vincent, Tseng and Rufus, couldn't blame the blond-haired woman.

"Sora and Riku managed to destroy it, though." Rude reminded, thinking back of how the two teenagers smashed it during the battle against Xehanort, the Seekers of Darkness and Deepground.

"Thank Ifrit for that." Reno sighed, shaking his head at the thought of the Keyblade itself. "Seriously, though. Who the hell would go and pull their eye out and put into a weapon that's used by somebody else to cause trouble? And another thing, how can you see the future before it even happens?"

"Maybe that's why it was easy for Hojo to return and join Xehanort a while back. Because of this." Elena thought.

"Most likely." Tseng agreed. "However, it does not matter as both are no longer alive."

"Indeed. Our main concerns are Chaos and the turmoil of the realms of the dead. Still, this information may provide clues to what we're up against." Rufus interjected.

"Not to mention Aced and Maleficent." Cloud added, "And also finding Yen Sid, Genesis and Angeal."

"Just hope they're alright." Zack muttered, worriedly. He thought back of when both Angeal and Genesis risked their lives to take Aced away from Port Royal only to end up captured by him and then Aced had gone and abducted Mickey's mentor Yen Sid. He could still remember how devastated the king had been upon learning that the sorcerer was gone.

Cloud agreed with his friend, and not only that, he was worried about Tifa and the others in Radiant Garden. But who's to say that Aced might be keeping an eye on either them or Sora's group, or possibly both into what is going on. One thing was certain; They would have to find out sooner or later.

* * *

 _ **{Atlantis}**_

 _Back with Sora and his group..._

When Sora and the others had approached another new world that looked like it was surrounded by water, some of them thought it was Atlantica. But when they teleported from the gummiship and had noticed tale-sign difference, it wasn't the familiar world Sora, Donald and Goofy were thinking it was. Instead, they, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Skuld, Jack and Myde, on their quest to now also locate this 'Lauriam' person that had killed Strelizia before she and her Chirithy were revived by Cosmos a month back, found themselves on the metal deck of an enormous military ship sailing in the middle of the ocean.

"Wow...this ship is huge!" Ven said in awe.

"...Where's the Captain's Quarters?" Jack asked, glancing around at the large ship that was nothing like back in his world and due to the metal and it's size, he couldn't feel much of the ocean underneath him as he would on the Black Pearl.

"Probably somewhere inside." Mickey shrugged.

"Oh." The pirate muttered, before going up to the railing and smiled as he gazed at the sea all around him and the others. "I really miss the open ocean." He muttered, staring at the ocean longingly. This wasn't his world, but it was close enough for him at the moment.

"At least someone's happy to see familiar scenary." Terra commented with a smirk.

"You do realise that you're talking about a pirate who spend most of his life sailing hte ocean, right?" Isa reminded with a raised eyebrow.

"Too bad that guy ahead of us isn't enjoying the boat ride as much as Jack is." Myde commented, staring in front of him a little bit on the deck.

"What are you talking about?" Donald asked.

Everyone else looked to see what Myde was talking about and saw that he was right. Just about ten feet from where the worldly travellers were standing, was a young, tall, slender man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a green trench coat over a white shirt and tan pants, and a pair of wireframe eye glasses...and he looked a little green as he threw up over the side of the ship, which made the group realise that the poor guy was incidentally sea-sick.

"Carrots...why is there always carrots? I didn't even eat carrots." The young man groaned.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Startled while still a little bit sea-sick, but grateful for the distraction, the young man turned to gaze a group of unfamiliar thirteen people, a child-sized mouse, a duck and a dog, all in clothing, standing there and some looking at him concerned.

It had been Skuld who asked.

"Oh, uh, y-yeah, I'm fine. J-*Urp!*-Just not used to this right now." The young muttered, while briefly holding a hand over his mouth when his stomach threatened to exile the contents inside.

"Clearly you never set sail in the sea." Jack said, only to grunt painfully when Riku elbowed him in the ribs, causing the pirate to glare at the teenager before quickly adding when he saw the angry looks from his companions, "But you will get used to it if you keep on going from time to time. Savvy?"

"Well, this is my first expedition." The young man admitted.

"There's a expedition goin' on?" Mickey asked, curiously.

"Wait, you mean this is your first expedition too?"

"Well...sorta." Sora replied, hesitatedly. "So, what's this all about?"

The young man smiled despite still feeling queasy in the stomach, and explained, "Everybody on this ship including myself are searching for the lost continent of Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Roxas, Ven and Xion asked, curiously. It sounded extremely similiar to Atlantica. In fact, it was almost exactly the same except the endings of the two names are different.

"Atlantis? You mean the Lost Empire?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Let me guess; you know about that story too, don't you?" Isa sighed, resisting to roll his eyes.

"I've heard about it too." Kairi spoke up, "In sea-stories, they say that Atlantis was lost in a flood and sank into the ocean thousands of years ago."

"They also said that the city itself had these giants that protected the city, but one time they failed due to the flood." Sora added, before shrugging, "At least that's what Riku and I heard. I never thought it would actually be real."

"So the lost City is indeed real." Jack mumured, clearly interested. "That's interesting."

"Geez, you guys are such sea-geeks. Ya' know that, right?" Lea teased, smirking.

"So, how do you find this lost civilization?" Aqua asked, concerned.

"Yeah, especially since it's underwater." Terra added.

"Simple," The young man said, pulling out a book with a brown cover from his shoulder bag and held it up for the others to see, "We'll be following the directions that have been inscribed in this book, the Shepherd's Journal. It's to contain the account of Atlantis and it's exact whereabouts."

"Golly, that's amazing!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Hey, do guys think we should go with? Atlantis sounds like a cool place." Sora asked to his companions.

"It might be dangerous...but I've always wondered what Atlantis looked like. I'm in!" Kairi agreed, after a moment.

"If there is a chance to actually get to the lost city, I might as well go too. Always had interest in seeing it...without drowning." Jack said.

"At least we know where we're going. I'll go too." Aqua replied.

"Sure, count me in." Lea shrugged.

It wasn't long before everyone else agreed to join, even though Skuld and Donald were both uncertain. On the other hand, the Heartless could've already arrived in this world and maybe there was a chance they could end up running into Lauriam or Aced. Sora turned to the young man and said, "Is it okay that we come too?"

"Sure. The more the merrier." The man said, "My name's Milo Thatch. I'm a linguist."

"I'm Sora." Sora introduced himself, before indicating the rest of the group, "This is Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Ven, Skuld, Terra, Aqua, Jack and Myde."

Just then, a loud voice boomed out through the intercom, " _ **Attention. All hands to the launch bay. To whoever took the "L" from the Motor Pool sign-Ha ha, we are all**_ _ **very**_ _ **amused.**_ "

Shrugging while some of the worldly travellers had been startled by the voice, Sora and the others followed Milo through the open doorway and into a large, open room with all kinds of trucks, cranes, and wielding machines. The worldly travellers and even Milo were amazed by the sights before them, just as a figure appeared in front of them, their back facing the group.

"Excuse me? Uh, the seventeen of us need to, uh, report in?" Milo asked the person.

"Yes, Mr. Thatch?" The figure turned, smiling at Milo, revealling to be a tall slender woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a green trench coat over a black coloured outfit. Immediately Aqua, Riku, Terra, Isa, Lea, and Skuld all sensed something not quite righ with her.

Milo cried out in alarm, as he recongised the woman, "Aah! Uh, it's you!"

"Whoa...a military lady!" Myde exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Jack blinked, stunned himself. "Never thought they would allow a woman in the navy." before cringing, "Then again, women can be just as deadly with a sword when they want to be."

The woman turned her gaze to the worldly travellers and questioned them, looking a bit unamused, "And you all are?"

"Jack Sparrow." Jack replied first, again mentally adding the 'Captain' title in his mind.

"Uh-uh-I'm Myde, ma'am!" Myde stammered, saluting nervously, much to Isa and Lea's embarrassments.

"I'm Sora." Sora added.

"My name's Kairi." Kairi said.

"Riku." Riku simply said.

"I'm Mickey." Mickey introduced himself.

"Name's Lea. Got it memorized?" Lea tapped the side of his head as he said his catch-phrase.

"Donald." Donald said.

"Name's Goofy." Goofy added.

"My name is Isa." Isa politely said, with slight suspicion.

"I'm Roxas." Roxas said.

"And I'm Xion." Xion added.

"I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven." Ven added.

"I'm Terra." Terra added.

"My name is Aqua." Aqua added.

"And my name is Skuld." Skuld concluded.

"Quite a crowd." The woman admitted, before introducing herself, "My name is Lieutenant Helga Sinclair," before turning her gaze to Myde, " _Not_ ma'am."

She then returned her attention to all of the worldly travellers, saying, "Are you all new recruits?"

"Uh, y-yeah." Sora replied, with a feeling of uneasiness.

Before Helga could speak further, a voice then snapped behind her, "Blondie! I've got a bone to pick with you."

The group watched as a crane lowered a crate in their direction and inside was a short, elderly man with a white beard and eyebrows, wearing a blue overalls, white shirt and a brown hat.

"Hold those thoughts." Helga sighed to Milo and the worldly travellers, turning to the old man, talking to him with annoyance.

"So, you know her?" Lea asked to Milo about Helga.

"Yes, she took me to an old friend of my Grandpa, Mr. Whitmore who gave me the journal. It actually came from my grandfather and he gave it to Mr. Whitmore before he died so he could give it to me." Milo replied.

"Guess that mean's your grandpa was an explorer, right?" Myde guessed.

Before Milo could answer, the elder man who was talking to Helga, was complaining as he went through a small box with items and supplies, "You done stuffed my wagon full to bustin' with non-essentials. Look at all this...cinnamon, oregano... Cilantro? What in the cockadoodle is cilantro?"

He then grabbed hold of lettuce, and to the dumbfoundment of the group, the man asked as though he didn't know what it was, "And what is this?"

"That would be lettuce." Helga replied.

"Lettuce? _Lettuce!?_ " The man asked in disbelief.

"He **seriously** doesn't know what lettuce is?" Isa asked, with a look that said ' _Seriously?_ '

Apparently even Helga caught on to this, because she pointed out while grabbing the lettuce from the old man, "It's a _vegetable_ , Cookie. The men need the four basic food groups."

"I've got your four basic food groups!" The old man, named Cookie, yelled, before counting with his fingers, "Beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard!"

The worldly travellers and Milo all glanced at each other with confused expressions, each of them even knowing that Cookie's list were not on the four basic food groups, before a buzzing signal filled the air.

Helga shoved the lettuce into Cookie's chest which also shoved him backwards, saying, "All right, cowboy. Pack it up and move it out."

" _ **Attention. All hands to the launch bay. Final loading in progress.**_ " The voice in the intercom announced.

The next thing Sora, his friends and Milo knew, the entire room shifted and they all suddenly found themselves standing on a large elevator, with the platform slowly descending them deeper and deeper into the ship.

As soon as the elevator came to a halt, the group spotted a very large, brown painted, metallic submarine in the middle of the room, containing a large round-shaped cockpit with orange windows on the front. The name " **Ulysses** " was written on the side of the giant vessel. Groups of workers and vehicles were all over the place.

The worldly travellers and even Milo stared in awe at the large submarine.

Lea ended up letting out long impressed whistle. "Now _that's_ an awesome ride."

"...What does it do?" Jack asked, amazed and confused at the same time.

"It goes underwater, so that way people who are ridin' in it can go under the sea without drowing." Mickey explained, before admitting, "But gosh, I've never seen a submarine so big before."

"Don't you think doing that would make you a little...claustrophobic, though?" Skuld asked, feeling uneasy.

"You're not scared of a submarine, are you?" Myde asked, with a raised eyebrow as he, the girl next to her and everyone else went across the deck to the sub's entry ramp.

"Myde, most of us never been in a submarine before." Isa sighed, shaking his head.

"So?" The young man shrugged, still not seeing what the problem is.

Only for someone to accidently rammed by someone behind him. Myde and the others turned to see a tall slender man about Terra's height, with black flat-topped hair, a thick mustache, gray gloves and a black coat.

"Hey, if you kids, an' ladies are lookin' for the pony rides, they're back there." The man spoke in an italian accent.

As the man walked past, Milo picked up a red cylinder with a piece of black rope sticking out on the top, calling out to the stranger, "Excuse me. Excuse me? You dropped your..."

Milo trailled off when he and the others realised that the object was actually an explosive, one that Myde immmediately recongised and pointed a shaky finger in warning. "...Dy-dy-dy-dynamite." chuckling nervously.

While the man spun back and accepted the dynamite, Jack couldn't help but question, "Out of curosity, mate. What other items do you have?"

"Oh, eh, gunpowder, nitroglycerin, notepads...fuses, wicks, glue, and...paper clips. Big ones." The black-haired man shrugged. "You know, just, uh, office supplies."

Sora, Milo and the rest of the group shared glances as none of them had any idea of this complicated explanation, before shrugging, setting that thought aside for the time being.

"Milo! Where've you been?" Another voice called out behind the group, causing the worldly travellers and Milo to turn to see a medium-height elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a blue sailors uniform. Next to him was a tall, muscular man, two inches taller than Terra, with grey hair, brown eyes and dressed in a soldier uniform.

"Mr. Whitmore." Milo greeted as he and Sora's group approached.

"Well now, who do we have here?" Whitmore asked to Sora's group.

"I'm Sora." Sora introduced himself before again introducing his group to the two other men, while Aqua, Terra, Lea, Isa, Skuld, Riku, and even Donald, and Kairi sensed about the muscular man despite that he seemed friendly. Even Sora and the others sensed this, and decided to be careful.

"Nice to meet you. You all must be the new recruits Helga told me about." Whitmore said, introducing himself while shaking hands with the worldly travellers, "Preston Whitmore-founder of this-here expedition." then gestured to them and Milo, "And Milo, this is Commander Rourke. He led the team that brought the Journal back."

"Milo Thatch. Pleasure to meet the grandson of old Thaddeus. I see you got that journal. Nice pictures, but...I prefer a good western myself, and it's a pleasure meet you all as well." Rourke acknowlaged, "Don't know how he did it, but Whitmore really hired the best of the best."

"Likewise, Commander." Isa replied.

"Boy, when you settle a bet, y-you settle a bet." Milo smiled to Whitmore.

"Well, your granddad always believed you couldn't put a price on the pursuit of knowledge." The older man nodded.

"Well, uh, believe me this'll be small change compared to the value of what we're gonna learn on this trip." The younger man replied.

"Yes, this should be enriching for all of us." Rouke reflected, and this flared up suspicions even more in the worldly travellers who decided to do this with caution, and Myde certainly wasn't taking his chances, not like with the Prospector just a short time ago.

" _ **Attention, all personnel. Launch will commence in 15 minutes.**_ " The voice in the intercom spoke once more.

Rourke saluted to Whitmore as he started up a ramp just before the group. Milo followed Sora and the others as they walked up next not even a second later, Milo called back, "Bye, Mr. Whitmore!"

As an enormous, iron door came down to seal off the entrance, Whitmore shouted back, "Make us proud, boy!"

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goof, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Skuld, Myde and Jack quickly followed Milo and Rourke into the cockpit. Several walkways and platforms were scattered about the room with various people walking about, and numerous sailors relay the message of, "Rig ship for dive!"

On a higher platform, Rourke commanded to Helga with him, "Lieutenant, take her down."

Nodding, Helga proclaimed, "Diving officers, submerge the ship. Make the depth 1-5-0 feet."

As the message was relayed onward, a warning siren started to beep. The group instantly realized it was meant for anyone outside to be a safe distance away. Sora turned back to the window and he spotted Milo to his right. The young linguist was peering out to watch the launch up close. The worldly travellers followed Milo's eyes and noticed that Whitmore was watching them from the outside.

A final warning bell sounded as the cranes holding the submarine released their grip and the entire vehicle landed gently into the open hatch of water below. Sora caught one more glance at Whitmore before the submarine dipped below the surface. The man was giving a thumbs-up with his other hand behind his back. If Sora had been behind him, he would've noticed Whitmore's fingers were crossed.

Within seconds, the Ulysses was descending into the depths of the sea.

It was quite an amazing experience for them, especially being underneath the water's surface without actually getting wet or drowning.

"Wow, this feels kind of...weird." Terra commented.

"This is so amazing." Xion said in awe, her hands on the orange glass.

It was a beginning of another adventure.

* * *

Short time later, Sora, Milo and the rest of the group were reported to the bridge where there were other people on board including Rourke and Helga, along with the black-haired man they encountered earlier, a short fat man that looked french and had goggles that could zoom in and out rapidly, a tall man in tanned skin, and a teenaged girl with black hair that looked like a young engineer.

If Sora remembered correctly, the short guy was...well, he was nick-named Mole and had looked like to be a digger. The tall tanned man was a doctor named Sweet, the guy from the ship earlier is Vinny, and the teenaged girl was Audrey.

"Welcome to the bridge." Rourke greeted, before gesturing the worldly travellers to join the other people which included a few sailors, "Please stand with the others."

When Sora and his group did so, while Rourke spoke up, "OK, everybody. I want you to give Mr. Thatch...your undivided attention."

Milo timidly approached it and turned to face everyone. The linguist gulped before speaking.

"Good afternoon," Milo said anxiously as he started to fidget with his shirt collar. "C-can everyone hear me okay?"

The eerie quiet that followed apparently answered his question. Milo hesitated for a brief moment. "H-how about some slides?"

From the corner of his eye, Roxas thought he saw Vinny and Audrey glancing at one another. Milo flipped on the slide projector and pulled out a single slide from a box sitting beside it. "T-the first slide is a depiction of a creature," he continued. "A creature so frightening that sailors were said to be driven mad by the mere sight of it!"

Sora, Roxas, Xion, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Myde and Skuld were starting to feel slightly uneasy when Milo inserted the slide into the projector. To their and everyone else's astonishment and sudden amusement, the slide contained a black-and-white snapshot of Milo in a swimsuit on the beach. He was covered in a variety of inflatable water toys, a fishing pole, and water wings. Beside him was a cat reaching for the sky with its front legs crossed and its mouth wide open in a friendly snarl.

"Ah ha, ha ha ha ha!" Myde bursted out laughing, unable to hold it in. Pretty much everyone bursted out laughing even though Mickey tried to hide his laughter by covering his mouth with his hand, Aqua, Kairi, Skuld and Xion doing the same.

Lea facepalmed himself while snickering in amusement, "Heheheheheh!"

"Uh, I'm sorry." Milo shyly reflected as he rapidly removed the slide. "That's... wrong."

"Geez. I used to take lunch money from guys like this." Audrey said in a spanish accent, which had Vinny snort in amusement when the girl next to him said this.

A moment later, Milo placed another slide into the projector. It was a drawing of an enormous lobster-shaped creature attacking a ship. The sight of it did make the worldly travellers nervous, reminding them instantly of the Kracken attacking both another ship and the Black Pearl. Mickey found himself gulping nervously at the sight of it, Myde slinking behind Lea who raised an eyebrow at the younger man skeptically, and Jack cringing at the sight of it.

"Okay. Now this is an illustration of the Leviathan — the creature said to be guarding the entrance to Atlantis." Milo explained.

' _A different kind of Leviathan. I know there are other kinds with the same name._ ' Skuld thought to herself, but wasn't going to admit it.

"It wouldn't happen to feast on people, would it?" Jack asked, with uncertainty.

"I don't think so. It's a mythical sea serpent," Milo replied, then continued. "He's described in the Book of Job. T-the Bible says, ' _Out of his mouth go burning lights, sparks of fire shoot out_ '. But more than likely, it's a carving, or a-a sculpture to frighten the superstitious."

Jack, Mickey and Myde all sighed in relief.

"That would also make them turn back if it is a sculpture, yes?" Aqua theoried. There was something about this that made her doubt that it was just a statue like Milo believed, but then again, she might be starting to become superstitious herself. Still, it never hurt to be careful.

Sora unfolded his arms, then asked what everyone else was probably thinking, "So, where do we go next after we find it?"

"When do we dig?" Mole blurted out in an excited manner.

Milo flipped off the slide projector and picked up a marker from the whiteboard. "Actually, we don't have to dig," he informed everyone, drawing on the board. "You see, according to the journal, the path to Atlantis will take us down a tunnel at the bottom of the ocean."

He drew a bubble-shaped object on the board and pointed at it. "And we'll curve into an air pocket right here, where we'll find the remnants of an ancient highway that will lead us to Atlantis. Kind of like the grease trap in your sink."

Milo finished drawing what turned out to be a sketched map of the path he had just been discussing. From what most of the worldly travellers could tell, none of the path indicated the path of Heartless. On the other hand, with something like the Leviathan and the soldiers in this submarine, Sora and most of the others were troubled, especially by both Rourke and Helga. They had to be careful with the two of them.

"Not only he's a linguist, but he's a photographer and a plummer too? Man, Milo's a busy guy." Myde commented.

"Only 'cause you're lazy most of time, and I don't mean the last time when we had to find you a little while back." Lea pointed out.

The thoughts and small conversation was cut off when a voice called out to Rourke, "Captain? You'd better come look at this."

Everyone turned their focus over to a sailor at the steering mechanism for the submarine. Rourke called out, "Okay! Class dismissed!"

While everyone else left, Sora quickly followed Milo as the linguist was already following Helga and Rourke up to the railing near the sailor. The rest of the group and peered over the railing into the deep, darkness of the ocean beyond the windows. "Give me exterior lights," Rourke ordered.

As everyone gazed out of the window, a pair of searchlights flipped on and started revealing a landscape of towering rock formations resembling columns reaching for a ceiling to steady. The pillars of rock were within what would have been perceived as a narrow canyon with steep walls. Yet, it wasn't the rocks that had instantly everyone's attention, but what was scattered all around the rocks. The entire seafloor was covered by countless broken pieces of wood and metal of what appeared to be countless sunken ships.

"Holy, Shiva..." Myde whispered, stunned.

"Look at that!" Helga muttered, just as stunned and slightly horrified.

Milo readjusted his eyeglasses before he added, "There're ships here from every era!"

"There must be millions!" Sora exclaimed in a soft voice, as though he was worried that something out there that caused all of this could hear him.

"Holy cow..." Mickey muttered, wide-eyed. "I wonder what could've caused all of this."

"There's no way a storm could've done this. Right?" Lea asked, suddenly feeling extremely uneasy.

Kairi was speechless, stunned and horrified by the sight of it. Just then, something to the right caught the corner of her eyes and she sharply turned to see what it was in alarm, and for a split second, she thought she saw the large black rock on the seabed suddenly move before it vanished underneath the submarine before she could get a full glance of it. It was then that the unease she felt earlier about the Leviathan grew worse.

"So um, where are we?" Ven asked to Milo.

The linguist reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out the Shepherd's Journal before reading in...gibberish, " _Pre-desh-tem… loe-ta-nug… na-gehpt… '_ "

"Uh...can you repeat that, please?" Lea asked, dumbfounded.

"I might not know the full language of that book, but I think I caught what he said. Something along the lines of 'Lair' and 'Gateaway'." Jack commented.

"How do you know?" Sora asked, confused and amazed.

"Had quite the time to speak the language of cannibals, mate." Jack grinned.

This made Lea, Isa, Roxas and Xion groan at the memories of that incident of the Cannibals thinking that Jack was their 'god' in human form.

"That explains why _you_ were made their chief." Lea grumbled.

Milo pointed at the page he'd been reading and fully translated the text, " _'Enter the lair of the Leviathan, There you will find the path to the gateway'._ "

"Ah! Almost got it." Jack grinned, happily. "And I was right about the two words."

"Well, I'll be doggone." Donald admittedly praised.

"I wouldn't have a clue about the writting in the book." Aqua smiled at both Milo and Jack.

All at once, a voice called out, "Commander, I think you should hear this."

The group all looked over another railing toward the source of the voice and spotted a large table with a wireless communication system. Sitting at it was an older woman wearing an olive overcoat and helmet and a headset over her head. She also had a cigarette in her mouth. Rourke sighed, "Yes, Ms. Packard. What is it?"

"I'm picking up something on the hydro-phone I think you should hear," Ms. Packard responded.

"Put it on speakers."

With a flip of a switch, the entire cockpit became almost complete with silence. The only exception was the loud, water-infested roar coming through the speakers all around the room. Sora and the other worldly travellers started to listen carefully, but none of them were certain whether it were some random sea-life or a gigantic Heartless.

"Guys," Kairi spoke, uneasily, "I'm not sure if it was my imagination, but I also saw something move a little while ago."

"Like what?" Riku asked, concerned.

"Like it was something...huge." The Princess of Heart answered.

"Combined with the sound we're all hearing, I have a feeling you're right." Skuld said, frowning in concern, as she watched Rourke and Helga approach the wireless-communication station.

"What is it?" The commander asked. "A pod of whales?"

"Uh-uh," Ms. Packard shook her head. "Bigger."

"It sounds metallic," Helga commented. She reached for the dials on the communication device. "Could be an echo off one of the rocks."

Ms. Packard glared up at the lieutenent. "You want to do my job? Be my guest."

"Is it just me, or is that getting louder?" Milo asked.

Goofy scratched the back of his head, "Gawrsh, it kinda does sound like it's gettin' louder, doesn't it?"

" _Please_ tell me it's not a giant Octopus or something more deadly." Myde moaned in dismay, remembering the Kracken's first and second attacks. To his relief, the echoing sound faded, leaving everything in silence.

After a moment, Helga shrugged, "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now."

"Well," Ven began with a weak grin, "At least it wasn't a Heartless."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any safer." Lea said, worriedly. Something horrible and tragic was about to happen. He could just feel it...and he was terrified with the thought that it was about to happen in the next mere seconds.

Rourke turned his focus to the sailor at the steering mechanism. "Helmsman," he instructed. "Bring us about. Tighten our search pattern and slow us—"

A violent movement suddenly threw everyone off their feet.

"Whoa! What was that!?" Roxas exclaimed.

Jack, Myde and Goofy grabbed onto the railing and gazed out of the window. All three of them instantly regretted it as something huge and monsterous was outside swimming all around the submarine and obviously attacking it and everyone including themselves inside it.

"...Oh, bugger." Jack muttered, eyes wide in terror.

"...If that's the Leviathan...then we're done for!" Myde shrieked in terror.

"Kairi was right! She did see somethin'!" Goofy screamed.

Sora and the rest of the worldly travellers and everyone else in the sub cockpit immediately stared out the window. They could all see a giant creature swimming in the deep sea a short distance away. It was a huge, metallic-looking lobster with glowing, dark-red eyes. Myde was right; it is the Leviathan!

"I knew it was huge, but I didn't think it was that huge!" Riku exclaimed, eyes wide.

Rourke turned to Helga while pointing at the not so distant monster, ordering her with sarcasm, "Tell Cookie to melt the butter and bring out the bibs! I want this lobster served up on a silver platter!"

"Load the torpedo bases! Sub-pod crews — battle stations!" Helga ordered to the crew immediately, just as another violent tremor struck the room.

As the worldly travellers got to their feet quickly, Lea declared, "I'm goin' to the Sub-pods!"

"I'll go with you!" Isa declared with determination.

"Me too!" Terra added.

"Count me in!" Riku added.

"Donald, Goofy! Go with them to the Sub-pods!" Mickey ordered to Donald who was clinging to the railing like his life depended on it, before the king and Goofy pulled him back onto the platform.

The two nodded before they, Terra, Riku, Lea, and Isa hurried off with Goofy alongside several other pairs of people. Among the others were Vinny and Mole. They quickly reached a long, narrow room on one side of the submarine. Everyone leaped into the two seats in each pod. The hatches closed shut and the sailors, soldiers, etc. inside each pod grasped the controls.

Lea and Isa took one, Riku and Terra took another, and Donald and Goofy had the last one. Lea, Riku and Donald all had the shooter-seats while Isa, Terra and Goofy were in the pilot seats as the hatches came down. Even though some of them didn't know much about these things, they had to at least give it a try.

Less than five minutes when the group left for the Sub-pods, Leviathan reached out and grabbed the submarine with its smaller left claw, which was still gigantic to everyone else trapped inside. The creature violently yanked the vehicle toward its face.

Kairi screamed as she was thrown over to the window. Fortunately, Sora reacted quickly and grabbed her left wrist with his with hand, and leaned on the railing while hanging onto his friend. Mickey on the other hand landed roughly on the window with Milo. As he looked down while sitting up, Mickey was completely speechless as he let out a terrified scream at what he saw below them. Directly through the window was one of the Leviathan's glaring, red eyes. Seeing it at such a close distance, Mickey's heart began to race.

The hearts of Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Aqua, Ven, Skuld, Myde and Jack began to race as well, as they all heard Milo, who got to his knees, exclaim in shock, " _Jiminy Christmas_! It's a _**machine**_!"

"This is WAY bigger than the Kracken!" Ven blurted out, shocked as he and Xion helped Sora pull Kairi back up, while Aqua, Roxas, Myde and Jack all pulled both Mickey and Milo back onto the platform.

"...I feel like a spec of dust." Jack muttered, scaredly.

"Welcome to the club." Myde shuddered.

"Launch Sub-pods!" Rourke shouted out.

* * *

The sub-pod flew swiftly away from the Ulysses, including the three Lea and Isa, Riku and Terra, and Donald and Goofy had taken control, following the rest of the Sub-pods lead. The six of them now saw the Leviathan just up ahead with the main sub trapped in its left claw. Rourke's shouted through the pod's radio system; " _ **Fire!**_ "

Lea, Riku and Donald followed the order, they and the others in other Sub-pods pressing the bottons on the firing joint-sticks and underwater missles flew from the side of their pod and headed straight for the creature. All of the missiles struck the Leviathan in the face. The now-stunned monster released its grip on the Ulysses.

Lea then noticed the Leviathan aiming it's much larger left Claw that was the size of a mountain about to reach out to them, causing him to shout a warning to his best friend next to, "Isa, _look out_!"

The blue-haired man didn't need to be told twice and barely managed to dodge the Leviathan's enormous claws as it struck two other sub-pods and crushed them. Both men's hearts froze in horror, fearing that those two pods had Riku and Terra and Donald and Goofy in them. With no other choice, Isa guided the Sub-pod away from it and into the open water, as Lea could only glance out as much as he could, praying that four of their friends were alright. In the meantime, the Ulysses fired a wealth of torpedoes from its roof. The weapons struck the Leviathan's side and distracted it long enough for the rest of the sub-pods to catch up with their's.

Their fears of losses increased as the angry Leviathan glared directly at the Ulysses and fired a laser-like line of flame from its mouth. The laser flew in a straight line past the sub-pods and struck the Ulysses's side. To make matters worse, the laser continued through the submarine and struck a rock formation beyond.

" _ **Guys, no!**_ " Lea and Isa shouted in unison, knowing that the rest of their friends, especially Roxas and Xion, were still inside it.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of Ulysses, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Aqua, Ven, Roxas, Xion, Myde, Skuld and Jack gasped despite that not only the Leviathan been driven away by the sub-pods, but the torpedoes Rourke had ordered moments ago had struck the creature as well. At the moment, the main submarine was free from the monster's gripping claws and fleeing from the Leviathan. In addition, the sub-pods were soaring away, too. But still, two sub-pods were lost, and those could've been Lea, Isa, or Riku and Terra, or Doanld and Goofy.

The remaining worldly travellers were knocked down as a tremendous vibration shook the room and the alarm began blaring once more.

"If we survive this, I'm _never_ getting in a submarine as long as I live!" Myde exclaimed.

"Sir, it's Engineering on Four." Mrs. Packard, who was calmly reading a newspaper, said to Rourke from her station.

As Rourke flipped the switch for the Line Four phone, a voice frantically shouted on the other end, which made him wince a little at how loud it was. It was Audrey's voice that shouted. " _ **Rourke! We took a big hit down here and we're taking on water fast! I don't want to be around when it hits the boilers!**_ "

Sora and the others were horrified, as Mickey exclaimed, "Oh no!"

They all realised that the submarine was badly damaged.

"Not good." Jack muttered, dumbstruck.

"How much time do we have?" Rourke asked to Audrey.

" _ **Twenty minutes, if the bulkhead holds.**_ " Audrey reported, before adding half a second later. " _ **You better make that five.**_ "

Rourke turned to the others and shouted, "You all heard the lady! Let's move!"

The remaining worldly travellers and Milo were swept away with the mobs of people rapidly hurrying out of the room, as Milo asked in the ensuring disaster, "Move where!? Move where!?"

"Just shut it and move!" Jack shouted, while Packard's voice announced, " _ **All hands. Abandon ship.**_ "

As everyone dashed out of the cockpit, the crowd soon got scattered through the submarine's many passageways. Sora led Kairi, Mickey, Jack, Myde, Roxas, Xion, Skuld, Ven and Aqua as they and Milo followed Rourke, Helga and Sweet and were quickly joined by Audrey, reaching a catwalk running through the tail of the submarine, while trying to keep their balance as the Submarine was moving due to the ocean's movements.

The group all hurried over to a smaller submarine and reached into the hatch while Helga shouted at them, "Move it, people! _Sometime_ today would be _nice_!"

"Easy for you to say!" Myde screamed out, as he and everyone else quickly took seats and buckled up on the straps of the seat.

Rourke and Helga took the pilot seats, as the former shouted, "Lieutenant! Get us out of here!"

Helga sealed up the hatch and jumped into the pilot's seat. She kicked a control lever, but nothing happened. She kicked it harder and harder.

" _Lieutenant_!" Rourke impatiently shouted.

"I'm working on it!" Helga yelled back.

A violent tremor shook the room. Helga took advantage of this to kick the control lever with all her might. The lever moved and the exit hatch before them blew off. As she steered the submarine, which is called the Aqua-Evac, out of the hatch, Helga called out, "Hang on!"

* * *

In the three cockpits, Lea and Isa, Riku and Terra, Donald and Goofy had no idea that their friends in the main submarine or each other in each of the Sub-pods had managed to survive or not. All they knew is, two of each in three were horrified and sensed the terror and loss when the submarine snapped in two approximately where the first laser had struck. Less than a second later, the two sections of the Ulysses shattered into a cloud of smoky water and metallic debris. The fourth of the submarines that had left the main sub's tail was hit by the resulting explosions and exploded in turn.

Despite the terror and heart-break, they knew they had no choice but to follow the surviving submarines.

* * *

Kairi buried her face onto Sora's shoulder as she sat to his left, while her friend hugged her as best as he could, eyes shut while the Ulysses had exploded. The rest of their friends also feared that their friends in the Sub-pods had all perished.

Immediately afterwards, Rourke turned to Milo, asking, "Where to, Mr. Thatch?"

Milo was clinging to the journal in his hands. "We're looking for a big 'crevice' of some kind."

Everyone looked out the window to search. As a deep trench in the ocean floor came into view, Jack pointed it out with a shout, "Right there! Hard to starboard below."

Helga called into a specialized phone next to her, "All crafts! Make your mark twenty degrees down-angle!"

Through the radio-communication lines came the confirmation of the other escape submarines and sub-pods. Helga was about to dive the Aqua-Evac into the trench when the Leviathan swam over and began snapping its claws at them.

* * *

"Follow their lead!" Lea shouted to Isa who nodded and steered.

Riku in his and Terra's Sub-pod noticed the Leviathan coming closer and shouted, "To the left!"

The older Keyblade wielder nodded and managed to dodge the monster's attack, as did Goofy and Isa, along with Mole and Vinny. As they continued to follow the rest of the submarines, the Leviathan swooped in from behind and started swiping at the survivors. The six other worldly travellers could hear the panicked screams from the other Sub-pods.

" _ **Sacré Bleu!**_ "

" _ **We're getting**_ _ **killed**_ _ **out here!**_ "

Lea turned his head to see the massive sea-monster still behind them and felt his heart rapidly beat faster and faster as panic was starting to overcome him. The Leviathan was unable to get inside and started shooting its laser at the submarines. A few more sub-pods were destroyed. One of the laser beams struck a larger submarine and crippled it. The larger vehicle nearly collided with Lea and Isa's Sub-pod before crashing into the side of the trench and exploding into shattered pieces of metal.

Soon it was only five submarines left and despite the odds, not only did they managed to the Leviathan's laser, they also avoided the rocky walls of the tunnel and soon enough the trench curved around and headed up and well out of the Leviathan's reach.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, all of the remaining submarines reached for the surface of the water directly ahead, and broke through the water's surface.

Lea slumped back in his seat, panting at the near exhaustion of a panic attack, while Isa leaned forward slightly, also breathing heavily.

"That...was a close one." Isa panted.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Lea panted with each word of his sentence.

After a short breather, the two friends climbed up to the hatch before unlocking it and pushed it open. Lea and Isa climbed out and looked around the area that they were now at. From one of the larger submarines, a group of people climbed out and turned on an exterior searchlight. They shined it around what turned out to be a gigantic rock cavern. To their quick relief, as well as the relief of the others who saw them, all of their worldly companions and Milo were safe and alive, and like the two childhood friends, they were amazed of the cavern.

At least they were all alive...but the same wouldn't be said for those who perished by the Leviathan's wrath.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew! That was a long and intensed chapter! I didn't want to break the Leviathan part into two chapters. So I did this instead. So the Atlantis adventure begins!**

 **See you in the next chapter, fellow readers!**


	21. CH20: Journey to the Center of Atlantis

**Author's Note: Not much to say here, but due to chapter 18 earlier, I'm considering on making a side-story of the "Second Chance" series to explain more on Strelizia's revival and her journey with Serah.**

 **In the meantime, here's another chapter.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH20: Journey to the Center of Atlantis.**_

A little while later, all of the team's surviving vehicles had been unloaded from the two smaller submarines and were now parked along the road that led into the fish's mouth. However, no one was smiling or enjoying themselves. Instead, the survivors gathered by the pool of water. Donald and Goofy took their hats off to show their respects. Aqua had placed her left hand to her chest. Kairi rested her head on Sora's shoulder while the latter had his arm around her shoulders. The rest of the worldly travellers, Milo, and the rest of the survivors which were Rourke, Helga, Dr. Sweet, Audrey, Cookie, Mrs. Packard, Mole, and only a handful of the soldiers all lowered their heads as did the other five.

Sweet turned his hat upside down, placed a small candle into it, and solemnly placed the hat into the water. There was total silence as the candle started to float away. As the flickering light drifted into the distance, Rourke gave a very short and very, very deep sigh, saying somberly, "Seven hours ago, we started this expedition with two hundred of the finest men and women I've ever known. We're all that's left."

The worldly travellers sighed deeply, knowing that so many lives were lost in a short span of time. Kairi softly sobbed onto Sora's shoulder after turning away. Her friend could only hug her to try and soothe her and give her comfort. Even Mickey shed a tear that he wiped away, but it didn't stop the aching his heart was feeling, while Riku bend down to his level and placed a comforting hand onto his good friend's shoulder. Terra placed a hand onto Aqua's shoulder, while Ven and Skuld shared a sombered look. Lea placed both hands onto Roxas and Xion's shoulders. Isa sighed, slowly closing his eyes. Donald and Goofy both continued to gaze to the ground. Jack, without his hat, did the next best thing and placed a hand to his heart to show his respect to the fallen people. Finally, Myde sighed, struggling not to let his emotions get the better of him.

"I won't sugar-coat it, gentlemen. We have a crisis on our hands." Rourke continued as everyone had their heads down. "But we've been up this particular creek before. We've always come through—paddle or no paddle. I see no reason to change that policy now."

He glanced at all of the remaining survivors, continuing, "From here on end, everyone pulls double-duty. Everyone drives, everyone works." before gazing at Milo after walking up the steps from the waterfront to the road, "Looks like all our chances for survival rest with you, Mr. Thatch—you and that little book."

"We're all gonna die." Mrs. Packard muttered with a sigh, tossing her cigarette to the ground.

"Gee, thanks for the cheery thought." Myde said sarcastically.

"My pleasure." The old woman replied in equal sarcasm.

Sora rolled his eyes at this comment, after managing to calm Kairi down before the two of them gazed at the road ahead, seeing but dark shadows. If they had to guess, it would lead towards Atlantis itself.

"Okay people, saddle up. Lieutenant, I wanted this convoy moving five minutes ago." Rourke was saying and giving out orders.

Helga nodded, giving out orders to Mole and shortly afterwards scolding Vinny as well as saying to Packard, all in order, "Molière, you're on point! No, Vinny! Audrey's taking the oiler! You know the rules! I want you fifty yards behind that truck at all times! Packard, put out that cigarette."

All of the sudden, there was a honking noise that caused most of the worldly travellers turn to see Milo playing with the horn on the truck, with Goofy chuckling, causing most of them to sigh, Mickey rolling his eyes while shaking his head with a knowing exasperated smile. Donald on the other hand slapped his hand onto his face and let it slide down and slip off his bill. Jack just shook his head slightly in a tired manner.

As the worldly travellers approached the other two with louds of trucks, Rourke, who was apparently as irritated as Donald, single-handedly snatched the horn off the truck, much of the disappointment of Goofy and Milo, and relief to Myde, Lea, Isa and Jack.

"Are you sure you're checked out on this class of vehicle?" The commander asked the group and Milo.

"Eh?" Jack asked, slightly caught off-guard.

"Uh..." Milo said, hesitatedly.

"Can you drive a truck?" Rourke added, pointing at the vehicle.

The pirate paused for a moment, before admitting, "No...the only vessel I steered were mainly ships most of my lifetime."

"I'll drive. Let me!" Donald said eagerly, holding a hand up like a small child.

Mickey approached his friend and mage, and pointed out apologetically, "Sorry, Donald. But your feet won't be able to reach the brakes. You and I are both too small for these cars."

Glancing at his legs, then at the driver's seat of the trucks, then back and forth a few times, Donald realised that the king was right, and pouted while crossing his arms childishly, "Aw, Phooey."

Everyone glanced at Milo who gave a nervous smile. "Pfft! Of course I can drive a truck," he answered, before climbing into the driver's seat and began fiddling with the equipment around the dashboard. "I mean, sure, you've got your steering, and your gas, and your brake, and this metal...uh...looking... thing."

"...'Metal looking thing'?" Lea asked, skeptically with a quirked eye-brow. In fact, everyone else, including Rourke, stared at Milo with confusion, disbelief and skepticalness.

"Okay, so it was a bumper car at Coney Island." Milo admitted, before adding, "But it's the same basic principle!"

Rourke sighed deeply while rolling his eyes before walking off. Sora and most of his companions turned their gaze to Myde who flinched, quickly realising what they were thinking and by their expressions, the mullet-haired man knew they were about to tell him no, and he wasn't going to push his luck.

"Hey, I'm not gonna even try." Myde quickly said, holding his hands up in defense. "Knowing my luck, I'll just end up driving it like it _is_ a bumper car."

"Good call." Terra commented, half-sarcastically, while going to the driver's seat of another truck himself, with Aqua sitting next to him. Ven and Skuld both took seats behind the driver's seat. Lea likewise took the driver's seat with Isa sitting next to him and Roxas and Xion behind the redhead. Myde and Jack both sat behind Milo with Sora and Kairi. Riku took the driver's seat with Mickey next to him and Donald and Goofy behind them.

It was extremely slow going for a couple of minutes with Milo in the lead, and for both Myde and Jack Sparrow, it was a _very_ bumpy and hurtful ride. The two of them were jerked forward and then back multiple times, because Milo repeatedly pushed the break which stopped the vehicle, then pushed the gear forward multiple times while trying to correct his driving, and most of the crew were quickly impatient.

"Milo!" Lea shouted from his seat, while Isa pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, and Roxas and Xion glanced at each other. Fortunately, he, Terra and Riku were all making much _better_ luck than Milo was and none of them even had ridden in bumper carts since none of their worlds even had any, for cryin' out loud!

"Oi! Stop that!" Jack yelled at the 'driver' next to him.

"Sorry abou—sorry about that!" Milo apologized, sheepishly.

"Come on, civilian!" Someone shouted from one of the vehicles behind them, while Mole honked from the horn of the huge drilling machine angrily.

Few minutes later, the truck had been tied to the back of Mole's drilling machine and towed along. Milo disappointingly just fiddled with the steering wheel with a finger.

"No offence, Milo, but I think you need serious driving lessons." Myde muttered, while mentally thankful for this more somewhat smooth ride. The way how the linguist was driving had quickly been killing his back.

"It would've been far worse with you at it, mate." Jack commented at the younger man who glared at him behind his back.

"Ha, ha. You crack me up." Myde deadpanned.

* * *

During the long journey towards Atlantis, everyone had encountered the Heartless which the worldly travellers took care off with slight aid of the soldiers, making everyone impressed with Sora's group's skilled fighting styles in different ways. It wasn't long before they all hit a fork in the road, which was a giagantic head of a statue with two eyeholes leading to the paths of left and right.

"Well, which way?" Roxas asked.

"I say we go...this way." Myde said, pointing at the left road.

Jack, uncertain, pulled out his compass and opened it, while praying that it wouldn't misbehave itself this time. Fortunately, for once, since his current desire was to see what Atlantis looked like even though his heart still longed for the Black Pearl—and his hat—it spun the needle back and forth a few times before finally settling to the right.

"It would be more accurate to go that way." The pirate Captain announced, closing the compass shut.

"I think Jack's right. I got a bad feelin' about the left road." Goofy said, suddenly worried.

Milo checked the journal, before smiling and then pointed to the left road, with Myde giving a victorious grin. Unfortunately, when the caravan of vehicles had attempted to head down the road, a giant millipede had appeared threateningly, forcing everyone back in alarm, which meant that Goofy was right about the bad feeling.

Due to this, Milo double-checked the Journal, only to realise that when he held it sideways the left side, Jack and Goofy were both correct and apologetically pointed to the right side. Both Milo and Myde gave nervous and sheepish looks at the mistake while everyone, especially both Donald and Mole, glared at the two of them.

"At least it was heads up." Sora sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

Taking a break near an underground lake and waterfall of fresh water, Jack had been dying for Rum, but since there wasn't any, the canteens of fresh water was the next best thing since he was thirsty. Fortunately, the back of Vinny's truck had plently, so the pirate stole one and drank of the water with ease, just as the demolition expert appeared behind him.

"You didn't just drink that, did you?" Vinny asked.

"'Course I did." Jack replied, before furrowing his eyebrows in quick concern, "Why?"

"That's not good. That's nitroglycerin!" Vinny told him warningly.

The sudden realization caused Jack to freeze in horror for having apparently drank poisonous liquid, while Vinny told him calmly, "Don't move. Eh, don't breathe. Don't do anything, except pray maybe."

"BOOM!" A loud noise shouted behind the pirate.

"AH!" Jack jumped and screamed in a high-pitched squeal in fright. To his relief and utter annoyance, it was just Mole to scare the wits out of him. He glared at both Mole and Vinny who both laughed hysterically while walking off, realising that the nitroglycerin thing was just a prank.

In the meantime, Aqua had just finished off her drink of water when suddenly, she snapped her head up when something caught her eye in the distance at the opposite of the lake. The blue-haired woman's brows furrowed when she could've sworn she saw...about five mysterious figures move.

"What is it, Aqua?" Kairi asked as she walked up to the 28 year old woman in a 18 year old's body.

"I don't think we're alone here in this cave." Aqua muttered with seriousness, turning back as she guided the teenager to the others, "We have to be more careful."

Kairi blinked in confusion, wondering what was on the Keyblade Master's mind. Then again, she saw the Leviathan earlier before it's attack, so the Princess of Heart quickly decided to trust her and be more cautious.

* * *

Continuing on and fighting more Heartless along the way, the worldly travellers and the expedition stopped at the edge of a crevice where two enormous stone columns rose high into the air. By this point, the team had gone so far underground that the only lighting available was being emitted through the headlights of the expedition's vehicles. The columns were huge, it reminded the worldly travellers of the ones back at Olympus Coliseum, but it was still amazing enough.

"Good night! Will you look at the size of this! It's gotta be half a mile high at least." Milo exclaimed when he saw it.

"Maybe a bit taller." Lea commented.

"Who would've built this thing?" Roxas asked, awestruck.

"How many years did it take for anyone to build this?" Xion asked, amazed.

The redhead shrugged, "Probably...thousands of years, at least." while Milo was dragged aside by Vinny. He and the others followed in suit.

"Thousands of years!?" Roxas and Xion both exclaimed, shocked.

"That kind of sounds right." Riku muttered, only to cringe when he realised that Vinny had placed explosives all around the column's base and then a moment later when the demolition man hit the switch, a shockwave struck the ground and the structure tipped towards the crevice before landing upon the opposite side.

Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Skuld, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Jack, Myde and Milo stepped up to what was left of the structure in shock and disappointment.

"Hey, look! I made a bridge." Vinny said as he stepped up to the seventeen of them, shrugging, "It only took me like, what, ten seconds. Eleven tops."

As the caravan of vehicles proceeded across the makeshift bridge which was really a snail's pace, or so it seemed like it, Aqua suddenly sensed something and gazed up at the nearby carvern wall. Kairi did the same and while the latter's eyes widened in concern, the former's narrowed at the sight of an unusual figure with glowing blue eyes who was...staring at them and everyone else from a cliff high-up before running off into the darkness.

Whoever it was, both of them knew that it was keeping an eye on them.

* * *

Thirty minutes later after crossing the stone bridge, everyone came to a halt when they found themselves stuck with a giant stone wall of a fallen building right in front of them, blocking their path. Everyone except for Mole got out of the vehicles and gazed up at the wall.

"Well, that's just great." Isa grumbled.

Lea shook his head while placing his hands on his hips, asking around, "Any bright ideas?" shrugging with his left shoulder and arm.

"Vinny, what do you think?" Rourke asked to the demolition man next to him.

"I could unroadblock that if I had about 200 of these." Vinny explained while holding out a dynamite, "Problem is, I only got about...ten."

At the commander's look, Vinny then teasingly said to Jack, "Hey, too bad we don't have some nitroglycerin, eh, Jackie?" which only made the pirate glare at him irritatingly, which also resulted Mole to laugh hysterically at _that_ memory a short time ago.

Rourke ignored the commotion and instead turned his attention to Mole at the drilling machine, declaring, "Looks like we're gonna have to dig." much to the digger's delight.

Finally! He can dig.

"It will be my pleasure." Mole said, before starting up the driller of the machine, and began to dig through the wall, only to cry out in alarm when the panel in front of them sparked electricity, causing it to explode a little, and the entire machine stopped working all together.

"You okay, Mole?" Terra called up to the digger.

Mole, after coughing at the smoke, tried to get it to work in irritation, and only ended up smacking his face onto the horn of the wheel, cursing loudly, "Stupid! You! Are! STUPID!"

"I'd say he's fine. It's the stupid digger I'm worried about." Myde commented dryly, while Audrey was opening the engine hatch on the back of the vehicle and tried to figure out what the problem was.

"It looks like the rotor's shot!" The teenage engineer called up, before heading towards the other vehicles, "I'm gonna have to pull a spare from one of the trucks."

"Hey, can we-?" Sora began as he, the rest of the worldly travellers and Milo observed the machinery within the engine on the rear.

"No toques nada!" Audrey said, "I'll be right back."

"I guess we're a bit stuck for a little while." Mickey shrugged.

Ven, who'd been observing the machinery, thought of something as he stared at the knobs and then the monkey wrench on the floor on the rear, before a crazy idea hit him. Ignoring Aqua and Terra's questioning and protests, the teenager reached his hands into the engine and turned two wheel-shaped knobs at the same time until the sound of steam escaping filled the air before grabbing the monkey bar and with a great thrust of his arm, slammed it onto the engine.

A moment later, the engine jolted back into life as clouds of exhaust flew from the vehicle's pipe-shaped chimneys. Ven grinned victoriously, "It worked!"

"She lives!" Mole cheered loudly from the cockpit.

"Amazing!" Skuld said, impressed.

"Nice one!" Sora cheered.

"Way to go, Ven!" Myde cheered happily.

"I didn't know ya' could that, Ven." Mickey praised happily.

Before the rest of the worldly travellers could say anything as they were proud of Ven for having fixed the problem, Audrey came back and asked when she realised that the driller was back up and running, "Hey! What'd you do?"

Ven shrugged, "I just turned the two knobs of the engine before hitting it with a bar. Kinda thought that might actually work."

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you very much, shut up." Audrey said as she strode up to the vehicle, closed the engine hatch, and secured it. When the mechanic turned to Ven who scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Despite that he didn't realise what she was about to do, Audrey instead said, "Two for flinching!" and socked Ven's left shoulder twice before walking off.

"Ow." Ven muttered once she was out of earshot, rubbing his arm.

"Nice gratitude." Sora remarked sarcastically, and the rest of the worldly travellers nodded in agreement.

"Ven, I didn't know you could do that sort of thing." Skuld remarked to her friend.

"Neither did I. Guess it looked really easy to handle." Ven replied, blushing a little.

* * *

As the caravan reached the other end of the tunnel Molière's drilling machine had created, Milo clambered out of the truck's cab and pulled the journal out of his shoulder bag. The worldly travellers followed him as the linguist gazed at the journal. The only landmarks were a bridge that stretched out towards a cave on the opposite side, a chasm under the bridge which appeared to lead into engulfing darkness, and a cone-shaped stalactite that hung from the ceiling. The stalactite itself had holes and was strangely glowing green on the inside.

"This is it." Milo remarked as he gazed at the page which had a picture of the exact same thing in the book. "It's gotta be!"

"What _is_ that?" Lea asked, dumbstruck.

"Whatever it is, it's giving me the creeps." Myde muttered.

"Me too." Donald admitted, shivering.

"All right!" Rourke called out, "We'll make camp here!"

Mickey gazed at the stalactite in awe, before asking aloud, "I wonder why it's glowin'."

"Pah!" Mole waved off, "It is a natural phosphorescence."

Vinny pointed at the thing on the ceiling and muttered grumbling, "That thing is going to keep me up all night. I know it."

"Nah, I don't think so. No idea why, but I think it'll dim later in the evening." Terra shrugged.

 _Later that evening..._

Turns out Terra was right. The stalactite had indeed dimmed and the campsite was almost completely set up. Now was the matter of dinner before bedtime...

If you call Cookie's cooking dinner, of course.

"Come and get it!"

Nearby from Milo and the worldly travellers' spot of camp, Cookie was handing each member of the team a tray, reach into his portable cooking pot with a ladle, and scoop out Beacon Grease, announcing each individual item he had thrown into the meal the campfire that had Sweet, Vinny, Packard, Audrey and Mole who all looked at the food in disgust while careful not to let the chef to notice. The only one who was looking forward to the meal was Mole, and was disappointed when his tray had much less than the others.

"I wanted the escargot." Mole pouted, only for Audrey, who had groaned and sticked her tongue out in disgust, hand over her tray to him, much to his delight.

"Knock yourself out." Audrey said, sarcastically while taking the much less pile of food from Mole instead, but still wasn't looking forward to the slop, nor were anyone else.

Cookie went over to Sora and the others, handing them trays and said, "There you go, lads and lassies. Put some meat on them bones."

The worldly travellers tried very hard not to let their disgusted expressions show, though it was really difficult as the slop unfortunately reminded them of the roasted giant beetle at the Resturant in Kuzco-Topia that only Pacha had enjoyed.

Even Milo had a look of disgust, while saying, "Thanks, Cookie. It looks...greasier than usual." with the others nodding in agreement.

"Ya' all like it?" Cookie asked in delight, before dumping more onto all of the seven trays, "Well, have some more!" before wheeling his cart back to his makeshift kitchen.

"I wish we had Kronk's Spinich Puffs." Myde groaned, feeling nausous.

"Blegh." Jack said, sticking his tongue out as he looked away from the slop in disgust.

Skuld covered her mouth with her hand as she dumped her content of 'food' behind the rock on the cavern floor, trying not to get sick. Everyone else just stared, while they, Skuld, Myde and Jack then gazed at Milo incrediously as the linguist hesitatedly ate the Beacon Grease while reading through the journal once more.

"...Here we go again." Lea muttered, referring to the yellow slop at Mudka's Resturant.

"Next time, I'm cooking." Xion announced softly.

"You can cook?" Terra asked, surprised.

The former replica nodded, "Aerith taught me back in Radiant Garden last year. First thing I made was pancakes."

"Xion invited all of us for a little party a couple of months after Xemnas was defeated. Gosh, she really has talent for that." Mickey explained, while the very thought of it was making his mouth water, while the sight of the slop on his tray was making him feel green.

"Can't wait to try that out. On the other hand, anything's better than...this junk." Isa muttered.

"At least Barbossa had an appetite for apples." Jack muttered, shaking his head. As much as he still had a dislike for his dead enemy, he had to hand it out for the late Pirate that he had good taste in food. In fact, Jack was certain that Barbossa was probably mocking him in the Afterlife if he saw Captain Jack Sparrow eating this, as Isa quoted, 'junk'.

"Hey, guys! Why don't you come sit with us?" Audrey called out as she waved over to Milo and the worldly travellers.

"Really?" Milo asked with a small smile.

"You really don't mind?" Kairi asked, smiling as did the others while picking up their trays and Milo picking up the journal.

"Nah, park it here." Audrey replied.

The group shared a glance before shrugging and then walked over to the group of team members, sitting on the opposite side of Audrey, Sweet, Vinny, Packard and Mole, with Milo in between both teams. But as Milo took a seat...

 _ **PFFFFTT!**_

The sound of spluttering and balloon releasing air filled the air as everyone turned to see that Milo had just sat on a whoopy cushion. It was followed by a burst of laughter which everyone realised came from Mole who had fallen onto his back and was holding his stomach, laughing hysterically.

"Mole!" Audrey, Sweet and Vinny snapped.

"Ah, forgive me." Mole said while finally managed to catch his breath, adding through giggling, "I could not resist."

"Classic." Myde chuckled, resisting the urge to burst out laughing himself. "Brings back some good old memories."

Lea glared at him with a scowl, saying dryly, "Ha, ha. Makes me laugh so hard." before commenting, "Ya'know, I still haven't figured out if it was you or Larxene that did that trick to me two years ago."

* * *

 _ **Flashback: Day 7 of "Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days"...**_

 _After Axel made sure Roxas, who was still completely zombie-like after a week of bringing the kid in, the redhaired Nobody groaned, "Phew." in relief while sitting on his own chair._

 _But as he did, a loud, "_ **PFFFT** _!" was heard and he nearly jumped out of his skin, before feeling something unusual on his seat. Shifting, he pulled out a whoppy cushion, and glared at it, before demanding, "What is this!?"_

 _"Kya-hahahahaha!" Larxene bursted out laughing from the floor while standing in front of Demyx's chair who was trying not to fall off it, but he layed on his side._

 _"Ah ha, ah ha, ahh, ha ha ha!" Demyx laughed hysterically, making Axel glare at both of them as he realised that one of them must be the culprit of this prank._

* * *

End of Flashback.

"Could've been worse." Jack pointed out.

"I guess." Lea sighed, "Still, it was totally annoying and embarrassing."

The others shook their heads, before Kairi noticed Milo was still reading the journal and asked, "Milo, doesn't it make your eyes hurt a little?"

"You've gotta have closed the book at least once or twice since we got here." Mickey added.

"Yeah, you must've read it a dozen times by now." Sweet added, while still cringing at his tray of 'food'.

Milo nodded before explaining, "I know, but this — this doesn't make any sense."

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked.

"In this passage here, the Shepherd seems to be leading up to something he calls 'The Heart of Atlantis'," Milo explained while pointing at a particular page. "It could be the power source the legend is referring to."

Hearing the part ' _The Heart of Atlantis_ ' quickly made Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Myde, Ven, Skuld, Terra, Aqua, and Jack share slightly alarmed glances. While they realised that Milo could be thinking that it might be an item to a power source, the fact that it could very all be the heart of this world didn't slip from their minds. To actually get to see the actual heart of the world itself...was unbelievable and if it was real, then it would be an unforgettable experience.

"But then it, it cuts off." Milo said as he flipped through the page, "Almost like there's a missing page."

Goofy leaned sideways to Mickey and whispered, "Garwsh, kinda sounds like Jiminy's Journal and the Datascape." referring to how Namine erased the words in Jiminy's journal and how they and Donald with the help of Data-Sora fixed it up through the Datascape and thus had learned Sora's connections with Roxas, Xion, Namine herself, Axel, Ventus, Terra and Aqua.

Mickey nodded in agreement, already figuring out what his friend was talking about. The way how Milo described the journal troubled him. If there was a missing page, that meant someone must've ripped it out before Milo's grandfather gave it to Mr. Whitmore. Problem is, who had done it?

Apparently Lea was thinking along the same lines, because in his mind, the image of Rourke slipped into his head, and a sinister look on the commander's face troubled him. He could be over-racting, but he still didn't trust the guy. But if Rourke really is the culprit of the missing page, then he's after something. The Heart of Atlantis.

What could he want with it, though?

"Kid, relax." Vinny's voice snapped Lea out of his thoughts, before the redhead realised the older man was talking to Milo. "We don't get paid overtime."

"I know. Sometimes I get carried away." Milo replied, before adding, "But, hey, you know, that's what this is all about, right? I mean, discovery, teamwork, _adventure_!"

After applying emphasis on the term _"adventure"_ , Milo paused, before correcting himself, "Unless, maybe, you're just in it for the money?"

After a short pause.

"Money." Audrey shrugged.

"Money." Sweet added.

"Money." Packard said.

"Money." Mole said with his mouthful of Beacon Grease which made Myde, Kairi, Donald and Skuld want to throw up.

"I'm gonna say...money." Vinny concluded.

Sighing, Milo replied, "Well, I guess I set myself up for that one." before turning to the worldly travellers, "What about you guys?"

"Adventure." Sora smirked.

"Adventure." Kairi giggled.

"Definitely adventure." Riku added.

"Adventure." Ven replied.

"Yeah, I'm more into the adventure." Terra admitted.

Aqua nodded in agreement, "I'm more interested in what Atlantis looks like than the money."

"Me too." Skuld added.

Lea shrugged, "I never really cared for money. Besides, goin' on adventures with my friends is _way_ more fun!" with Isa, Roxas and Xion all nodding in agreement.

"You said it!" Donald said, smiling. Though when Mickey, Goofy, Sora and Jack stared at him skeptically, he sheepishly chuckled before admitting, "Oookay, I'm kinda hoping there's treasure in Atlantis too, but I still wanna see what the place itself looks like!"

"I'm a sucker for what the inside of the place looks like if it's safe to get to." Myde said, shrugging.

"Goin' to new places, even to where they've never been discovered before are always fun. I love adventures!" Mickey said, smiling.

"Me too. Ay-yhuck!" Goofy said.

"As I learned with one voyage eleven years ago, if not longer," Jack began, sighing as memories of the Black Pearl came into his mind, and the fact of Will and Elizabeth's love to one another, "Not all treasure is silver and gold. Or any kinds of jewels, as a matter of fact."

"But don't you like adventures?" Sora asked.

"Of course I do. Wouldn't know half of lots of things if I didn't. Savvy?" The pirate responded.

"That explains the Black Pearl." Isa rolled his eyes, sarcastically, while noticing that Milo was rubbing his neck.

"Is there something wrong with your neck?" Dr. Sweet inquired.

"Yeah," Milo affirmed. "I guess I hurt it when—Aah! Ow!"

Sweet didn't give the young linguist a chance to talk before he placed his hands upon the latter's neck and jerked it to the right, then the left. The doctor then asked, "Better?"

Milo felt his neck before saying as he realised that it was a lot better, "Yeah!"

"Hey, how'd you do that?" Lea asked, impressed.

"An Arapaho medicine man," Sweet answered.

"Gosh, really?" Mickey asked, surprised, as were all of his friends.

"Born and raised with 'em. My father was an army medic. He settled down in the Kansas Territory after he met my mother." Sweet explained.

"You're not kiddin', right?" Myde asked.

"Nope. Halfway through medical school, I was drafted. One day, I'm studying gross and anatomy in the classroom. The next, I'm one of them Rough Riders soarin' on San-Juan Hill!" Sweet continued.

The group was listening to the story when Cookie returned, announcing, "Main course!"

All this brought was a sudden wave of shock and dismay from the group, which quickly became a range of excuses, sarcasm, kind and polite declines and careful not to hurt the man's feelings. Fortunately, Cookie bought it, hook, line and sinker.

"Oh, don't you worry. It'll keep and keep and keep." Cookie said as he marched off.

"I'd rather he _keep_ this stuff to himself." Myde muttered sarcastically once Cookie was out of earshot.

"Thank goodness someone managed to make that pointed sarcasm." Packard said, stuffing her cigarette into the slop to put it out.

Once they made sure Cookie was well out of sight, everyone dumped everything on their trays onto the campfire pit which the flames went out quickly and also made a small harmless explosion that looked a bit like a nuclear bomb going off.

* * *

A little while later, everybody was setting up their tents. A few long rows of tents were positioned along the cavern floor rather evenly. The worldly travellers had a bit of trouble, but fortunately, Lea, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Mickey, Donald and Goofy helped their friends and showed them how it was done before the rest of the travellers began doing it, and they were grateful that they did.

"You know a lot about camping, don't you, Mickey?" Skuld questioned with a fond smile.

"Well, sure." Mickey replied with a smile. "Donald, Goofy and I used to go camping together every third weekend. I remember one time Goofy showed me the perfect cast."

"The Perfect what?" Sora asked, having overheard.

"The perfect cast." Goofy answered this time as he also heard this, explaining, "Muh dad taught it to me. Said it's been handed down for about twelve or thirteen Goof generations."

"Twelve or thirteen Goof generations?" Roxas asked, curiously.

Before Goofy can continued, Donald quickly waved his hand and said, "Why don't you ask him to show you later when we're at a beach or something!"

"Aw, you're still not mad at him about that, are ya' Donald?" Mickey asked, even though he knew that time as well.

"About what?" Riku asked.

"It's a long story." Mickey shrugged, "Well, huh...Goofy showed us the Perfect Cast and uh...accidently reeled in Big-Foot. That was about eighteen years ago when this happened."

"Never thought I'd hear about you guys messing up on a camping trip." Lea chuckled as he and everyone else rolled flat their bed rolls underneath each of their tent's canvas.

The King shrugged sheepisly as he layed down on his bedroll, saying, "It was a long time ago. I used to be really naive and foolish before I met Yen Sid. Sometimes I'm still kinda like that."

"You really haven't changed, Mickey." Aqua giggled, which resulted in Mickey and almost everyone else laugh as well.

"Aren't you gonna pitch up your tent?" Vinny inquired suddenly to Milo who was setting up his tent...which wasn't set up right at all. The canvas was wrinkled, the poles were leaning at odd angles, and the string had too much slack.

"Uh...I did." Milo said.

When Myde saw the tent, he cringed, "And I thought _my_ tent was bad when I first set up a few minutes ago." as he and the others watched Vinny straightened it out for the linguist.

"Yeah, at least you managed to set it up right for a second before it collasped." Isa nodded in agreement.

"I guess I'm still a little rusty at this," Milo apologized as he watched. "I haven't gone camping since... well, since the last time my grandpa took me."

"I get what you mean." Sora nodded in agreement with a knowing smile. "I haven't gone camping in years, either. Me, Riku and Kairi would hang out on the beach almost every day, and when the sky was clear, we used to watch and count the stars during school break. It was fun."

"Yeah, I remember that too. I used to pretend to form the stars in lines to make all kinds of different shapes." Riku chuckled fondly.

"And I used to sing the old lullaby about the stars that time too. We've been doing it since I first arrived eleven years ago." Kairi said fondly.

"You weren't born in that time knowing them?" Jack asked, admittedly surprised.

The Princess of Heart shook her head, "No. I lived with my Grandma until I was five years old. The mayor of Sora and Riku's town adopted me when I first arrived, washed up on the beach. I don't remember who my parents are."

She sighed, before admitting, "I don't even know what happened to her. The only memories I have of her is that she was a kind person, and used to tell me stories all the time."

"She sounds like a mother to you, huh?" Milo asked.

Kairi nodded, before asking, "Hey, Milo. What was your grandpa like?"

"Where do you start?" Milo smiled, "H-he was like a father to me, really. My parents died when I was a little kid, and, he took me in."

"I guess that's something some of us have in common." Lea commented, his hands behind his head he was briefly using as a pillow. "Me and Isa lost our parents eleven years ago too, and...well, a lot things happened for the past years after that, and most of them aren't pleasant."

"What about the good things you did?" Audrey asked, curiously.

"If you call our usual obnoxious teenage antics 'good things' to everyone else, let me know." Isa snorted in amusement.

Lea chuckled, "Yeah, before we met everybody else, the two of us kinda used to get into all kinds of trouble into places we weren't allowed to sneak into, but we did anyway, before the guards would catch us and throw us back out again. I'm still surprised they haven't even arrested us yet. Anyway, me and Isa usually hanged out together, doin' a lotta things at our hometown. Fast forward to two years ago, well, the two of us kinda had a bit of a hinch, so I met Roxas and Xion who don't have parents at all."

"Yeah, I hardly remember much of my childhood." Roxas said, though this was a lie, but he knew that saying that he used to be Sora's Nobody would make things bad. "First week when I met Lea, I kinda acted like a Zombie. The two of us would sit on top of the clock tower and eat ice cream. Few weeks later we met Xion and she joined us. The three of us and eventually Isa and another friend Namine became best friends ever since."

Xion nodded in agreement.

"How about you guys?" Milo asked to Terra, Ven, Aqua, Jack, Myde and Audrey.

"I took this job when I dad retired," Audrey began, giggling, "The funny thing was, he always wanted sons, right? One to run his machine shop, and another to be middleweight boxing champion. But he got my sister and me instead."

"So...what does you sister do?" Myde asked.

"She's 24 and 0, with a shot at the title next month. Anyway, I'm saving up so my Papi and I can open another shop." Audrey answered.

"Sounds kinda cool." Myde said, gazing up at the cavern ceiling. "My parents had a divorce when I was ten years old, which a year later my dad died when he got struck by lightning. Then again, I never got on with him or my Mom that much. Started to take interest in my Sitar and had dreams of joining a band. Buuut, I got stuck with a lousy job and the rest is history. Joining up with these guys is probably the best thing that's ever happened to be, really."

His worldy companions were quite stunned when he said this. As far as Lea and Isa could recall, Myde, as Demyx, never talked much about his past since he once said that, 'The only thing I want back of my past is my heart.' during their time in Organization XIII when they were Axel and Saix.

"I don't even remember who my parents are." Ven asked sighed, while feeling sorry for Myde at the same time. "I don't even remember where I come from. The only memories I have are from sixteen years ago, and even those are still foggy, except for the times when me, Terra and Aqua would hang out together and every night we sit together to watch the stars. I...was actually comatose for twelve years, and just woke up recently this year."

"I was imprisoned for twelve years by someone who is also the reason for most of us having been brought together in different circumstances. He tried to cause such a terrible incident that almost costed our lives." Terra admitted, "But thanks to Sora and the others, me, Aqua and Ven are finally back together."

"It's the similiar thing with me. I risked my life to save Terra and...was lost in a place I couldn't get out of on my own. But most my memories are with Terra and Ven, and sometimes I wish we could do that again, gaze at the stars." Aqua responded.

Mole, who was wearing stripy pajamas and hugging a stuffed teddy bear, walked by and said, "That's so sad." looking like he's ready to cry before walking off.

"I admit, I don't remember much of my past either. Ven doesn't remember me, but the two of us come from a town that is long gone. The two of us and three others thought we'd try and rebuild it...but things went wrong." Skuld sighed, rubbing her forehead, "I do remember meeting someone...someone whom Sora reminds me of. That person was kind and brave, and would worry about friends and the safety of others as well. After I joined a certain group...I never saw that person again."

"Aw, gee. I'm really sorry, Skuld." Mickey said with feeling, and the rest of the group and everyone around them nodded in agreement.

The young girl shook her head, "It's alright. The past can't be changed, but I want to make sure the future isn't dark or grim, and at the same time, I want to be what I never got the full chance to; a kid."

"What about you, Jack? What's your story?" Goofy asked, curiously.

The pirate shifted uncomfortably at this question, before finally admitting, "I never had such that good of a childhood meself. Kairi and Mr. Thatch are both lucky to have loving grandparents. Me Grandmama always caused me pain; literally. Mum was...pretty stressed, I should say. As for my father...I don't like talking much about him."

"Why not?" Sora asked.

"Quite a lot times when I was a child, I never knew whether he was my real father or not. So, one day, when I was seventeen, I snuck onboard ship to Tortuga and left. Sailed the seas since then for the rest of my life. Discovered quite a lot in that year, though." Jack continued, before he remembered something and added, "I once saved a ship from a murderous Spaniard named...something in Spanish."

"Was this before you met Barbossa?" Donald asked, skeptically.

"Yes, it was." Jack confirmed, before noticing Packard walk way dressed in the trench coat, her face covered in goop, wearing a pink bathing cap, carrying a news paper. "Don't have your night gown, Mrs. Packard?"

"I sleep in the nude." Packard said, going over to her tent.

"Ya' all want to close up your tents." Sweet told Milo and the worldly travellers, "She sleep walks." much to their slight horror when they heard this.

Myde had a terrified look on his face, and took the advice, "I'm not opening my tent 'til everyone else does." and Jack, Donald, Isa, Lea and Roxas all nodded in agreement.

Vinny in the meantime, layed flat on his bedroll with an eyecap over his eyes, saying, "Well, as far as me goes, I just like to blow things up."

"No, really?" Terra mocked, ignoring Aqua's small glare.

But then Sweet walked over to Vinny and pulled the eyecap, saying, "C'mon, Vinny. Tell the kids the truth." letting go and let the cap to slap the demolition's face before heading over to his tent.

Realising that he wasn't getting out of this, Vinny pulled off his eyecap and confessed, "My family owned a flower shop. We would sell roses, carnations, baby's breath, you name it."

"Really?" Sora asked, surprised.

"So, what happened that made you into a demolition expert?" Kairi asked.

"Well, one day," Vinny continued, "I'm making about three dozen corsages for this prom—you know, the kind they put on the wrist. And everybody, they come. 'Where is it?' 'When is it?' 'Does it match my dress?' It's a _nightmare_!" slapping his hand over his eyes.

"Ouch." Lea commented.

Vinny then went on, "Anyway, I guess there was this leak next door of gas or what. BOOM! No more Chinese laundry..." turning over on his bedroll, lit up a match which went out in seconds as he concluded, "Threw me right out of the front window. It was like a sign of god. I found myself that boom."

"That explains everything." Roxas commented.

Just then, a few specks of dirt came flying through the air and when everyone turned to see what was going on, they saw Mole digging himself a large hole into the ground close by, before he switched off his headlamp. Within seconds, a happy groan was heard.

"What's Mole's story?" Milo asked with unease, and the worldly travellers shared that unease.

"Do we _really_ wanna know?" Myde asked, obviously a little too scared to even think about the past of Mole.

"Trust me on this, you _really_ don't wanna know." Sweet answered immediately, before pointing at Audrey accusingly, "Audrey, don't tell them. You shouldn't have told me, but you did." before saying to Myde, Milo and the rest of the worldly travellers, "And now I'm tellin' you guys. You don't wanna know."

" _Yeeeah_ , thanks for the warnin', man. I really didn't wanna know in the first place." Lea smiled weakly, shuddering at the thought, "It'd probably give me nightmares." while snuggling up under the blanket.

No one argued with him on that. As soon as Sweet blew out the lamp, it wasn't long before everyone went to sleep...fully unaware that the next time they wake up, something else was going to happen.

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah, I know that there aren't much Heartless activity, but I think this world will be a breather from the previous fighters until we reach Atlantis itself. I made up Myde's backstory since we really don't know much of his past. *Shrugs***

 **I also used one of the flash-backs from "Second Chance" where Axel starts to remember Xion.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	22. CH21: New Discovery

**KINGDOM HEARTS III: SECOND WAR.**

 **Author's Note: I get the feeling that most of you are impatient for me to get to the Tangled world. Well, that will probably be much later in the story as will Port Royal, meaning that neither of them will be after Atlantis, unfortunately, but both will be in this story. Please be patient and sorry for the inconvinence.**

 **And that tomorrow is my Birthday, so I won't be updating until Monday at the earliest.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH21: New Discovery.**_

 _Sora's Dream..._

 _Something jolted Sora awake in his tent. He wasn't certain how or why, but something else...completely wrong. He could sense darkness just outside and he knew that he should investigate. But the moment he opened his tent...he was in a completely different and new area. All of the other tents and vehicles were gone. Everyone had disappeared. He wasn't even in the cavern leading to Atlantis either._

 _Instead, he found himself in what appears to be the ruins of an old town. Buildings that had flowers were smashed and destroyed, a fountain was in pieces, and up in the distance, a tall clock tower's roof was completely gone._

 _Was he really awake?_

 _"...Is this...a dream?" Sora wondered aloud._

 _"Well, duh. Of course it's a dream." A unwelcoming familiar voice spoke behind him, causing the sixteen year old to whirl around and to his dismay, was Vanitas who stood there casually, his arms crossed to his chest, as the raven-haired embodiment of Ven's darkness continued, "Though I don't know about you, but I think what you and I seeing are a bit of Ventus' memory from his time here in this dump of a town."_

 _"So you're saying that I'm seeing Ven's memories through you, since you're his darkness and his other half, right? Doesn't make much sense, but at the same time, it kinda does." Sora theoried, before stating as a thought came to mind, "Let me guess; you're doing this because you want to take over my heart, right?"_

 _Vanitas chuckled somewhat evilly, "Weeeell, I do kinda like to live again. This isn't my doing, though. But since we're both here...let's see how far you've come. If you win, I'm still stuck as a ghost until you figure out how to really get rid of me."_

 _"And if you win...you take over my heart." Sora finished for him, glaring. Well, Ven's darkness was in for a major disappointment, as the spiky-haired teen summoned his Keyblade and got into a fighting stance, declaring, "Well, when I'm through with you, you can forget it!"_

 _"Good. You react quicker than Ventus does." Vanitas sneered, summoning his own dark Keyblade he hasn't used in ages. "But as they say, overconfidence will destroy you."_

 _Vanitas then teleported and appeared behind Sora who quickly reacted by whirling around and blocked his opponent's Keyblade with his own, both of them pushing hard against each other, struggling to over-power one another until Sora found an opening to try and knock him back, but to his shock, the raven-haired boy instantly vanished._

 _"Too slow." Vanitas mocked, appearing at Sora's right before knocking him aside._

 _The young Keyblade Master reflected and recovered quickly by flipping through the air and landed safely before dodge-rolling out of the way when Vanitas chanted Dark Lightning at him. Sora quickly chanted his own Lightning which struck Vanitas when the former found an opening, before following up by tossing his Keyblade at him, hitting him successfully twice while Vanitas cried out in shocked and surprised alarm._

 _When Sora then attempted to use Blizzaraga to lower the enemy's defense lower, Vantias teleported and reappeared right in front of him, hitting him several times in the stomach as Ven's former Darkness said in disappointment, "Pathetic!"_

 _Sora's eyes narrowed while holding in the growing anger, focusing on the good memories of his friends and this time managed to block another one of Vanitas's combos with his Keyblade before he spun and thrusted the weapon at the embodiment's face, then quickly used his Flowmotion that made him glow in blue light, entrapping Vanitas as he spun around and around him before catching him off guard and with much of his strength, tossed him to the side where Vanitas crashed into the side of a building._

 _Vanitas, though, wasn't giving up so easily before he fired Dark Fire at him which hit Sora in the chest and stomach, sending him flying backwards where he crashed onto the ground on his back. But Sora wasn't giving up easily either, quickly flipping onto his feet and once again avoided Vanitas who had teleported right in front of him, narrowly avoiding in being sliced in half by the latter's Keyblade by dodge-rolling once more._

 _He used this to his advantage, channeling the power of light from his heart, allowing Sora to create his own Orb of Light which glowed in blue instead of golden white like Mickey's and pinkish white like Kairi's, whacking it straight towards Vanitas who teleported to avoid it, but to the latter's shock, it followed him and successfully engulfed him in the power of light, causing him to yell in agony as the light was weakening him due to being an embodiment of darkness._

 _It allowed Sora to deliver strikes and combos against the distracted and weakened Vanitas who for once couldn't defend himself due to the power of Sora's light. However, Sora gasped when Vanitas then disappeared and as the teenager quickly looked around, a shadow covered and looked up just in time to see his enemy doing to stab him by diving down from the air. Sora responded by jumping out of the way and using Barrier to protect himself when the impact of Vanitas stabbing his Keyblade into the ground caused the earth to tremor a little which, as Sora knew, would cause more damage._

 _He had to end this; now._

 _So he stood waiting, allowing Vanitas to think that he surrendered. Once the latter teleported in front of him, Vanitas realised too late as Sora quickly went into his Valor Form which allowed him to summon the other Keyblade, quickly knocking the Dark Gear Keyblade out of Vanitas' grasp before Sora used both of his Keyblades deliver a finishing slash blow right at him, knocking Vanitas back once more. Sora wasn't finished yet, though, because he leaped into the air and tossed his Keyblade right at Vanitas' chest and head, knocking him out cold and crashing into the ground._

 _Sora in the meantime landed back onto the ground safely while reversing out of his Valor Form, but still stood vigilant with his Kingdom Key in his tight grasp, just in case Vanitas was still unwilling to give up. To half of his relief, Vanitas, groaning a little, just sat up before standing up, brushing himself off._

 _"Heh. Not bad, for a kid." Vanitas admitted, chuckling. "You did a lot better in beating me the first time against me than Ventus did twelve years ago. I can see why the Keyblade chose you over Riku that day."_

 _"You just don't get it." Sora shook his head, lowering his stance a little, but still kept firm. "It's the friendship I have in all of my friends in my heart that give me strength. Whether they're with me or not, our hearts are connected."_

 _Vanitas rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Friendship this, friendship that. Yadda yadda." Before smirking, "But seriously, do you have what it takes to be able to defeat Chaos or Bhunivelze?"_

 _"Maybe not." Sora admitted, before quickly adding, "But I'm not just gonna sit around and run away from either of them and watch them destroy everything. I'll probably end up dead either way, but I'm willing to at least try."_

 _"...Spoken like a man." Vanitas snickered, before strangely sniffing the air a little, "...Am I imagining things, or do you smell smoke?"_

 _Before Sora could answer that, while he had to admit that Vanitas was right..._

 _ **"FIRE!"**_

* * *

"Whoa!" Sora jolted upright, eyes wide when the exclaimation was heard, looking around as he quickly realised that he was back in his tent, and through the material, he could see an orange glow while realising that he had just had a dream of fighting Vanitas. Did Vanitas really attempted to take control of his heart and body?

If that was the case, Sora then realised, to his horror, that the embodiment was getting stronger inside him. If he didn't do something soon...then Sora's screwed.

"Fire! Fire!" The same yell from the dream was heard again, making Sora realise that it was Milo who had been calling out which is what woke him up from the dream of the unfamiliar town and the fight.

In alarm and wondering what was going on, Sora immediately raced out of the tent, only to freeze in horror as most of the tents were really on fire and they were caused by...strange Fireflies? Whatever was happening, the fireflies were setting everyone on fire by a single touch. Where did they come from? Soon enough, everyone was jumping out of their tents and were all in different reactions due to this and Sora quickly hurried over to pull Kairi from her just starting to burn tent as she nearly slipped and fell.

"Kairi! Are you alright?" Sora asked, worriedly.

"Y-yeah. Thanks, Sora." Kairi nodded, shakily as she allowed him to drag her away from the burning wreckage before the two of them quickly hurried to join the rest of the worldly companions.

"Dance, water! Dance!" Myde called out as he summoned his Sitar and called out his Water Abilities to extinguish the fire as much as he could with the help of Aqua's magic and Skuld. Donald tried to use Blizzard, but he and Goofy were both slightly on fire themselves.

"Yeouch!" Goofy screamed comically.

"WAAK!" Donald screamed as his tail was on fire as well.

Fortunately, Xion used Blizzard to cool them off, and while made them chilly, at least it put out the fire.

"I have nothing to do with this!" Lea called out, holding out his hands while avoiding the fireflies that were causing the fire, but still thought that everyone would blame him due to being a Pyro. "I'm innocent!"

Just then, a semi-asleep and irritated Rourke emerged from his tent, calling out to Milo, "Thatch, go back to bed."

"Why not look for yourself, mate!" Jack shouted, trying to use both his Cutlass and his Keyblade to swipe away the fireflies, but the little buggers were too fast and were threatening to set him in fire, which he really didn't want.

Rourke's eyes then widened in utter dumbfoundment and disbelief when he saw that Milo and Jack were both right about everything being on fire. How in the world did this happen came into his mind before more safety measures quickly came.

"Get some more water on that fire!" Helga shouted to a random soldier.

"No time!" Rourke shouted while pointing at into the distance where a long natural bridge led into some shadow-filled caves. "Get us into those caves. C'mon! Move it, move it!"

Hurriedly everyone made for the vehicles and hurried inside. Jack and Myde both jumped into the van with Vinny and Sweet along with Aqua, Ven and Terra. Lea, Isa, Xion, Roxas and Skuld were in their own. Riku, Mickey, Donald and Goofy hurried into Commander Rourke's with Helga. Mole's driller took the lead as one by one everyone followed onto the stone bridge. Finally, Sora and Milo, with Milo's truck already gone, hurried over to another truck where both Kairi and Audrey were in the back off.

"Sora, Milo, jump!" Kairi screamed out.

"Right now!" Audrey added.

Both Sora and Milo leaped into the air at the same time and landed into the back of the other truck just as the truck behind them that couldn't make it suddenly exploded and pieces of machinery flew everywhere. But the insects were obviously not allowing anyone to leave that easily, as a couple of more trucks were set on fire, and to make things worse, the entire and strangely now empty stalactite fell from the ceiling and crashed and impaled the bridge which, by the force of it and the weight of all of the vehicles, the part of the bridge everyone had just escaped from began to crack and crumble and to everyone's horror, collasping behind them.

The weight of the drilling machine was pushing it back and forcing everything to slide back dangerously.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Mole cried out, panicking, futilessly trying to push the driller forward with the gears.

Soon everyone had to hold on tight to something as the bridge broke free. The whole thing descended straight down, taking all the remaining team's vehicles with it. The flames disappeared from view as the bridge fell.

When the bridge landed down below, Mole's drilling machine slide backwards. It did so with such haste, the machine shoved all the other vehicles downward. Soon, everyone had lost control of their trucks and were slamming, banging, and colliding with each other. The worldly travellers continued to hold on as the trucks they were all in slid around like a marble rolling freely down a ramp. All at once, the vehicles slid off what seemed to resemble a ski jump and vanished into a shadow pit as everyone yelled in alarm.

The sounds of crashing, crunching, and crushing filled the air. Then, everything went dark and silent.

* * *

In the mist of darkness, Lea gradually sat up, and rubbed the back of his head, winching as he felt a bit of a lump there when he hit the ground at the unexpected fall. All around him was complete darkness, and his first thought was that he died and gone right back into the Realm of Darkness. But he couldn't feel the intense darkness here, and the ground was gritty and dirty, and strangely somewhat soft.

Standing up slowly while winching again, Lea then summoned a small fire in his hand which lit up the...wherever he was, asking around, with concern, "Is anybody there? Rox? Xi? Isa? Anybody?"

To his relief, there were several groans filled the air, most of them familiar.

"Dang lightnin' bugs done bit me on my sit-upon! Someone's gonna have to get over here and suck out this poison. Now don't everybody jump up at once." Cookie's voice rose above everyone.

Lea couldn't help but snort in amusement at this comment. Trust Cookie to come up with something like that. He then dismissed the small flame when a bright light lit up the entire room, revealing that pretty much all of his friends in the worldly companion league and most of the crew were all alive, much to his relief. The light came from a headlamp from one of the team's vehicles. They were all standing up and recovering from the unexpected crash.

"Okay, can somebody please tell me how the heck those fireflies put literally everything on fire?" Myde groaned, rubbing his butt which was sore. "I thought it was just their name and they only glow at night."

"Apparently not those bloody insects." Jack grumbled, dusting himself off the dust that covered his leather coat.

"Is everybody alright?" Mickey asked, looking around.

Rourke, who had been the one to turn on the headlamp of the truck, called out to Audrey, "Audrey, give me a damage report."

"Not as bad as it could've been," Audrey announced to the commander, as she held out a flashlight which she had immediately looked around the area, seeing the digger next to her before continuing, "We totaled rigs two and seven, but the Digger looks like it'll still run. Lucky for us we landed in something soft."

"But where are we, though?" Skuld asked, glancing around the entire area.

"Pumice ash." Mole announced as he stood next to her. "We are sitting at the base of a dormant volcano." extending his goggle eyes to her, only for the female Keyblade wielder to shove them back in slight annoyance.

"Volcano!?" Donald exclaimed, quickly horrified, screaming as he then leaped into Goofy's arms, shaking.

"I don't think we're in that much of danger right now." Terra said, after he and Aqua figured that there was no heat or lava at the moment, but still, they knew that everyone had to be extra careful now, while Helga pulled out a pistol and pulled the trigger and a small ball of fire went sailing up, up, up.

"It just keeps going." Helga said.

"Maybe it's a way out." Roxas thought.

The ball of fire suddenly exploded when it hit the ceiling above them.

"Maybe not." Isa sighed.

"The magma has solidified in the bowels of the volcano! It's effectively blocking the exit!" Mole explained in amazement as he gazed at the distant ceiling in realization.

"That makes sense." Riku admitted, though he was also confused on another subject.

"Hold on. Back up." Sweet spoke up, before asking as he quickly became worried, "Are you saying this _whole_ volcano can blow at any time?" which quickly made Roxas, Xion, Ven, Mickey, Donald and Goofy gulp worriedly and fearfully.

Fortunately, Mole quickly answered, "No, no, no, no. That would take an explosive force of great magnitude."

The sound of a spring popping caught the others' attention. There stood Vinny trying to assemble and fix a time bomb using a screwdriver. When he realised they were looking at him and also quickly caught on where they were, the demolition man muttered, "Maybe I should do this later, huh?"

"Well, I don't fancy in being stuck in a volcano and some idiot deciding to blow us up into smithereens, that's for sure." Myde muttered, glancing worriedly at the ground where lava could be just maybe a few inches below. Suddenly this entire scenario was almost exactly like the episode of Woody's Roundup that ended in a permament cliff-hanger.

"If we could blow the top off of that thing, we'd have a straight shot to the surface." Rourke said as he was gazing towards the top of the darkness-filled shaft, not paying attention to what the other two men were saying, before glancing at the group, asking, "Mr. Thatch, what do you think?"

There was no answer. "Mr. Thatch?" Rourke called out. "Thatch?"

"Hey, where are Sora and Kairi?" Goofy asked, looking around as everyone flipped on their flashlights and swung the beams around the cavern. There was no sign of the young linguist or the two other teenagers.

"Sora! Kairi!" Riku called out, worriedly.

"Oh no! I hope nothin' awful happened to them." Mickey gasped, gravely worried.

"But where could they be?" Xion asked.

"They gotta be here somewhere." Lea pointed out.

Isa sighed, "But the question is...where?"

* * *

Kairi felt her head throb as she was laying sideways against a rock the moment she hit it and lost consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes and everything around her was blurry and spinning, making her slightly disorientated. As soon as her vision came to focus, she gasped in horror.

Hovering over her were a trio of of creatures with large, strange-looking faces. They didn't exactly resemble Heartless. In fact, the designs of their faces were exactly what she and Aqua had briefly saw earlier during the voyage. When she then saw human hands holding spears and human legs, Kairi realised that they must be people; natives wearing large masks.

Still, the Princess of Heart leaned back as far as she could, but felt trapped as she had no room to even summon her Keyblade, and was terrified.

"Sora? Riku? Milo? Anyone?" Kairi called out, fearfully, before crying out softly as she felt an intensed painful stinging on her upper left arm and grasped it with her right hand, immediately taking it away when she felt something wet and sticky on her hand. She gazed at it and realised that it was a small trace of blood, as she also then realised that there was a small cut on her upper arm close to her shoulder, and it was bleeding slowly.

As Kairi was really starting to panic, one of the people, which this one had a bluish mask, bend down to her and got closer, before lifting it's mask when it saw her. To Kairi's surprise, it was a young woman, possibly in her 20's, with white hair and dark skin. She also had a blue-colored tattoo that seemed to resemble teardrops on her left cheek. She was wearing a blue bikini top, aqua skirt with a pink stripe and gold outlines.

Who was this girl? Kairi then realised that the woman in front of her was staring at her in surprise, before the former leaned back a little when she reached out for her arm. She frowned for a moment before reaching for a perfectly-shaped crystal shard on a cord around her neck. She placed the crystal against the wound and then placed her hand over it. A faint glow came from the spot until she removed her hand.

To Kairi's amazement, the pain was gone and as she looked, the cut had instantly disappeared, as though it was never there. Then she realised something else; the healing magic she felt was warm and familiar...

"That was...Light." Kairi whispered, amazed. She gazed up at the woman again who smiled before replacing her mask.

"Kairi!" Sora's voice suddenly called out.

Kairi and the strange natives looked to the left and saw Sora and Milo hurrying over before stopping, the spiky-haired teen then yelling at the natives, "Hey, leave her alone!"

"Wait, wait!" Kairi quickly said to Sora, "They healed the cut on my arm."

"Huh?" Sora blinked, confused. Milo looked confused as well as amazed at these people.

But before anyone else could say anything, a loud rumbling sound filled the cavern. The woman and the other two with her fled down the tunnel to the right.

"Wait!" Kairi called out to the people, chasing after them, with Sora and Milo just one second behind, wondering what was in the teenage girl's mind. The trio clambered up a rocky slope after the three individuals.

"Kairi! Wait!" Sora cried out.

"Where are you going? Come back!" Milo cried out.

When the three creatures jumped through a gap in the wall, Kairi, Sora and Milo climbed through one-by-one. Upon reaching the other side, the trio found themselves standing on a rocky cliff on the edge of an enormous underground chamber. The three creatures were nowhere to be found.

"Wait, please!" Kairi called out, her voice echoing. "Tell me who you are!"

Sora scanned his eyes around the immediate area. To his and Kairi's surprise, the space above the cavern was full of puffy, white clouds. In the distance was a gigantic plateau covered by water. Waterfalls ran off the edge of the landmass. The peak of what seemed to be some kind of mountain stuck out in the middle of the plateau. In the distance, they and Milo saw the distant ruins of an ancient city. The architecture seemed to resemble the design of the coliseum from Olympus Coliseum.

A deafening noise came from behind as Mole's drilling machine widening the gap in the rock wall behind the trio. Riku, who was just as relieved to see the three of them safe and alive, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Ven, Skuld, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Myde, Jack, Audrey, Vinny, Mole, Dr. Sweet, Ms. Packard, Cookie, Helga and Rourke all came through along side it, before they all saw what Sora, Kairi and Milo were looking at, and were completely speechless.

"My god..." Jack muttered, stunned.

"Oh my gosh...!" Mickey said, mouth slightly open in amazement.

"Sweet mother of Jefferson Davis!" Cookie exclaimed.

"This must be Atlantis." Aqua mumured.

"Wow!" Ven gapped.

Audrey smiled. "It's beautiful!"

"It's more beautiful than I thought." Skuld admitted, and Xion nodded in agreement.

Sweet smiled and placed his hand onto Milo's shoulder. "Milo, I gotta hand it to you. You really came through."

"Man, I wish I can take a photo of this cool place!" Myde said with a smile.

All of the sudden, without warning, a number of creatures appeared behind the team. The group spun around and to their alarm, the creatures donned masks and were pointing spears at them.

"Uh, maybe not." Myde quickly added, nervously as he held up his hands in quick surrender. Donald and Goofy both did the same.

"Holy cats!" Rourke exclaimed, admittedly shocked, reaching out for his gun, "Who're these guys?"

"Hang on a minute." Jack muttered, glancing back and forth at least once between the creatures and Atlantis in the distance, before gazing back at the donned masked people and realised, "These are natives of the city."

"Y-you're right! They gotta be Atlantians!" Milo agreed.

"What? That's impossible!" Helga protested, puzzled.

"I seen this back in the Dakota," Cookie said, worriedly. "They can smell fear just by looking at you, so keep quiet."

Donald and Goofy both gulped nervously, while Mickey shivered scaredly, and Sora and Riku both had Kairi stand behind them to try and protect her. Despite what Kairi had told him and Milo a short time ago, Sora wasn't taking any chances. One of the creatures approached a few feet, before speaking to the group in an unfamiliar voice. Most of them couldn't figure out what they were saying, as it sounded like strange gibberish.

"I think she's talkin' to you, Milo." Goofy whispered.

"She?" Myde asked, incrediously.

"Does sound like a girl." Lea whispered so softly that one would think that the couldn't hear him.

The creature spoke again. Milo started to talk back to it, but no one else had any clue what he was saying. Somehow, he must have been understood by the creature as it removed its mask to reveal the same young woman that healed Kairi's wound. The Princess of Heart could also tell the woman had blue eyes, brown eyebrows, small gold triangular earrings, a gold band on her upper left arm, and a couple gold anklets on her right ankle.

Milo and the woman continued to converse in what sounded like a number of different languages, and some that surprisingly Jack managed to recongise.

"Ita, sum amice viator." Milo said in another language.

"Dices linguam Romae." The girl spoke, this time im Roman, which Jack caught on.

"Parlez-vous francais?" Milo asked, this time in French.

"Oui, monsieur!" The girl said, also in French, which Sora, Roxas, Xion, Donald and Goofy recongised due to Lumière speaking with a French Accent, and of course Jack recongised due to his days of sailing in his world.

"They speak my language!" Mole said excitedly when he heard this, strolling up and gestured at the young lady, "Pardon, mademoiselle? Ah, voulez-vous..."

But when he whispered something in her ear, a second later she punched him in the face and knocked him onto the ground. Whatever he said disgusted her.

Lea bursted out laughing when he saw this, "Good shot!" he praised, and Donald bursted into hysterical laughter while holding his stomach.

Xion, Skuld and Aqua giggled while Mole glared up at them in annoyance. Served him right!

"I wouldn't wanna get on that girl's bad side." Myde shuddered, and Jack nodded in agreement.

"Oh! I like her!" Sweet clapped away.

"'Bout time someone hit him. I'm just sorry it wasn't me." Audrey approved.

The other individuals removed their masks and revealed themselves to be kind, friendly people. They started speaking to everyone else in a variety of different languages.

"Wow. How do these people know so many languages?" Mickey asked to Milo.

"Their language must be based on a root dialect. It's just like the Tower of Babel." Milo explained to the young king.

Jack somehow doubted that, "Or maybe they learned it from other explorers before us in their spare them." He pointed out, which to him made more sense, before he winched in pain when Isa pulled at his right ear.

"Just don't go and say something stupid in Cannibal language or any other language if you want to live." Isa said with a knowing smirk.

"If that were either the case, you would think they'd speak English too, right?" Lea asked, folding his arms in thought.

"Well, only one way to find out." Rourke said to the redhead, before speaking out for everyone to hear, which given his speech, most of the worldly travellers became even more suspicious about the man but didn't show it on their expressions, "We are explorers from the surface world. We come in peace." he said with a friendly grin.

"Welcome to the city of Atlantis." The young woman replied, gesturing at the ruins. She then pulled at Milo's arm and said, "Come! You must speak with my father now."

Rourke gave some last minute instructions to some of the soldiers before joining everyone else in two trucks that had been driven to the cliff behind Mole's drilling machine. It wasn't long before the young woman and the other Atlantians were escorting the caravan across a long, wooden bridge and straight to the ruined city. Terra, Ven, Skuld, Jack, Myde, Donald, Goofy, Audrey, Sweet and Isa were in the truck with Vinny and Mole. Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Riku, Aqua, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Milo, Helga and Rourke were in another.

As they drove into the ruins, Sora and the other seven worldly travellers with him smirked when they noticed Milo explaining how unique the Atlantian language was in comparison to all the other languages and smiled. It had been the linguist who brought all of them and everyone else here to Atlantis and had known it's exact location.

"Never thought we'd make it this far a little while back." Lea commented.

"Well, I knew we'd make it. I'm so excited to explore the city!" Xion said happily.

Roxas, Sora, Kairi, Mickey and even Riku nodded in agreement, while Aqua giggled, before she caught on what Helga and Rourke were saying, and listened in carefully, glancing at the two who weren't aware of the blue-haired young woman listening in.

"Someone's having a good time." Helga was saying to Rourke about Milo.

"Like a kid at Christmas." Rourke joked.

The grin faded from Helga's face and it was replaced by a look of concern and a hint of uncertainty, "Commander, there were not supposed to be people down here. This changes everything."

"This changes nothing." Rourke replied as his expression turned into a frown.

The sudden wave of anxiety and suspicion flushed into Aqua's body, and now only grew worse. The same feeling she felt back when they first met the two before boarding the Ulysses submarine, which meant that they were hiding something. She would have to inform this to her friends later to avoid in getting caught by Rourke and Helga.

For now, she focused on the scenery, unaware that Lea caught on her worried expression, and he too frowned in concern. Whatever she heard from Helga and Rourke, he was beginning to think along the same lines as Aqua.

* * *

When the carvans came to a stop at the base of the mountain which was actually a pyramid, the young woman led Milo, Rourke, Helga, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey and Aqua who voulenteered to go with, up the long flight of stairs and to a stone doorway. A pair of guards opened the door for them, and inside was a large pool of water laid at the center of the room with a spiral of stones in the middle. The remains of a giant statue were located on the far side. Situated before the ruins was a colorful canopy providing shade for a stone throne. A pile of various things was to the left of the throne.

Seated in the throne was an elderly man who seemed to be well over a thousand years old. He was half-bald, had a tattooed face, blind eyes, tanned skin, and long white hair and beard. He was wearing a long, blue robe and holding a long, wooden walking stick.

To show their respect, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Riku and Aqua bend low to their knees with their heads down, bowing to the elderly man before them as they immediately knew was the king of Atlantis, which quickly made them and Milo who copied the young woman who also showed her respects, that the young woman herself was the Princess.

" _ **Greetings, Your Highness. I have brought the visitors.**_ " The young woman spoke to the elder man in Atlantian, though only Milo managed to catch on what she was saying, while everyone else had no idea.

" _ **You know the law, Kida. No outsiders may see the city and live.**_ " The elder man spoke in Atlantian, and he didn't seem all that happy with the 'visitors'.

" _ **Father.**_ " The young woman, named Kida, though no one else noticed this, began to explain. " _ **These people may be able to help us.**_ "

" _ **We do not need their help.**_ " The King said.

" _ **But father...**_ "

" _ **That is enough. We will discuss this later.**_ "

"He doesn't seem happy to see us." Sora whispered to Riku, Mickey, Kairi and Aqua who, along with Milo, all nodded in sad agreement.

"Maybe it's because he's worried that we could do somethin' wrong to the kingdom, and I really don't blame him for that." Mickey whispered. Being a King himself, he knew the responsibilities to a kingdom, and right now he wished he was home to protect Minnie and everyone else in their world.

Too bad Rourke hadn't noticed and thought that they were welcomed, so he spoke with respect and in a friendly tone, "Your Majesty, on behalf of my crew, may I saw it is an honor to be welcomed into your city."

"Uh, excuse me? Commander?" Milo tried to say, but was ignored.

"You presume much to think you are welcome here." The Atlantian King shook his head.

"Sir, we have come a long way looking for-"

"I know what you seek, and you will not find it here." The king interrupted Rourke, as the Princess's head lowered in sadness. "Your journey has been in vain."

"But we are peaceful explorers. Men of science." Rourke reassured.

The king chuckled a little. He gazed at the gun in the commander's side-pocket. "And yet, you bring weapons."

' _He has a point._ ' Riku thought in agreement with the Atlantian King. Plus, like his worldly companions, the silver-haired teen didn't trust Rourke or Helga even the slightest.

Suddenly he, Mickey, Sora, Kairi and Aqua felt their right hands tingle slightly before those feelings faded, which meant that, to the five Keyblade wielder's alarm, their Keyblades nearly summoned themselves before calming down. What just happened?

"Our 'weapons' allow us to remove certain obstacles we may encounter." Rourke shook his head to the elderly man.

"Some obstacles cannot be removed with a mere show of force." The Atlantian King said, before standing up as he glared at Rourke and the others, "Return to your people. You must leave Atlantis, at once."

Before Rourke could say anything further, Aqua immediately stood up and placed a hand onto his shoulder.

"Sir, you should listen to him and obey his command. We don't want to anger him any further." Aqua told him wisely, holding back her suspicion of the man she was holding back herself.

Milo stood up and said in agreement, "Aqua's right, sir. You better do as he says."

As Sora, Kairi, Riku and Mickey stood up hesitatedly when Rourke paused, they were worried that the man was about to make the wrong decision and none of them or Aqua wanted to be imprisoned for the rest of their lives or worse, executed.

"May I respectfully request that we stay one night, sir? That would give us time to rest, resupply, and be ready to travel by morning." Rourke spoke once more, much to the five Keyblade wielders and Milo's shock.

To their surprise and slight relief, the Atlantian King snorted his disapproval, but accepted the request, "Very well. One night. That is all."

"Well, thank you, your majesty." Rourke politely bowed with the others.

As the group turned and began to leave, Sora, Kairi and Milo glanced back. The princess was watching them leave, a look of disappointment evident on her face. It almost seemed like she was about to shed lots of tears. The guards shut the doorway behind the others as soon as the group went through the doorway.

Kida felt her heart sink as she watched them leave. It discouraged her that her father, the king, had refused to even ask for their help to save Atlantis from being destroyed, especially by darkness.

"Your heart has softened, Kida." The Atlantian King mumured as he took a seat once more. "A thousand years ago, you would have slain them upon sight."

"A thousand years ago, the streets were lit!" Kida spun around after rolling her eyes, approaching her father, "There were no strange black monsters roaming and our people did _not_ have to scavenge for food on the edge of a crumbling city!"

"The people are content," Her father replied.

"They do not know any better!" Kida almost yelled, but held it back. "We were once a great people, now we live in ruins!"

As she was nursing her father with a wet cloth of cold water to bring down the fever as the King was showing signs of weakening due to his age, "The kings of our past

would weep if they could see how far we have fallen."

"Kida..." The king scolded.

"If these outsiders can unlock the secrets of our past...perhaps we can save our future, and the light of our world." Kida continued, desperately trying to get her father to understand.

Her father shook his head, saying, "What they have to teach us, we have already learned."

"Our way of life is _dying_!" Kida's tears were now starting to show.

"Our way of life is preserved." The king countered, taking hold of his daughter's hands into his, saying once more, "Kida, when you take the throne, you will understand."

As much as she loved her father, Kida knew that he was wrong. She thought of the outsiders, especially the red-haired girl who like her, somehow had a warm light in her heart, which made her very special. If her father won't do anything, then Kida herself would.

She would speak to the young girl, the two young men, and even the small and kind mouse who also had a nobleness, perhaps even being a king himself, but unlike the Atlantian king, the Mouse was good, kind and very understanding.

* * *

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Aqua, Milo, Rourke and Helga met up with the other crew members outside the palace doorway, while the guards had returned to their original posts.

"So, how'd it go?" Lea asked, shrugging.

"Well, not too bad, I guess." Mickey said, shrugging in return.

"Like how?" Sweet asked.

"Well, the King and his daughter don't exactly see eye to eye. She seems to like us okay, but the King...I don't know, I think he's hiding somethin'." Milo explained.

"I don't think so." Kairi disagreed, "Maybe it's because he doesn't like outsiders."

"I can't blame him for that if that's the case." Aqua nodded in agreement. "It's like Mickey said, the king could be worried about us harming the city."

"Being superstitious, that would make sense. As I know in places I visited, some villages and cities and kingdoms and whatnot always had a mistrust of the outside world and those who come from the outside world." Jack said, in agreement, in very Jack Sparrow like.

When everyone just gave him questioning looks, the pirate continued, "So how can we know that what Mickey and Kairi said would not be the case, if the king himself doesn't even want us here?"

"So...he wants to kick us out because he thinks were all bad guys." Myde theoried.

"...You're not making any sense at all." Jack grumbled to the younger man.

"And you are?" Isa asked, skeptically.

"I think I get what Jack's saying. If the king is worried that people outside of Atlantis would know more about this place, then things might go wrong." Roxas said, thoughtfully.

"Precisly!" Jack praised to the former Nobody.

Rourke shrugged, "Well, either way, I want to know what's goin' on."

"Someone needs to talk to that girl." Helga suggested with a smirk.

"I think so...but who?" Sora asked, crossing his arms.

"I will go!" Mole spoke up.

"Someone who already has her interest." Myde suggested.

"I will give my trust!" Mole continued.

"Someone with good people's skill." Vinny added.

"I will do it!" Mole continued.

"Someone who won't make her angry." Lea nodded.

"I will cheer her up!" Mole continued.

"Someone who won't scare her away." Sweet said, thoughtfully.

"I voulenteer!" Mole continued.

"Someone who can speak the same language." Donald concluded.

"For the good of the mission, I will go!" Mole saluted.

Everyone had all pointly ignored Mole and instead Rourke said to the unaware Milo, "Good man, Thatch. Thanks for volunteering."

"Wait, what?" Milo asked, shocked, eyes wide.

Sora and Kairi both glanced at each other, before the latter said, "I want to talk to her to. I still have to thank her for helping me earlier."

"I'll go with you and Milo." Sora voulenteered.

"I'll go too. I kinda wanna help out since I gotta a feelin' the girl would want our help." Mickey concluded.

Mole was utterly devastated that he wasn't picked or even acknowlaged, before bursting into tears dramatically, flying out of his eyes like water-works or rain. The rest of the worldly travellers shook their heads, except Goofy who pulled out a hanky to the digger who cried his eyes into it.

"Aw, there, there, Mole." Goofy said comfortingly. "At least I heard ya' voulenteer."

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a drama queen of a digger." Isa announced sarcastically. Riku, Terra, Lea, Roxas, and Ven snorted in amusement at this comment.

* * *

After the rest of the worldly travellers and the crew strolled off, Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo turned their eyes toward the entrance to the Atlantian throne room. They ducked behind a pillar as the doors open. Peering from around the column, they saw the princess strolling out.

Nodding, Milo turned to the other three, "Okay, this is what we're gonna do. We're not going to take 'no' for an answer."

"What are you going to say to her?" Mickey asked, curiously.

"This is what I'm gonna say." Milo began, " _'Look, I have some questions for you, and I am_ not _leaving the city until they're answered'._ "

"Sounds good to me." Sora nodded.

"It might be harsh, but I think we can manage." Kairi agreed.

But as she, Sora, Mickey and Milo peered around the column, Kida wasn't there. The four of them searched around with their eyes, but there was no sign of her...until suddenly a hand grabbed Milo from behind. Sora, Kairi and Mickey spun around to see the princess had snuck up on them and grabbed the young linguist by surprise as she gazed at all four of them.

"I have some questions for you, and none of you are leaving the city until they are answered." The princess told them.

"Uh, okay." Sora muttered, only for the young woman to shush him while releasing Milo.

"Come with me." She instructed, taking the lead.

Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo shrugged before following the Princess around a corner leading away from the throne room entranceway and along the side of the gigantic pyramid. They passed by a few waterfalls. Beyond there, the crawl space ended and the group clambered down a short wall of stone to the floor.

Upon getting his feet down on the ground, Sora gazed up and saw the ceiling of the room they were in was a cracked, peaked roof with a few gaping holes on one side. A pile of damaged stone blocks laid below indicating where they'd come from. The scent of warm, humid air was all around. A few distant bird calls could be heard in the distance. All around the room various plants and long vines could be seen.

The others also followed as the Princess stood proudly in the chamber with a friendly smile. "There is so much to ask about your world."

She spun around to the four of them and asked, "You are scholars. Are you not?" before gesturing at Milo, "Judging from your diminished physique and very large forehead, you are suited for nothing else."

"Well, uh..." Mickey began, hesitatedly.

"When did the floodwaters recede? What does the outside world look like? What kind of culture do you come from?" The princess continued.

"Whoa, whoa. One question at a time." Sora shook his hands.

"W-Wait a minute. The three of us have questions for you too." Milo said.

"I know. How 'bout we take turns in asking and answering questions." Mickey suggested, "Ya' know, you ask first and we answer, and then we ask and you answer."

The Princess nodded simply, "Very well. What is your first question?"

"Um, I have one." Kairi began, before asking, "How did this entire place end up here underground?"

The Atlantian Princess sighed deeply, before explaining "It is the said that the gods became jealous of Atlantis. They sent a great cataclysm and banished us here."

Sora, Kairi and Mickey glanced at each other, shocked and confused. Was it because Zeus was jealous? No, that didn't make any sense. He wouldn't have done something like this. Maybe it was Bhunivelze before he was sent into a deep sleep. Could this world be connected to the Unseen Realm.

The Princess then continued, "All I can remember is the sky going dark, people shouting and running. Then, a bright Light—like a star—floating above the city. My father said it called my mother to it. I never saw her again."

Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo were shocked and saddened to hear this. The Princess lost her mother and never got her back, especially since her childhood. All of them knew that the worst thing of losing someone is never getting them back.

"Aw, gee. That's terrible." Mickey said, knowing the feeling too well. Memories of the sacrifice of Ansem the Wise, and the lingering fear of never seeing Master Yen Sid ever again. "I know how you feel."

"Me too." Sora remarked.

"So do I. I lost my parents and grandmother when I was a little girl too." Kairi added, feeling tears form in her eyes, feeling sorry for her fellow princess.

"I know how you feel too. Cause if it's any consolation, I lost my—" Milo began, before suddenly realising what else the princess said and became dumbfounded, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute! Whoa, back up! What are you telling us? You remember because you were there? No, that...that's impossible, because that would make you, you know, eighty-five… eighty-eight hundred years old!"

Sora, Kairi and Mickey stared at the young woman in total disbelief. Was Milo saying the princess was well over two thousand years old? How could anyone live that long? It was starting to sound like Ven, Skuld, Ephemer, Aced, and this Lauriam, only without the princess having been in the Realm of Darkness where time doesn't exist.

"Yes?" The Princess asked with a shrug, as though not getting what the problem is.

As everyone turned to the linguist, Milo said shyly, "Well, uh… hey, looking good." which made Kairi giggle.

"You have a question for me?" Milo asked.

"Yes," The princess confirmed with a nod. "How is it you found your way to this place?"

Milo reached into his brown shoulder bag and pulled out the Shepherd's Journal for the woman to see, "Well, I'll tell you. It wasn't easy. If it weren't for this book, we never would've made it."

"The only one who can read it out of all of us is Milo. The three of us don't have a clue what it even says." Sora admitted sheepishly as the Princess took the book from Milo and flipped through the pages.

"You mean...he can understand this?" The Princess asked, with a tone of disbelief."Yes," Milo acknowledged. "I'm a linguist. That's what I do — that's my job."

The young woman was unconvinced. She held the open booklet before the young linguist's eyes. "This — right here. You can read this?"

"Yes," Milo replied. "I can read Atlantian—Just like you."

The princess turned away and continued to stare at the pages as though they were written in an unknown language. Her puzzled expression grabbed the attention of Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo. "You can't," Milo realized. "Can you?"

"No one can," The young woman answered. "Such knowledge has been lost to us since the time of the Mehbelmok."

"The Mebe-what?" Sora asked, puzzled at the new word.

"The Great Flood." Milo translated.

"Say uh, I got've a question too." Mickey spoke up to the Princess. "Have you seen anything very unsual recently? Like say...monsters?"

The princess's eyes widened, "Yes! Shady black creatures. They've been attacking the edge of our city for a few years now!" before asking, "Do you know what they are?"

"They're called the Heartless, and they're very dangerous." Mickey nodded, explaining, "They've been attacking other places in the surface too."

"That reminds me. Before the rest of us, like you know, the four of us and the others we came with, have you seen any other people? A guy in a bear mask or another guy with pink hair?" Sora asked this time.

The princess thought deeply, before shaking her head, "No. Only you and your allies." she then said, "I want to show the four of you something."

Once again, she took the lead, and Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo followed her once more to another place.

* * *

 **A/N: I'll update again hopefully on Monday or Tuesday at the latest and sorry that this chapter seemed shorter. It's too bad Leonard Nimoy passed away, other wise if KH3 had Atlantis and he'd been up to it, he'd voice both Master Xehanort and reprise his role as the Atlantian King for the real game.**

 **The Vanitas dream fight makes up for the no boss battle just outside of Atlantis, I hope. See you in the next chapter! Meanwhile, I'm going to bed and prepare myself for a day out on my Birthday tomorrow.**

 **See you real soon!**


	23. CH22: The Heart of Atlantis

**Author's Note: While I had a great day on my birthday, my heart goes out to the people of Texas that are struggling with the floods and I wish they will be able to rebuild their lives and recover soon.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH22: The Heart of Atlantis.**_

It wasn't that far that Kida wanted to show them something. In fact, it was just only a few feet away from where they all had the conversation. To Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo, it looked like a large, fish-like object made out of metal which also had some octagon-shaped panel. If Terra had been here, he would've thought it looked familiar to his Keyblade glider.

"Wow...It kinda looks like a vehicle." Mickey concluded, examining the object. Sora and Milo both knelt down to examinie it next to him.

"It looks like can fly to me." Kairi thought, bending to look at it more closely on the other side.

Kida sighed as she paced back and forth, "Yes. But no matter what I tried, it will not respond."

"Maybe you made a bit of a mistake?" Sora shrugged.

Mickey examined the panel before noticing familiar gibberish writting and frowned, "Hmmm...Well, it has instructions, but it's too bad I can't read Atlantian." before gazing at the linguist, "Say, Milo. Maybe you c-"

"Way ahead of you." Milo said as he proceeded to glance over the vehicle, and then pointed his right index finger at it and started to read. "Okay, ' _Place crystal into slot...'_ "

"Yes, yes! I have done that!" Kida grumbled.

" _'Gently place your hand on the inscription pad...'_ "

"Yes."

"Okay. Did you turn the crystal one quarter-turn back... "

"Yes, yes!"

"…While your hand was on the inscription pad?"

"Ye—" Kida paused in her mid response, before realising that the very thought Milo had mentioned had slipped from her mind, and instead muttered in surprise, "...No."

Milo shook his head and smiled. "Ah, well, see, there's your problem right there. That's an easy thing to miss. You know, you deserve credit for even...for even gettin' this far."

The princess crossed her arms while Kairi placed her hands on her hips and both young women stared at the linguist. Sora and Mickey both glanced at each other and shrugged with knowing and sheepish smiles.

"...Okay, give it a try." Milo said, sheepishly.

Kida nodded slightly before strolling up to the vehicle. She placed her crystal into the slot and put her hand onto the panel. After turning the crystal like Milo had instructed, the vehicle's design became a light-blue color. The vehicle started to rise into the air. All five of them stepped back surprised, staring in awe.

"Whoa!" Sora gapped.

"That's amazing!" Kairi marveled in awe.

"Yeah, you got that right." Milo said, equally amazed.

The group gathered around the floating vehicle, as Milo declared, "This is great! With this thing, we can see the whole city in no time at all!"

Mickey, with his curiousity getting the better of him, climbed up onto the vehicle to get to it's current height before saying aloud, "Gosh, I wonder how fast it goes?"

But as the king reached out and pressed his finger on the panel, the vehicle zoomed way, with Mickey on it.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! WHOA!" Mickey screamed out as he hanged onto the vehicle for dear life while the said flying object bounced off a nearby wall, then was sent towards the ceiling, bounced off, bounced off a nearby corner, and then headed straight for the others and while he knew that they would duck, he also realised that it would also crash right into the wall behind them.

Apparently, Sora saw this as well.

"Jump, Your Majesty!" Sora called out.

Trusting Sora, Mickey immediately did jump as it almost hit the group and while Kairi, Kida and Milo ducked, Sora jumped to the right and held out his arms and caught the Mouse King in his arms, but the force of it sent the teenager falling to the ground while the vehicle came to a sudden stop when it slammed into the floor a few feet in front of their eyes. The impact left a small crater.

"Oops." Mickey chuckled, nervously as he realised he made a bit of mistake as the eyes of the others were on him. "Guess I shoud'a been more careful. Sorry 'bout that."

"Remind me to be gentle with those things." Sora requested with a grin, quickly adding, "And tell Goofy to be careful too."

* * *

Five minutes later, the group was climbing the side of a nearby tower close to the Atlantian palace, with Kida having taken the lead. Milo was directly behind her, and was in front of Sora who was helping and supporting Kairi to his right, and Mickey was to his left. The higher they got, the more the cool wind was gusting around them.

"By the way, we were never properly introduced." Milo called up to Kida, "My name's Milo."

"I'm Sora." Sora called up next.

"And I'm Mickey." Mickey added.

"My name's Kairi." Kairi said, while mentally thankful that Sora was there to support her, and had to fight the blush that was forming on her face when Sora's arm was around her back to keep her from falling.

"My name is Kidagakash." Kida looked down with a smile.

Sora, Milo, Kairi and Mickey had a bit of trouble pronouncing Kida's full name before Mickey called up, "Uh...Do'ya have a shorter name?"

Kida giggled, "Kida."

The others acknowlaged this and can easily remember it as they all made it to the top of the tower, standing, their eyes scanning around. The view was amazing and beautiful as they could see the entire city from where they were. In the distance, clouds were suspended beyond the plateau. Various other towers and ruined buildings were positioned throughout the city. Plants of various forms were growing all around.

"It's beautiful." Kairi said, smiling warmly.

"Aw, I wish I could show Minnie this place." Mickey said, somewhat emotionally.

As Milo glanced around, he was showing signs of tears which Sora and Kida both noticed.

"What is wrong?" Kida asked, slightly concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing," Milo hastily said. He wiped his eyeglasses on his sweater. "I just..got something in my eye."

"You sure about that?" Sora asked, doubtful.

Milo nodded, before admitting, somewhat emotionally, "You know, my grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back as I can remember. I just wish he could be standing here with me."

"Your grandpa is always with you. In your heart." Sora said, pointing at the linguist's chest. Milo placed his right hand upon the left side of his chest before smiling at the spiky-brown haired teen who smiled in return. Kairi, Mickey and Kida smiled when they saw this.

"Ya'know, Kida. It's the same thing with your mother too. Even though she isn't here, she's always been with you in your heart." Mickey told the Atlantian Princess with a warm smile.

Kida copied what Milo did and in so smiled at the small king in return. Kairi smiled happily at all four of them before she and her friends gazed out at the city once more.

* * *

Kida took Milo, Sora, Kairi and Mickey on a tour around the city and the five of them were now at the docks on the edge of the city, where several men were on slits fishing out purple lobsters from the water.

Though they were a bit delayed when more Heartless appeared which Sora, Mickey, Kairi and even Kida took care off with surprisingly good teamwork.

Sora tossed his Keyblade looked a boomarang that knocked out and destroyed three Heartless with this before slashing at another one and finished it off. Kairi spun around, thrusting her Keyblade upward that finished off a Fish-like Heartless that was smiliar to the ones in Atlantica. Mickey defeated four Heartless with his air-somursaults. Kida jumped into the air and dove her spear into three of the flying Heartless, sending them back into darkness where they disappeared.

"You were amazing, Kida!" Kairi remarked once all of the Heartless were eliminated.

"Thank you, Kairi. You, Sora and Mickey are impressive too." Kida replied, making the Princess of Heart, Mickey and Sora blush a little at the compliment.

"So, tell me about more of your companions. The two blond-haired boys, are they brothers?"

"Ven and Roxas?" Sora asked, blinking, before anxiously said, "Well...no. They're not even related. It is weird for them to look like one another and even I kinda look like them, except for my hair, but, yeah, some people look exactly the same."

"You mean your people?" Kida asked.

"Yeah. Even Lea, the red-haired guy, looks just like another guy we met recently." Sora explained, chuckling as he shook his head at that memory, "We were all pretty much shocked when we found _that_ out."

"I think Lea was the most shocked outta all of us." Mickey commented, "'Cuz' I was there when we first met Reno."

"Is this Reno the man who resembles to your friend, Lea?" Kida quired. Sora, Kairi and Mickey nodded to confirm it. Kida then looked at Milo and asked, "And your physician. He is called ' _Cookie_ '?"

"No, that's Sweet." Milo replied.

Kinda seemed perplexed. "What is?"

"The doctor. He's Sweet."

"Oh! He is kindly."

"No, no, no. That's his name."

"His name is ' _Kindly_ '?"

"No, Sweet. B-but he's kindly, too."

"So… all of your doctors are sweet and kindly?"

"No," Milo corrected. "W-well, I'm sure some are — ours is, but that's not a requirement. You're missing the point."

Kida threw her hands into the air. "You are confusing me."

As the group walked by the made-shift buildings and shops and ectera, the rest of the worldly travellers and some of the group from the expedition were touring the city themselves. Lea, Roxas, Xion, Audrey and Cookie found themselves between the shops of different kinds of colourful material and body painters of blue tattoos every Atlantian apparently have on their bodies as part of the Atlantian culture.

"These materials are so pretty. I can hardly know which one is my favourite." Xion said enthusiastically.

"I'll say. This place is amazing." Lea nodded in agreement.

"Wow! Look at all of these tattoos." Audrey said behind the Sea-Salt Trio who turned around and also noticed the body paint.

"They look so cool." Roxas remarked.

Cookie on the other hand, scoffed, "Shoot. That ain't nothin'. Look here what I got."

He pulled up his shirt to reveal a large tattoo of the world map of the surface world of this world, which somewhat grossed out the four younger people, "Watch me make Rhode Island dance. Go on, baby, dance. Dance."

To Lea, Roxas, Xion and Audrey's disgust, Cookie wriggled his stomach which bounched flop up and down, in and out and it made disgusting sloshing noise as the lower part of 'Rhode Island' was 'dancing'. The faces of the four of them turned green that they all fought the urge to vomit.

* * *

Kida by then had lead Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo towards a nearby building that had been built on a large rock just off the shoreline. A series of rope bridges led to and from the building. As they approached, they noticed Riku, Donald, Goofy, Isa, Myde, Jack, Ven, Aqua, Terra, and even Lea, Xion, Roxas, Skuld, Audrey, Packard, Sweet, Mole, Vinny and Sweet all approaching the building as well.

The restaurant was crowded as everyone sat on comfy cushions. It wasn't too crowded but still crowded enough. It was a different kind of food that the travellers were not used to, but at least it smlled good. Much better than Cookie's Beacon Grease and Mudka's cooked beetles, that's for sure.

Sora, Kairi and Mickey all had salads with special kinds of pasta and orangey mashed food with strange and new utensils. Despite the weirdness, the food actually tasted good.

"Cookies are sweet, but yours is not. Sweet is kindly, but that is not his name. Audrey is sweet, but she is not your doctor." Kida was saying thoughtfully to Milo, before asking with uncertainty, "...And the little digging animal called Mole...He's your pet?"

"Close enough." Milo replied after swallowing his portion of food.

The princess then turned her attention to the three worldly travellers and continued, "Riku is the kind young man and you two grew up with him on these islands that you three live, Roxas and Ven look exactly the same, but they are not related, Xion is sweet and kindly, Isa is stern but kind as well, Lea is caring, like he treats Roxas and Xion like his own family, Aqua is sweet and has a mother-nature in her, Terra is strong and kindly, Myde is strange but has funniess in him..."

Again she paused, and then asked to Sora, "And that man with a little box called Jack Sparrow. He was a bird?"

"Close enough." Sora parroted Milo in words.

Nearby, Goofy and Mole were chowing down on their food in their bowls, but the same wouldn't be said for the others. Vinny, Myde, Jack, Isa and Donald picked up small, green, wriggly insect-like things that were alive with multiple googly eyes. The five of them stared at the things in their hands with slightly horrified wide-eyed expressions.

"Don't forget to eat the head," Sweet informed them as he willingly and happily chomped off the head of the same thing, sucking it clean from it's now empty shell. "That's where all the nutrients are."

"...I'm gonna starve at this rate." Myde whispered as he carefully put his 'food' back into the bowl, feeling green in the face.

"Me too." Donald agreed.

They, Jack, Isa, Vinny and Sweet all then shrank back in disturbed disgust when Mole swallowed his food and belched loudly. It was even more disturbing that the force of it made his goggles do side-ways in opposite directions of each other briefly. Only Goofy didn't notice as he happily finished off his food too.

That did it for Myde. The young man immediately covered his mouth with his hand and stood up quickly before running out of the resturant, catching the eyes of everyone who noticed the young man run out of the door to find a place to puke his contents out. Donald in the meantime, fainted a second later.

"You okay there, Donald?" Goofy asked, when he noticed this.

After a slight eerie moment of silence, Vinny glanced at Isa who pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation while closing his eyes, groaning. The demolition man then leaned to the side to Jack and whispered, "That mullet-head kid's a whimp and gets on Isa's nerves, eh?"

"You've no idea." Jack sighed while shaking his head, in a a manner of a tired parent, still staring at where Myde had speed off to.

* * *

Myde moaned pitifully as he at last managed to calm himself down from his little episode. That was the second time he had to do that under the shade of a month. What was it with some worlds having a crazy desire to cook strange insects or slop and then eat them?

Finally after five minutes, which felt more like five hours, Myde shakily stood up, wrapping his arms around his stomach protectively, still moaning.

"I wanna go to bed." Myde groaned.

Just then, he felt something grab him on the arm from his left and pulled him into the bushes and just as Myde let out an alarmed cry, a hand was roughly clampsed around his mouth that muffled his scream while his left arm was pulled to his back and felt a tight iron grip on his wrist. The young man tried to pull himself free as his right hand struggled to pull whoever's hand off his face.

"Sorry, kid. But you're not going to sleep anytime soon." An awfully familiar voice sneered cruely in a whisper, lips barely touching his earknob.

Myde's eyes widened in shock, as he recongised the voice, but didn't want to believe it. Instead, he continued to muffle his cries for help as he was pulled further and further into the bushes.

 _Five minutes later..._

While Kida led Milo, Sora, Kairi and Mickey to another area, the expediation wandered off to somewhere which led the worldly travellers on their own, wondering where Myde has gotten to. So, the group decided to split up to find the mullet-haired man. Jack wandered off to where he suspected Myde had gone off too. The pirate then spotted something on the ground near the bushes and furrowed his brows in slight confusion.

As he knelt on one knee, Jack picked up the object and realised that it was a photo...a photo of a younger Myde, close to twelve years of age, pulling off a stupid grin as he stood next to another young boy similiar in appearence. This boy had messy spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a blue and white t-shirt and black shorts, and on his right wrist was a band of some kind.

' _Myde?_ ' Jack mouthed silently, before standing up and began to trace back, suspicions growing as he suddenly realised that Myde was in trouble again; abducted none the less. Visions of Rourke and Helga came into mind as being the suspects.

But he only managed to take three steps, because when Jack glanced forward, he came to a jolting stop as two men wearing gas masks stood in front of him, holding rifles, aiming the weapons right at him. He immediately recongised these men as Rourke's soldiers that travelled with them, and Jack immediately knew, he and the rest of his companions were right for being suspicious about the Commander.

"Oh, bugger." Jack muttered the moment he came to a halt.

"Hands on your head, now!" One of the soldiers commanded.

Jack paused, before grinning nervously, pocketing Myde's childhood photo, then pulled out some small metal jar from another pocket and twisted the lid open, shaking orange powder onto his shoulders one at the time, making the masked men glance at each other in confusion.

"For proper dressed meeting, eh?" Jack randomly said.

* * *

Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Milo and Kida in the meantime were gathered alongside some various ruins alongside the water as nightfall descended onto the ancient city of Atlantis. They had two wooden rods that had pink laterns at the end, filled with fireflies that some of them were gathering and/or watching.

Kairi held out a hand as one of the fireflies landed softly on the side of her forefinger and smiled at the little insect, before letting it fly away. "It's really beautiful here at night. I could just spend the rest of day just being here."

"Cute little fellas." Mickey chuckled as one firefly sat on one of his ears for a minute before flying off.

"You know, Kida, the most we ever hoped to find was some crumbling buildings, maybe some broken pottery." Milo said to Kida while gathering fireflies for the lantern. "Instead, we find a living, thriving society."

"Yeah, it's amazing to find people still living down here." Sora agreed as he carefully placed a firefly into the lantern Kida was hilding, before adding, "You know, these little guys are cute, when they're, you know, not setting everything on fire."

Kida shook her head in sadness, "We are not thriving. True, our people live, but our culture is dying. We are like a stone the ocean beats against. With each passing year...a little more of us is worn away."

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Kida." Mickey said, understanding with Sora and Kairi both nodding in agreement. They and Milo knew the reason of Kida's words; based on what she told them earlier, with the Great Flood having drowned most of the civilization and with Atlantis and it's people here underground for thousands of years and only being able to have knowlage in how to survive, there was no knowlage of reading or writting, or learning anything much of past history...Kida and her people are being left into darkness.

"Wish there was something I could do… " Milo said with a nod.

"Me too." Kairi agreed.

"Yeah, me too." Sora added.

Kida gazed at Milo and told him, "I have brought you to this place to ask you for your help. There is a mural here with writing all around the pictures."

"Well, you came to the right guy." Milo replied, planting the lantern onto the ground next to him as he examined the crumbled wall. "Okay, let's see... let's start with this column right here."

Sora, Kairi and Mickey were about to approach the linguist when they noticed Kida approach the water. To the two boys' alarm, Kida was removing her sarong which revealled her blue bikini bottoms and long dazzling legs. Immediately both Sora and Mickey tried to avoid staring at...that and focused on gazing at Kida's face, but both still felt uncomfortably warm. Kairi also noticed, and giggled a little at their expressions. There was one thing she could never doubt about those two; they never wanted to anger a woman.

Milo turned to speak when he too felt his face flush, just as flustered as Sora and Mickey, "Uh, Kida? Uh, heh...What are you doin'?"

"You do swim, do you not?" Kida quired with a smile.

"Oh, I swim pretty girl. Pr-pretty good! Pretty good. Sw... Good, swim good. Pretty good. I swim pretty good." Milo stuttered and correcting himself.

At this, Sora, Kairi and Mickey all immediately had the feeling that Milo was starting to like Kida more than just a friend. The three of them made a quick note not to tell the others about this; otherwise poor Milo will never hear the end of it.

"I can swim too." Sora announced.

"Me too. Plus, Sora, Riku and I grew up on the islands." Kairi added.

"I can swim well too, Kida. You don't have to worry about that." Mickey said.

Kida nodded in acknowlagement, "Good. It's a fair distance to where we are going."

Milo removed his shoulder bag, pulled off his sweater and undershirt, and took off his shoes before clambering into the water and said, "Hey, you are talkin' to the belly flop champ at Camp Runamuck."

Sora, Kairi and Mickey didn't borther in taking any of their clothes off and instead followed the others in the water. But as Milo went into the water, his boxer shorts caught the air-bubbles that caused it to enflate like balloons over the water. Kida, Sora, Kairi and Mickey all giggled at the sight while Milo sheepishly let the air out, returning his shorts to normal.

With that, Milo was about to jump into the water, when he then turned to Kida and suggested in slight embarrassment, "Why don't you lead the way? Because...I have no idea where we're going."

Kida smiled before taking a deep breath and diving straight into the water. After grabbing deep breaths of their own, Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo were seconds behind, and they were glad they grabbed huge gulps of air. As the group followed Kida through thedark waters, the light of her crystal necklace being the only source of light, remains of stone structures that had collapsed who knows how long ago laid strewn about the seafloor. No fish could be seen. No sea creatures either, except the occasional purple lobster.

There were occasional Under-water Heartless that appeared in their path, but Sora, Kairi and Mickey, with slight difficulty in trying to not let their air out, defeated the Heartless until they, Kida and Milo finally reached a large opening in one of the ruined buildings which resembled a mouth of a cavern, and into the darkness inside.

The five of them swam straight up to an air pocket above, where they gasped for breath.

"Are you all right?" Kida asked.

"I'm okay." Kairi nodded, though she felt admittedly dizzy, but she shook that off.

"I'm good." Sora replied.

"Me too." Mickey added, "Just a bit light-headed, but I'll be okay."

"Well, I didn't drown, so—"

"Good," Kida returned before Milo could finish speaking. "Follow me." She grabbed another breath and dove back down. Kairi, Mickey, Sora and Milo each took a deep breath of their own before following her.

About twenty feet beneath the pocket of air, Kida the crystal around her neck to illuminate a colorful mural of what the three worldly travellers thought looked like a shiny star with four points. A series of symbols were written around the perimeter of the image in the form of sentences. Milo swam closer to get a better look at the text. Sora, Kairi and Mickey drew closer, wondering what the linguist was reading. To them, it looked more like gibberish in strange writting.

Milo was thouroughly amazed, as the writting was exactly like the Journal was talking about, though there were a few off details. The group approached a large picture in the mural. To Sora, Kairi and Mickey, it seemed to resemble a pair of robotic humans. Like before, there was text written all around the painting. Milo took his time reading through the Atlantian sentences.

Finally after a few minutes of reading, Milo gazed at Kida's crystal before gesturing her and the others back up to the air pocket and they all swam up.

"The heart of Atlantis!" Milo declared after returning to the air-pocket.

"What?" Kida, Sora, Kairi and Mickey all asked, confused.

"It's the heart of Atlantis! T-that's what the shepherd was talking about. It wasn't a 'star', it was some kind of crystal like," Milo then lifted Kida's crystal above the water's surface, continuing to explain, "Like these. Don't you get it? The power source I've been looking for, the bright light Kida remembers, they're the same thing! It's what's keeping all these everything—You, Kida and all of Atlantis alive!"

"Really? It can do that?" Kairi asked, beyond amazed.

"It cannot be!" Kida gasped, nearly speechless.

"So that's how everybody's been alive for so long." Mickey realised, wide-eyed.

Sora blinked in confusion and amazement. If the Heart of Atlantis, the Heart of this world, was keeping all people and animals in the city alive, then maybe it's what the Heartless are after. But something didn't add up to this, even though he was aware of all worlds having hearts of their own and the only way to access them is through the Keyhole.

"Then, where is it now?" Kida asked.

Milo shook his head, "I don't know, I don't know. You'd think something this important would've been in the journal, but—" He paused abruptly and his eyes grew wide and alert. Sora and Kida stared at him. "Unless... the missing page."

' _Milo did say that there was a missing page in the book..._ ' Kairi thought, worriedly. Her mind instantly reverted to both Rourke and Helga and instantly knew that they would have something to do with it. The moment she and her friends met the two, they were suspicious through out the journey.

"Let's head back and find out." Sora suggested.

The others nodded, making to return to the spot where they started.

* * *

One by one, Sora, Kairi, Milo and Mickey all emerged from the water so quickly emerged from the water so quickly, they had clambered onto a stone tile, gasping for a few seconds before relaxing a little. Suddenly, their eyes widened as a familiar tall man knelt down in front of them on dry land. It was Rourke.

"You all had a nice swim?" Rourke asked the four of them with a semi-friendly grin.

Behind him, were the crowd of people gathered behind the commander; Helga, Audrey, Dr. Sweet, Vinny, Mole, Cookie, and Ms. Packard, as well as several soldiers in gas masks and carrying rifles. Everyone was armed with some kind of a gun; Mole had a small machine gun.

"Hey, guys," Milo smiled nervously. "What's goin' on? What's with… what's with all the guns? Guys?"

"Ow! Hey, watch it, will ya?" Lea's voice suddenly filled the air.

"Move it!" A rough voice ordered sternly.

Behind the crowd as they slightly departed, a few more soldiers, and to Milo, Sora, Kairi and Mickey's shock, gathering Heartless pushing Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Skuld, Ven, Aqua, Terra and Jack forward before stopping and holding their rifles up at the rest of the worldly travellers.

"You! You're the one that's controlling the Heartless!" Kairi yelled accusingly at Rourke.

Realising this, also combining what Kairi had said, Milo gave a deep sigh, muttering to himself in self-disgust, "I am _such_ an idiot!"

"I knew you were up to no good!" Sora grunted angrily at Rourke.

"Why you no good commander!" Mickey yelled at Rourke, realising the whole reason of this. "You want that Crystal, don'tcha!?"

Rourke smiled as the mouse had figured it out, pulling out a piece of wrinkled parchment, holding it up for the four of them to see. "Oh, you mean this?"

On the page was a depiction of a large sphere surrounded by several stones. Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo realised that it was indeed Rourke who had ripped out the page and had plotted this from the very beginning.

"The heart of Atlantis." Milo realised.

"Why are you doing this!?" Kairi demanded.

"Well, about that, little lady." Rourke said in a tone that sounded like a witness having a difficult time revealing the truth at a trial. "For one thing, you and your friends should have picked sides more carefully. You and your boyfriend next to you, the blond-twins and black-haired girl are too naive to be soldiers. Your mouse-friend is too much like both of you and too small. The blue-haired woman, her boyfriend and your silver-haired friend knew we were suspicious, as did the blue-haired man. Your dog-friend and mullet-haired friend are both too clumsy. Your 'pirate' friend thinks that not all treasure are shiny but rather useless things. Your red-haired friend is too brother-material and caring, and your duck-friend is greedy enough, but, well... he lacks enough height to prove useful."

"You were using Milo from the beginning and I bet you even using his grandfather to get the book too!" Sora yelled angrily.

"Well, I would've told Milo sooner, but it was strictly on a need-to-know basis, and well... now you know. I had to be sure he were one of us; same with you and your friends, Sora. At least one of you passed the test." Rourke extended a hand for Milo. "Welcome to the club, son."

Milo jerked back a few inches, snapping, "I'm no mercenary!"

"You couldn't have taken control of the Heartless on your own!" Mickey snapped at the evil commander. "Your heart would've been swallowed up because you're the reason they're here in the first place!"

"No, but he had my help, li'l pipsqueak." A familiar voice sneered evilly, as from a poof of cloud, a familiar large fat cat appeared, laughing evilly. "With a bit of bargain, though."

Skuld's eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar cat, demanding, "And who are you?"

"Pete!?" Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Isa exclaimed in shock.

"PETE!?" Terra, Ven and Aqua exclaimed, shocked and horrified as they recongsied the cat as one from Disney Town, who went under to ridiculous disguises, one was 'Captain Justice' which both Ven and Aqua knew when they first arrived in that world, and 'Captain Dark' which Terra knew when he first arrived in that world.

Myde quirked an eyebrow, blinking, "Don't remember seeing this guy."

Jack was shocked himself, holding up a finger pointing at Pete accusing, "Oi. You're that fat lard that was helping Barbossa one year ago."

At that moment, the sound of water splashing filled the air. Kida had emerged from below the surface, but before Sora and the others could warn her, he, Kairi and Mickey were all immediately grabbed by six soldiers who pulled them out of the water and held tight grips on their upper arms to keep them from escaping, and Kida in return was grasped by her air by a Heartless. Milo wanted to reach to her and his friends, but rifles were quickly aimed to stop him and all he could do was glare.

Kida threw one in the water and grabbed her spear from the ground. She was about to fight back when the sound of a gunshot echoed in the air. The spear went flying into the water. Kida spun around to see Rourke's pistol smoking. The Heartless soldiers grabbed the princess and held her in place.

"Looks like the tables finally turned in my favor." Pete said evilly with a grin, gazing at the worldly travellers who were held captive, before quickly realising that the pirate was there, as well as Terra, Aqua and Ven who he recongised from twelve years ago and gapped in surprise, "Hey! You're that dim-witted pirate from before! And you three! You're that racer that beat me, you're that kid that helped with the Ice Cream machine, and YOU'RE the pipsqueak I've seen before! What are you four numbskulls doin' here!?"

"What are YOU doing here, Pete?" Ven snapped back in return.

"Shut up!" One of the masked soldiers snapped, smacking Ven on the back of the head, causing the teenager to grunt painfully.

" _'Mercenary'_?" Rourke said to Milo, "I prefer the term _'adventure capitalist'_. Plus, the _'Heartless'_ came in handy as a test and trial. Pete may be fat and stupid, but he's more fit for this job than your friends are, Milo. And you're the one who got us here. You led us right to the treasure chest."

"You don't know what you're tampering with, Rourke!" Milo said in a firm tone as he clambered out of the water, ignoring Sweet who tried to hand the linguist his clothes and instead the young man stormed up to Rourke.

"What's to know?" Rourke shrugged carelessly. "It's big, it's shiny, it's gonna make us all rich."

"You think it's some kind of diamond, I thought it was some kind of a battery. But we're _both_ wrong! It's their life force!" Milo shook his head.

"That crystal is what's keeping everybody in Atlantis alive!" Mickey added, "It's not an object! It's a powerful light that lightens the darkness!"

"If you take it away, everyone in Atlantis will die!" Kairi added, pleadingly.

"And then the entire world will be destroyed and sent into darkness!" Sora concluded.

Rourke paused for a moment, pretending to think as he approached Helga, "Well, that changes things. Helga, what do you think?"

Helga smiled evilly, "Knowing that, I'd double the price."

"I was thinkin' triple." Rourke smirked in return.

The worldly travellers glared angrily at Rourke and Helga, knowing that words alone wouldn't be enough. The two villians' hearts were clouded in darkness and were utterly selfish, caring all about themselves and not believing the crystal to be anything more than just a giant piece of floating jewel.

"You're evil hearted, dishonest, cold and cruel people." Jack growled low at both Rourke and Helga in anger.

"Rourke, don't do this!" Milo pleaded, utterly dismayed and astounded alike.

Rourke rolled his eyes, "Academics, you never want to get your hands dirty." before continuing to the linguist, "Think about it. If you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum, you'd be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service to the archeological community."

"Stop _lying_!" Kairi shouted.

"Not interested," Milo said, glaring.

Rourke frowned at Milo, "I gotta admit, I'm disappointed. You're an idealist, just like your grandfather. Do yourself a favor, Milo. Don't be like him." He tapped the side of his head. "For once, do the smart thing."

The young linguist just contined to glare at the commander, not willing to budge at all.

"I really hate it when negotiations go sour." Rourke sighed deepily, before muttering, "Pete?"

Pete snickered evilly, before snapping his fingers. The human soldiers and the Heartless soldiers tossed Sora, his group and Kida onto the ground, surrounding them and pointed their weapons at the seventeen of them who could only glare at all of the villians and the people who they had thought were their friends but had all been a lie. Milo was horrified when he saw this, knowing that all of his friends were in danger.

"Let's try this again." Rourke held the torn page of the journal for Milo's eyes.

"One false move or if you say no, then all of your paly's are goin' bye-bye's. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Pete laughed with a warning.

Milo sighed, knowing that there was no other choice. If he didn't obey, then Sora's group and Kida will all get killed, and he wouldn't forgive himself for that. So with no choice, he read the page and revealed the location of the Heart of Atlantis.

* * *

 _ **BOOM!**_

The dynamite Vinny had used to blow open the doors of the throne room exploded fifteen minutes later. Vinny stood tossing a few sticks of tied dynamite in his hand and said in a jokingly manner in his usual bored monotone voice, "Knock! Knock!"

"Room service!" Cookie said, continuing the taunting humor as he pulled up a shotgun. Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Skuld, Myde, Jack and Kida all had their hands tied behind their backs by pieces of rope, while the mercenaries all had their weapons, Pete having Heartless around him, and Milo having a guilty look on his expression, knowing that it was all his fault that it came to this.

As Helga saw the two Atlantian Guards stood firm and determined despite the situation that was happening, she continued to hold on to the princess of Atlantis who's arms were being pinned back by her strong free left arm, holding a gun up to her back.

"Tell them to drop their weapons!" Helga demanded, impatiently, "Now!"

Realising the situation and knowing he had no choice due to the safety of his daughter, the Atlantian King cooperated with the lieutenant's demand, commanding his two guards in Atlantian to drop their weapons, which they hesitatedly did so.

"Spread out! Search everywhere!" Helga ordered to the rest of the mercenaries.

With that the crew began the raid as they all pulled and wrecked everything that was in sight, throwing things aside, ripping plants out of their vases, and simply making a mess, while Sora and his friends were shoved to the corner and trapped when some Heartless stood guard to prevent them from escaping. The teenager lowered his head in guilt. The way things were going, this world will be lost in darkness, and no doubt Maleficent would take control of it.

When there was no sight of the Crystal, Rourke turned to Milo and snapped, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and shoving the journal into his face, "You're not applying yourself, son! There's gotta be something else!"

"Well, there isn't!" Milo replied, reluctantly reading the page, "It just says, _'The Heart of Atlantis lies the eyes of our king'_."

Rourke scowled before tossing Milo to the ground behind him and stormed over to the Atlantian King who was now trapped between two human soldiers, "Well, maybe Old King Cole here can help us fill in the blanks."

"No! Don't!" Mickey yelled as he immediately sensed something horrible was going to happen, only to be shoved back into Riku.

"You just stay outta this, Mouse!" Pete snapped, glaring at his old enemy.

Rourke ignored the commotion that was happening and instead he started his interrogation, "How 'bout, chief? Where's the Crystal Chamber?"

"You will destroy yourselves." The Atlantian King told him defiantly, not intimidated.

"Maybe I'm not being clear." Rourke said as his patience was thinning so quickly, that before anyone could blink he shoved his right fist swiftly and crushingly into the kings chest making him collapse in moments as he gasped in agony.

The worldly travellers and Kida all gasped in horror, before the latter yelled furiously at Rourke in Atlantian.

"Gawrsh!" Goofy gasped, horrified.

Even Pete flinched slightly, "Oh, that's gotta hurt." He knew that Rourke was violent, but not that violent. Especially to old people, and he suddenly had a feeling that the punch the commander sent into the Old King's chest was going to be the end of the old guy.

"You monster!" Aqua yelled at the commander.

Lea gritted his teeth angrily, "Seriously cold and low, you creep."

Sweet rushed to the king and bent down to examine him, before seeing how bad the damage is as he felt the man's ancient heart, glaring angrily at the commander, "Rourke, this was _not_ part of the plan!"

"Plans change, Doctor." Rourke said, completely unfazed of his actions. "I suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours. It doesn't suit a mercenary."

' _At least Sweet still has some light in his heart._ ' Isa thought in his mind, seeing how Sweet had been horrifed and angered himself when Rourke fatally wounded the old king.

With that Rourke helped himself as he sat on the throne enjoying the power he was exerting as he put his feet up on the table throwing off a bowl that contained ripe and delicious fruit destroying the ceramic work in moments as the sweet contents rolled over here there and everywhere, smugly smiling as he said, "Well, as usual, diplomacy has failed us. Now I'm going to count to ten and you're going to tell me where the crystal is."

While Rourke was saying this, the two human masked soldiers lifted the Atlantian King to meet the villian's eyes.

Mickey gasped in sheer horror, struggling against his binds once more, "No! STOP! You can't do this!" He screamed out, realising that Rourke was going to kill the Atlantian King.

Sora, Kairi, Aqua, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Riku, Terra, Ven, Skuld, Donald and Goofy all strugged against their binds, while Myde shut his eyes while trying not to hear the dreaded sound of gunshot or death, and even Jack fought against the ropes that held his back.

"Oh, I can, mouse-boy, and I'm going make you watch this." Rourke said, coldly, his impaitence getting the better of him, reloading his pistol.

Most of the worldly travellers noticed that Sweet, Audrey, Vinny, Mole and Cookie stared in alarm. Even Pete looked quite shocked at this.

"Uh, Commander. I think ya' might wanna reconsider d'is—"

"One," Rourke counted, cutting Pete off, "Two...Nine..."

Unable to do anything, the worldly travellers could only shut their eyes, and Mickey was feeling tears form in his eyes threatening to escape, his heart aching. He never felt so powerless in his life.

"Te—" Rourke stopped the very short countdown and stared at the middle of the room in surprise.

When met with silence, Sora and his companions hesitatedly opened their eyes and saw that Rourke fired a shot and instead was gazing at the swirl of stones in the middle of the pond. To Sora and his friends, it looked like the symbol on the Shepherd's Journal.

" _The Heart of Atlantis lies the eyes of our King_?" Rourke repeated from memory. That's when he realised the final piece of the puzzle and was actually amazed by his own sudden mind skill. "This is it! We're in!" tossing the book right at Milo.

"Okay, how did he manage to do that?" Myde asked, shocked.

"With minds like his, the cleverness always works, unfortunately." Jack muttered in defeat, thinking back of Beckett, Davy Jones and Barbossa, how the three of them managed to out-wit him quite a few times.

"Pete, bring that mouse, the redhead and her boyfriend over." Rourke ordered, while now stepping into the water after getting off the throne.

"Uh...okay." Pete muttered, uncertainly, ordering the Heartless to bring the said trio over as he followed the obviously crazed Commander, while the ropes that binded Sora, Kairi and Mickey were untied, but they were still shoved forward, while the soldiers dropped the Atlantian King to the ground and Sweet went back to attend to him.

"Rourke, for the last time, you've gotta listen to me!" Milo tried to reason as he followed him. "You don't have the _slightest_ idea what this power is capable of."

"True," Helga said as she pulled Kida(who's hands were also freed from the binds) along with, "But I can think of a few countries who'd pay anything to find out."

Rourke stepped onto the platform which began to rumble upon being stepped on. Before anyone knew it, the platform beneath the commander began to descend. He quickly pulled both Milo and Sora onto it. Helga pulled Kairi and Kida with her onto it, and Pete grabbed hold of Mickey in a single grasp around the king's lower body, leaving Mickey helpless and struggling to pull himself free while Pete himself stepped onto the platform with the others.

The stone column descended like an elevator. Somehow everyone managed to maintain their balance. The further down they went, the darker the shaft grew. After roughly forty seconds, the platform reached an enormous cavern. On the far end of the cave was a pool of water so deep, only a series of reflections could be seen in it. When the platform reached the cavern floor, Rourke, Helga, Milo, Sora, Kairi, Pete and Kida stepped off of it.

The group looked toward the ceiling on the far side of the cavern. A glowing, blue sphere that resembled a ball of burning matter was hovering motionless above. A number of huge stones with images of faces floated around it like a series of planets orbiting a parent star.

"Jackpot." Rourke grinned at the sphere.

"That's it?" Pete asked, bewilded and dumbfounded, mindlessly dropping and releasing Mickey who fell to the ground, landing on his bottom, shaking his head to rid the slight dizzy spells. Pete in the meantime stepped up to the left side of Rourke, "Ya' mean that glowly blue ball is the Crystal? I was expectin' it to be, you know, more solid and...diamond shape."

Sora and Kairi both hurried to help Mickey stand up which he thanked them before the trio glared at the backs of Rourke, Helga and Pete while the latter continued talking to the commander.

Kida in the meantime, stared at the sphere above. Her eyes showed signs of someone who'd just seen a ghost, muttering, "Kings of our past."

She then fell to her knees and started speaking in Atlantian, and while Sora, Kairi and Mickey hurried over to her worriedly, the trio glanced back up at the Crystal and then realised that she must be apologizing to her ancestors and to the great heavens above for her and everyone's trespasses into this ancient and holy ground.

"Hey, what's got her into doin' that?" Pete muttered after he noticed Kida was on the ground, speaking...well, to him, it was pretty much gibberish.

Rourke rolled his eyes when he noticed this as well, and ordering Milo, "Thatch, tell her to wrap it up. We got a schedule to meet."

Milo glared at Rourke, before moving over to Kida and others who helped Milo to gently bring the Princess to her feet.

"Um...Kida...I'm sorry." Milo said, somberly.

Sora, Mickey and Kairi could only gaze at their Atlantian friend in sympathy and guilt for everything that's happened. Had they and their companions known about Rourke's evil plans sooner, none of this would've happened and Atlantis would be on the brink of destruction. None of the three of them were certain how Rourke and Helga will be able to move the crystal, as it seemed bright and warm in light, but it also looked dangerous to even touch.

This was the very heart of Atlantis itself and to have actually see it as well as feel the warmth of it's powerful light was astonishing.

Rourke stepped to the edge of the lake that Crystal was hovering over, and as though to test something, he kicked a small pebble into the water. As though reacting to the noise it made when landing in the water, the Crystal suddenly changed from bluish light into a red one.

"Huh? What's goin' on?" Mickey asked when he and the others noticed this.

Helga felt uneasy about this, "Come on, let's get this over with. I don't like this place."

"Y-yeah, me neither." Pete suttered, nervously. "I think it's time to hit the road."

Rourke gazed at the red sphere a moment longer before turning to Milo. "Alright, Thatch. What's next?"

Milo flipped open the journal in his hands. He scanned his eyes across the pages to find the part discussing where they were, saying, "Okay, there's a giant crystal hovering 150 feet above our heads over a bottomless pit of water. Doesn't anything surprise you?"

Sora, Kairi and Mickey shared concerned glances, before turning back to Kida, but to their surprise, one of the red lights the Crystal was flashing turned back and now shined onto the Princess. The Crystal around her neck suddenly began floating and glowing in blue light as the blue light on the crystal returned.

"Kida?" Sora asked, blinking.

" _ **Mother.**_ " Was all Kida said, before her eyes changed into glowing blue.

"What's happening to her?" Kairi asked, worriedly, about to step up to her.

Mickey, suddenly sensing very powerful and unusual light controlling the Atlantian Princess, quickly grabbed hold of the Princess of Heart's hand and pulled her back slightly to stop her. "Hold on, Kairi. I think this is the Crystal's doin'."

Sora gazed at Mickey in confusion, "The Crystal's doing?"

To the trio's concern, Kida, as though hypnotized, strolled up to the water, which was then noticed by everyone else. Rourke stopped Milo from getting to her, his impatience getting worse.

"What's with that lady?" Pete asked, confused. He then turned to Milo and said, "Hey, gibberish boy! Tell us what's goin' on!"

"Look," Milo said, pointing to the journal. "All it says here is that the Crystal is ' _alive_ ' somehow. I-I don't know how to explain it. It's their deity. It's their power source."

Rourke rolled his eyes again, "Speak English, professor."

"They're a part of it, it's a part of them. I-I'm doing the best I can here."

"Well, do better." Rourke reached for his pistol.

Milo glared as he angrily suggested in sarcasm, "I know! Why don't _you_ translate, and _I'll_ wave the gun around!"

"Stop fighting! Both of you! This isn't getting us nowhere!" Kairi finally snapped, which startled everyone except Kida who didn't seem to notice.

Sora was about to add to what his friend was saying when a voice spoke. Everyone spun their focus to Kida. She was turning around to face them, still in a trance. Her voice sounded a little like an echo, even though she was clearly speaking in Atlantian.

" _ **All will be well, Milo Thatch. Sora, protect Princess Kairi. King Mickey Mouse, your teacher, Yen Sid the Sorcerer is still alive. Be not afraid, either of you.**_ "

"Okay, now she's scarin' me." Pete muttered, worriedly.

"What did she say?" Rourke asked to Milo.

Milo shrugged, a bit dazzled about the unexpected moment of speech, confessing, "I-I don't know. I didn't catch it."

Sora, Kairi and Mickey shared stunned and confused expressions, none of them understanding what Kida was saying, and even though they suddenly felt she was telling them not to be afraid...they couldn't help but feel afraid of this experience. Kida turned away and strolled onto the water, and quite literally too. Everyone stared in silent shocked and wide-eyed expressions, with both Pete and Rourke admittedly dumbfounded.

The Atlantian Princess was walking away from the group, step-by-step, on the water. She continued as she approached the Crystal. Within minutes, she was directly underneath the sphere and the stones around it seemed to rise until they were floating on their sides.

Right before Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Milo, Rourke, Helga and Pete's eyes, a series of light-blue light beams circled the cavern. They closed in around the young woman below the Crystal. When the collided, there was a bright flash of light. Kida went unconscious. Her body was lifted into the air like it had been picked up by an alien spaceship. Her hair was blowing like it had been caught in a gust of wind. Kida's body finally entered the glowing sphere above. Sora was certain this meant the Atlantian princess was now inside the world's heart. The stones around it started to spin faster and faster and quicker. The result was a light display so brilliant, most of the group had to shield their eyes with their arms.

The lights dimmed down. When everyone looked up again, a figurine was descending from above. It was light-blue like the Crystal's sphere, only it seemed to have taken the sphere's place. That, and it looked like a perfect replica of Kida. When she set down on the water below, Sora, Mickey, Kairi and Milo were stunned in surprise and worry. Pete rubbed his eyes several times before stopping and gazed in the center of the water again, not sure whether this was a dream or not.

Milo made to go to Kida, but was held back by Rourke who said mockingly, "Hold your horses, loverboy." and all Milo could do was mutter Kida's name twice.

"Did she...did she just...merge with the Crystal? This is unbelievable...!" Mickey muttered, shocked, awed and horrified.

As soon as the Crystallized Kida opened her eyes, she came walking towards the group. Behind her, all the stones floating in the air fell and splashed into the water as their glow faded, leaving behind lifeless stones. As she grew closer, Rourke reached out to grab her, but Milo warned him, "No, don't! Don't touch her."

Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Milo could only watch in concern as their Crystallized friend approached the platform. It seemed like all was lost for the world of Atlantis.

* * *

 **A/N: I wasn't originally going to add Pete into this world, but I changed my mind and did so instead. As for the boy in the photo next to a younger Myde...well, I'll give you a hint; He's from FFXV.**

 **See you in the final chapter of the Atlantis world but the story itself still continues.**


	24. CH23: Battle for the Crystal

**Author's Note: The latest new Artwork of Union X by Nomura is amazing, but now it raises even more questions about the story and KH3 itself. Wonder how the rest of the Mobile game's story is gonna turn out.**

 **Guess we'll wait and see 'til at somepoint this month. Speaking of stories, let's continue on with this story as he reach the climax of the Atlantis World.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH23: Battle for the Crystal.**_

Not long after exiting the hidden cavern, the Crystallized Kida had been guided by the human masked soldiers and the Heartless to the two trucks waiting outside of Atlantis just before the long, wooden rope bridge. The canvas had been removed and a special-made ramp was in position to lift the Crystal aboard one of the trucks. Audrey had just finished creating a metal "container" to carry the Crystal without damaging it, locking it away with the twist of her wrench.

Sora, Milo and Kairi glared at her.

All around the crew were numerous Atlantian spectators, Milo, and the worldly travellers. The sky was dark, but showing signs of early sunrise. Milo and Sora both tried to reach to Kida, but were forced back by the soldiers.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not a step closer." Pete said, waving a finger at Sora and Milo who both glared at the large cat while they were shoved several feet back by two soldiers, while Mole and Vinny lifted the Crystal's container onto the truck while using a winch.

Sora and his friends watched as Vinny and Mole both secured the container onto the truck's bed. Packard was seated in one of the truck's cabs. Helga and Rourke were in the other.

In defeat, Milo scowled at the crew members who he and Sora's group had thought were friends, "So, I guess this is how it ends, huh? Fine. You win. You're wiping out an entire civilization, but hey, you'll be rich."

Milo turned his eyes to Audrey, saying, "Congratulations, Audrey. Guess you and your dad will be able to open up that second garage after all."

The teenaged mechanic, trying to ignore the pangs of self anger, slammed the door shut angrily at the driver's seat. Something was bothering her, and no matter how hard she tried, it was screaming at her that this was the wrong decision.

"And Vinny, you can start a whole chain of flower shops. I'm sure your family's going to be very proud." Milo continued as he cast a glare at Vinny who, while finishing up securing the container, just looked away, and if Milo and Sora's group had payed more attention, the demolition man held a sombered look.

In fact, even Cookie and Mole were both feeling the same feelings as both Audrey and Vinny.

The linguist cast a glare to all of the crew members, saying angrily, "But that's what it's all about, right? _Money_."

Sora and most of the worldly travellers nodded Milo emphasized the word _"money"_. Even Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirate Captain of the Black Pearl and who had made some greedy decisions before, was disgusted at just how greedy the crew in front of him and his companions were. Jack had encountered real greedy pirates before, but as much as he held a grudge to his dead nemesis Barbossa, he had to give him credit for returning the cursed gold and as Jack once recalled the cursed crew that the first thing Barbossa wanted to do when the curse was lifted was to eat a whole bush of apples to his heart's content, but never got the chance.

As far as Jack was concerned, this was more of the case of Cutler Beckett; only for power and no care for the lives of many people. The more power you have, the more you want to control people to do what you want or just kill off innocent people who just fill up the space and are not worth it. Rourke was definitely a man who craved for money and power and was possibly thrilled to cause extinction to the Atlantians.

And Jack also knew this was far more worse; Rourke's crew were stealing the heart of this world and from his experience of travelling with Sora and all of his friends and a couple of former enemies who had turned for the better, are feeling devastated for failing to keep this world safe. It possibly wouldn't be long before this world will be destroyed and many of this world's residence will either be lost with it or get taken to another unknown world. The gummiship would have no room to take Milo or a few Atlantians, or even Sweet who he had to admit still had a heart. In fact, the Doctor was still with the Atlantian King, announcing that he was staying, most likely very angered for Rourke's decision to fatally punch the old man.

"Get off your soapbox, Thatch." Rourke said as he climbed out of his truck and stepped up to Milo and the worldly travellers, "You've read Darwin. It's called 'Natural Selection'. We're just helping it along."

The group could only glare at him in return. Lea wanted nothing more than to summon his Chakrams and slice Rourke into millions of pieces, but tried to hold it back. In fact, the redhead was pretty certain Isa, Terra, Riku, Ven, Sora, Roxas and Jack wanted nothing more than give the Commander a full, slow pain of suffering, but like the pyro, they were holding it back. None of them could ever give into the anger, or the darkness would overtake their hearts.

"Commander! We're ready!" Helga called.

"Yeah, gimme a minute." Rourke responded. He paused and started counting on his fingers. "I know I'm forgetting something. I've got the cargo...the Crystal...the crew." His eyes lit up as he remembered. "Oh, yeah."

Rourke spun around and punched Milo in the face. The young linguist was sent flying onto his back. Sora and his friends were alarmed, before Sora, Ven, Riku, Lea, Terra, Roxas, Jack and Isa all made to charge to give Rourke a piece of their minds, no longer able to hold their anger back. Before they could do anything foolish, though, Kairi grabbed hold of Sora and held him back, Mickey grabbed hold of Riku's left arm, Aqua held Terra back, Skuld stood in front of Ven and placed her hands on his chest to stop him, Xion wrapped her arms around Roxas' waist to pull him back, Donald pulled at Isa's arm, and Myde and Goofy both pulled Jack and Lea by the back of their coat and jacket.

"Look at it this way, son," Rourke began, as Milo saw a photograph from his shoulder bag had fallen out and tried to grab it but the commander stepped over and crushed the frame with his feet as he grabbed Milo's glasses from the ground and cleaned them off. "You're the man who discovered Atlantis, and now you and your friends are part of the exhibit." He then tossed the glasses to Milo who glared at him.

"So you think everybody who lives here aren't even people? You're a totally sick guy." Lea grunted angrily, but gave up on struggling as he knew that he would only make things worse. He wasn't going to lose his heart to darkness again.

Pete gave the heroes a taunting raspberry, which made Donald angry.

"Why you, little...!" Donald growled, but this time Isa held out an arm to stop him just as the former stopped the young man from attacking Rourke.

"So long, suckers! Have a nice funeral! Bwahahaha!" Pete laughed, walking away to climb into the truck, before looking back as he remembered something, "Oh! Except you won't have nobody there to attend. HA HA!"

Audrey, Vinny, Mole, Cookie, and Packard were staring at Milo and the worldly travellers as though they witnessed a shocking and tragic events. The linguist looked at the picture as though longing for comfort, and possibly mentally apologising to his late grandfather for making such a mistake. Sora and his companions gazed at him with sympathy and feelings of guilt. Mickey walked over to Milo and placed a comforting hand on the linguist's shoulder even though the young king was feeling his heart begin to drown in hopelessness.

"Let's move, people." Rourke instructed.

When no one moved, Helga scowled at the crew. "That was an order, not a suggestion! Let's go!" She snapped.

Still, no one moved. Except for Audrey who sighed, finally accepting this had been the wrong decision, before she kicked open and climbed out of the truck, approaching the group and helped Milo to his feet before glaring at Rourke.

Vinny also left his post and put his hand onto Milo's shoulder. Mole and Cookie were both next as the latter jumped out as well, scowling at Packard while joining Milo and the others. Thankfully, even the old woman tossed her cigarette, muttering to herself, "We're all gonna die."

With that, she joined up with Sora and the others who were a bit surprised but relieved that they had finally come to their senses. All of them glared at the villians who took notice of this.

"What!? You're all joining up with those li'l pipsqueaks?" Pete asked in disbelief as he turned to face the group once more.

Mickey glared at his old nemesis, "Pete, we may be smaller than you, especially me, but our hearts make us taller than you and Rourke put together!"

"Oh, you can't be serious!" Rourke groaned in disbelief and annoyance.

"This is _wrong_ and you _know_ it!" Audrey snarled.

"Yeah, you said it!" Donald agreed.

Rourke shook his head as he climbed out of the vehicle, saying to the five traitorous crew members, "We're this close to our biggest payday ever and you pick _now_ of all time to grow a conscience?"

"We've done a lot of things we're not proud of," Vinny informed the corrupt commander. He started counting on his fingers. "Robbing graves, plundering tombs, double parking. But, nobody got hurt. Well, maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody we knew!"

Lea folded his arms across his chest, infroming Rourke, "I was once a bad guy myself, but there were times I questioned myself for my actions. It was my friends and Sora who helped me realise I was wrong. You're just as wrong as anyone else."

"I was in a worse case of being evil as well, and I regret that. All you care about is being rich; you don't even care about your own men. Your selfish desires will destroy you." Isa continued.

"As I once learned eleven years ago, mate. Not all treasure is silver or gold or jewels." Jack added to the commander. "Not to mention that you're taking away a king's deloved daughter and the lives of all of the natives of the city, which is something no one here can let go or forgive. Savvy?"

"You're messing with the light. The Heartless will kill you and Pete won't be there to help you." Sora said, glaring at the evil commander.

"Your heart is too clouded in darkness. You don't understand the real meaning that there are things and people far more greater and worth to live for than your ideals." Aqua concluded firmly.

"Well, if that's the way you want it, fine! _More_ for me." Rourke said dismissively, climbing into his truck cab, while Pete and the Heartless climbed into the back of it. The commander nodded at Helga, who had taken control of the other truck. The two drove off down the wooden bridge.

As the villians drove off and were already halfway onto the long bridge, the Keyblade wielders and Milo felt changes taking place around them. The sky suddenly transitioned to complete darkness. Next, the waterfalls on the edge of the enormous plateau stopped flowing. After that, the glows on each of the Atlantians' crystals faded to the point where they were super dim. It made the worldly travellers realise the world's Light was fading.

"Rourke, stop!" Myde shouted and to the group's surprise, the young mullet-haired man began to give chase towards the wood bridge.

"Wait a minute!" Vinny warned as he rushed over and grabbed the younger man's shoulder to stop him.

Without warning, the rope bridge exploded into a fiery shower of sparks and debris. Everyone had to fall to the ground to avoid the falling debris as Rourke, Helga, Pete, the Heartless and the soldiers were on the other side, driving off into the tunnels.

Once things had calmed down, Vinny turned to Myde next to him, saying, "Okay, now you can go."

"Too late. They're already gone." Myde sighed, disappointed as he pushed himself up, kicking the ground angrily.

"There's gotta be some way to get across!" Mickey pointed out, already thinking desperately to try and come up an idea.

"Milo! Guys!" Sweet's voice called from the palace. "You'd better get up here!"

Wondering what was going on, Sora, Milo, Mickey, Kairi, Skuld and Aqua hurried over to the Atlantian Palace, with everyone else following behind.

Though Lea couldn't help but mutter, "I have a horrible feeling it isn't good news."

"I think you're right." Goofy said, sadly.

* * *

When the six of them arrived in the still ransacked Throne Room, Sweet was on the other side of the room with his medical bag. He was busy checking the Atlantian king for injuries, the latter lying on the makeshift cot.

"How is he?" Sora asked.

Sweet shook his head, admitting, "Not good, I'm afraid. Internal bleeding. There's nothing more I can do."

Mickey gasped, "Oh no...!" as he and the others approached and he could hear the horrified gasps of horror and sorrow from Kairi, Skuld and Aqua. The younger King hung his head low, eyes shut tight in utter guilt and sorrow. He knew that it was because of Rourke's punch that fatally wounded the Atlantian King—Kida's father—who was now dying.

King Mickey knew that soon Rourke would be an official murderer as well as kidnapper. He wanted desperatedly to try and comfort the older King, but felt that it wasn't his place. It was the case of Ansem the Wise, the former ruler of Radiant Garden demise all over again, only worse.

"What a nightmare...and I brought it here." Milo sighed in guilt.

"We all did." Sora muttered in the same guilt, knowing that he helped with the expedition and it was his fault.

"We're all to blame for this." Aqua somberly announced.

"Yeah." Skuld agreed, sorrowfully.

"Ah, don't go beating yourselves up." Sweet said to them, explaining, "He's been after that Crystal since Iceland."

The five worldly travellers sighed, remembering that Whitmore mentioned to Milo how Rourke lead the team to retrieve the journal when this expedition started.

"Too bad Pete stole our potions and Ethers, and we're dangerously low on our magic." Sora sighed, crossing his arms, while thinking to himself, ' _And Rourke's a regular Heartless, just like Xehanort, that Beckett guy, Clayton, Shan-Yu and Yzma_.'

Just then Kairi's eyes lit up, "Wait...that's it, the Crystal!"

"Huh?" Everyone else asked, confused.

"These crystals have healing magic!" Kairi announced as she stared at the crystal that hang around the old King's neck. "I saw it work on my arm earlier. We can use this to help him!"

"Really?" Sora asked, surprised.

"No." The Atlantian King shook his head, causing everyone to glance at him, asking weakly, "Where is my daughter?"

Sora, Milo, Kairi and Mickey hesitated to answer, not sure how to break the bad news.

Sighing, the older King began, "She has been chosen, like her mother before her."

"What?" Sora and Milo asked in unison, surprised.

"In times of danger, the Crystal would choose a host, one of royal blood, to protect itself and its people. It will accept no other."

"Wait a minute. Choose?" Milo inquired.

Mickey stepped closer to the older king, asking, "A-are you sayin' that the Crystal is actually alive?" as Sora, Kairi, Skuld and Aqua shared astonished glances. To think that the Crystal, the heart of this world, was alive was unbelievable.

"In a way." The older king answered to the younger king. "The Crystal thrives on the collected emotions of all who came before us. In return, it provides power... longevity... protection." He held up his own crystal like it was a tiny sample. "As it grew, it developed a consciousness of its own."

"So when Rourke kicked a small pebble into the water in the chamber, the Crystal reacted and sensed the danger from him, Helga and Pete." Sora realised. It was amazing that Crystal was alive, but at the same time, he put the pieces of the puzzle together; the Crystal felt threatened and that was why Kida was merged into it since she was the royal blood to try and protect it. Too bad that backfired.

Sora then also realised that the crystal was somewhat like a Nobody; developing a heart and feelings of it's own. Even replicas can do that. Roxas, Axel, Namine, Demyx and Xion are all the perfect examples of that, and now all five of them and Isa were made humans. Well, Axel returned as Lea who got his heart back. Same with Isa and Demyx and all of the original Organization XIII members.

The Atlantian King then continued, "There was once a great war for the Light of the world. Young warriors of weapons known as Keyblades fought to protect it, but all began to turn against one another, believing one another was stealing their light, collected to prevent the war from happening."

Skuld gasped when she heard this, before asking hurriedly, "This wouldn't happen to be the Keyblade War, would it?" which made Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Aqua gasp in shock at this new revolation.

"Yes," The old king nodded, "Five Unions turned against one another, because of the belief there was a traitor among them. Their master, who calls himself the Master of Masters, came to Atlantis and warned me of the dangers. The great God we call Bhunivelze, who hated the freedom other gods created in us, brought upon the hatred with his powers to destroy us all. In my arrogance, I sought to use the Crystal's power as a weapon of the war, to stop Bhunivelze. But it's power grew too great to control; it overwhelmed us, and lead to our destruction."

"And when that light faded from the world, that darkness overtook it and thus the Keyblade War began, destroying it." Skuld finished for him, hanging her head low. "And the new Union Masters lead Keyblade Wielders were not at the war to rebuild it..."

It was clear to her now that like Ventus, possibly Lauriam, Ephemer and herself, the Atlantian King, his daughter and most of Atlantis who survived are the original survivors of the Keyblade War. Skuld couldn't bring herself into revealing that she is one of the second generation of the Union Masters...and how they'd been betrayed. On top of that, the Crystal itself was part of the original world, possibly connected to Kingdom Hearts.

Sora couldn't believe what he'd been hearing. So it was Bhunivelze and the Keyblade War that caused Atlantis to come here in the first place. He knew now, Chaos had to be stopped or else Bhunivelze would return and destroy everything and rebuild it in his image all over again.

"That's why you hid the Crystal beneath Atlantis; To keep anyone from using it and repeat history." Aqua realised. One thing still didn't add up to her, though; Wasn't the X-Blade involved in the first War too? The very weapon Master Xehanort wanted before his demise?

"Because you were worried history would repeat itself." Mickey added, "That's why you didn't want anybody to come here."

"And to prevent Kida from suffering the same fate as my beloved wife." The old King nodded.

"What do you mean?" Milo asked, puzzled and now worried, "W-What's going to happen to Kida?"

The Atlantian King answered, "If she remains bonded to the Crystal, she could be lost to it...forever."

The five Keyblade wielders gasped softly in shock at this.

"I'm really sorry, your majesty. It's all our fault." Mickey sobbed, leaning against the makeshift cot the older King was dying on and buried his face in his arms, crying. Sora, Milo, Kairi, Skuld, Aqua and even Sweet hung their heads low in guilt, and seeing the younger king cry broke their hearts.

"Do not blame yourself...King Mickey." The Atlantian King said, gently placing a hand onto Mickey's head as the latter gazed up at him, shocked and confused at what he just said. Everyone else was stunned as well. How'd he know? "I had known since you first came...you have the same power as the Sorcerer, Yen Sid."

"You knew Master Yen Sid?" Mickey asked, surprised. He knew that his mentor had once been on many adventures in his youth before retiring from his Keyblade duties, but never once thought that Atlantis was one of the worlds the powerful Sorcerer who is now in Aced's clutches ventured to.

"He came...years ago in his youth. I taught him to never use his powers to overwhelm him. I will tell you what I have told him;...Do not make the same mistakes as I have done, to your home or kingdom."

When Mickey didn't respond, the older king continued, "You have your friends and family...to protect. Don't lose sight of the love you have for them...the love of my daughter is all I have left."

He then turned his gaze to Milo and the others, "My burden would have become hers when the time was right." He took off his crystal and handed it to Milo, concluding, "But now...it falls to you."

"Me?" Milo was surprised and shocked.

The young linguist moved forward and took the crystal, as the king put his hand onto the young man's shoulder, saying to Milo, "Return the Crystal...save Atlantis...save my daughter."

The Atlantian King then gazed both Mickey and Sora who knelt next to the younger King and gazed at the older King who said once more, "Save the worlds...tell Yen Sid...he has chosen you both and Riku well..."

With a final soft breath, the King's hand fell from Milo's shoulder. His eyes sealed shut and he stopped breathing. Sora and Milo stared in shock for a moment before looking down. Milo shut his eyes. The guards watching over the group bowed down and closed their eyes, too. The sound of a trumpet shell echoed in the distance.

Kairi sobbed softly, Skuld and Aqua both hung their heads, Mickey lowered his head and shut his eyes, tears falling free and Sora sighed in guilt and sorrow. They all failed to protect a world from the Heartless and failed to prevent the death of the Atlantian King. Sora then realised that, in the older king's last words, he wasn't completely wrong; it had been Yen Sid who taught both Sora and Riku of the situation of the Heartless and who had also put them into the Mark of Mastery, which made him realise that they were now also the Sorcerer's two new apprentinces.

Though neither of the two teenagers had the same training as Mickey did when the young king was Yen Sid's Apprentince, Sora still felt mentored by him as well as by Mickey. It made him even more determined to find the Sorcerer and save him from Aced, as well as save Angeal and Genesis. But first, Atlantis had to be saved, and Kida had to be rescued.

Sweet had just finished packing his medical bag. He walked towards the gaping hole in the stone doorway. "So, what's it gonna be?" he asked.

Milo, Sora, and Mickey turned their eyes to him. "Excuse me?" Milo asked.

"I followed you in," Sweet replied. "And I'll follow you out. It's your decision, Milo."

"Oh, _my_ decision?" Milo began, suddenly realising he was made leader of this small group. "Well, I think we've seen how effective my decisions have been. Let's recap; I lead a band of thieving vandals to the greatest archaeological discovery in the history of mankind, thus enabling the kidnap and/or murder of the royal family. Not to mention, delivering the most-powerful force known to man into the hands of a mercenary _nutcase_ who's probably gonna sell it to the _Kaiser_! Have I left _**anything out!?**_ "

"Well, you did set the camp on fire and drop us down that big hole." Sweet reminded.

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" Milo declared in a sarcastic voice. He sat down on a nearby rock to mope.

Sora sighed, shaking his head. There were times that he almost failed before, and back then, he hadn't been willing to give up. Other worlds still needed their help, and Sora was willing to set things right in this world.

With a nod to himself, the teenager approached Milo, saying, "Hey, c'mon! This isn't the time to beat yourself! Okay, so all of us were tricked, and the crystal was stolen, so what? You can still get it back! I know you can! No matter who deep the darkness is, there's always Light that never goes out!"

Mickey, feeling the words from Sora form new hope and determination within his heart, realised what the teenager was saying. In retrospect, the two of them shared a very similiar personality. That was why Donald and Goofy became close friends with Sora and why Riku became close friends with Mickey himself.

"He's right." Mickey spoke up, approaching the two of them, continuing, "Rourke probably hasn't gone that far yet, and I'm sure there's a way to stop him before he leaves this place. Follow the hearts and you'll know the way."

"Who told you guys?" Milo sighed.

"It's something Kairi showed me about the light." Sora replied.

Kairi nodded in agreement, "It was when he saved me."

"And it's also something Aqua once told me." Mickey added, with Aqua nodding in agreement.

Skuld, feeling sensing renewed hope, added, "Let your Heart be Your guiding Key, and I know in your heart, it's telling you what you can do."

"Those sound something like a fellow by the name of 'Thaddeus Thatch' would have said."

Milo opened his hand and gazed at the crystal in it. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, he clutched the crystal tightly in one hand and knew that Sora, Mickey, Skuld and Sweet were right. The young man then marched towards the doorway and through the opening where on the other side the rest of the worldly travellers, Audrey, Vinny, Mole, Cookie and Packard were waiting.

"Where are you goin'?" Terra asked.

"I'm going after Rourke." Milo said with determination.

"Are you crazy!? It's too risky!" Myde protested in shock.

"I didn't say it was the smart thing," The linguist said, "But it is the right thing."

"I'll go too. You'll need all the help you can get." Mickey declared with equal determination.

"Me too. I'm not letting you guys go alone." Sora added, as he and the king followed the linguist. The rest of the worldly travellers and expeditions crew followed the trio who approached a large, abandoned fish-shaped vehicle. Sora, Mickey and Milo climbed on top of it.

"What are you doing?" Isa asked, skeptically.

"Just follow our lead." Sora nodded, as Milo placed his crystal into the slot the way Kida had. The vehicle rose into the air.

" _ **Whoa!**_ " Ven, Lea, Roxas and Myde exclaimed in awe.

"Ay-yhuck! Flying fish!" Goofy commented.

"Well," Packard began, sarcastically, "I'm impressed."

"It's simple, all you gotta do-"

"Ah, let me drive!" Donald, who had been thoroughly amazed, interrupted Milo as the duck climbed up with the trio and made to press the panel.

"Donald!" Sora warned.

"Donald, no!" Mickey cried out.

Too late, the mage slammed his hand onto the control panel. The vehicle flew swiftly in reverse and slammed into the wall behind it. Several people standing close by gasped at the sound of the accident. Donald, Mickey, Sora and Milo quickly recovered while the vehicle shut off.

Shaking his head, Mickey told him, "Donald, you gotta be really gentle with these things."

"May I suggest that you use something more...stable? Perhaps a whale?" Jack piped up, a bit sarcastically.

"How is this done?" One of the Atlantian guards inquired.

"Just use the crystals. Kida showed us earlier." Sora explained with a nod.

The linguist and the two Keybladers along with Kairi took a few seconds to show the guards how to use the crystals to start up the various vehicles. Before long, a large amount of fish-shaped vehicles were airborne alongside a few hammerhead shark-shaped ones. Sora, Mickey and Milo had taken charge of a single shark-vehicle, Kairi and Aqua took another, as did Audrey and Sweet. Jack and Myde took the large fish vehicle, as did Donald and Goofy, Mole, Lea and Xion, Roxas and Isa, Terra, and Riku, Ven and Skuld. Within minutes a whole Atlantian air force was hovering above the ruined city.

"All right, this is it! We're gonna rescue the princess! We're gonna save Atlantis! Or we're gonna die trying!" Milo declared, "Now let's do this!"

The vehicles were soaring away within seconds as Sora and Mickey both felt confident once more. Things were about to set right, even though they were about to go into a small war against Rourke, his soldiers, Pete and the Heartless.

* * *

In the volcanic chamber, the Heartless soldiers had proved to be quite handy. Many of the totaled machinery had been taken apart and remade into various things. Among them was a truck that had been modified into a plane launcher. Heartless soldiers were taking orders from Helga to construct small battle planes in case anyone showed up and tried to interfere.

Some of the human soldiers made makeshift cannons and pulled the trigger, sending a small rocket up the shaft. The fireball collided with the top of the tunnel and sent a series of falling rocks. Everyone managed to avoid from getting crushed.

Rourke emerged from his hiding place behind the boulder and strode up to the rocks and gazed upward. In the middle of the ceiling far above, the blue sky could be seen and the sunlight was shining down.

Rourke gave a sinister grin. "I love it when I win."

* * *

The Atlantian air force was well underway. Sora, Mickey and Milo led the others across the gap between the city's plateau and to the opening beside Mole's drilling machine. They were now soaring down the volcanic tunnel towards the heart of the volcano. The cavern was still dark except for a strange reddish glow.

Sora was focused straight ahead. After all, Milo wasn't paying attention to where they were flying. If the linguist, the mouse king and spiky haired teenager crashed into the wall, everyone else would do the same.

Milo turned around to see everyone behind and called, "Okay, here's the plan. We're going to come in low and fast and take them by surprise."

"I've got news for you, Milo," Audrey replied from nearby. "Rourke is never surprised, and he has a lot of guns."

"Great. Well, do you have any suggestions?" Milo asked.

"I have one; Don't do anything stupid!" Jack called from his and Myde's vehicle.

"Yeah, like get shot!" Vinny added in agreement.

"Guys, we have'ta be careful with both the soldiers and the Heartless!" Mickey called to everyone, "Who knows what they have in their minds!"

* * *

As everyone prepared to make a trip upward, one of the soldiers pulled a lever which the truck's compartment opened, causing an enormous, airship to inflate. The airship resembled a giant, red hot-air balloon with two matching, smaller balloons. A propeller on the bottom allowed the airship to rise vertically.

Pete glanced at Rourke with a dumbfounded expression, "You're using a hot-air balloon to get us outta here?"

"Well, we don't have other aircrafts to carry the Crystal, now do we?" Rourke replied with a challenging look, as he helped to lift the container up while Helga secured the container to the airship using a winch. As the airship started to carry the Crystal upward, Rourke's grin intensified.

Suddenly Pete's eyes eyes switched to the tunnel leading towards the ancient city and his mouth dropped open in shock as a number of flying vehicles shaped like fish and hammerhead sharks were heading straight toawrds him and the other villians and Heartless. In the lead shark was none other than Mickey Mouse, Sora and Milo.

Where'd they come from?

"There they are!" Milo shouted.

"Let's get'em!" Mickey declared as he, Sora and the other wielders summoned their Keyblades.

"Uh-oh...!" Pete muttered, now getting really worried.

Rourke, who had heard the familiar voices, turned sharply and he too was shocked, before quickly shouting to his group, "We've got company!"

He quickly lambered aboard the airship and climbed up to a metal landing where Helga was located, which Pete noticed and cried out as he hurried onboard, "Hey—Wait for me!"

The Heartless and soldiers in the meantime quickly battled against the Atlantian AirForce. From the patches of darkness, flying Heartless appeared and began to battle against them. The Keyblade wielders, except for Jack, all stood as still as possible on their vehicles and began to battle it out against the Heartless, while the Atlantian's shot arrows at the soldiers who fired back with rifles.

Sora and Mickey both climbed onto the back of their and Milo's shark-vehicle before slashing and whacking away the flying Heartless that tried to get to them. Sora tossed his Keyblade through the air which it flew around and eliminated the Heartless before returning to him. Mickey slashed and swiped at the Heartless without the risk of jumping and accidently falling off and being careful in using his magic since they were running low.

Lea switched out from his Keyblade after whacking away another Heartless and summoned his Chakrams, coping Sora, Roxas and Ven's movements, throwing them like frisbees that successfully sliced the Heartless and suddenly airplanes with human soldiers in half, causing one airplane to explode in mid-air.

That's when the worldly travellers and Milo saw the flying airplanes with the human soldiers. One of the planes shot directly at Sora, Mickey and Milo who barely dodged it.

"Holy _smokes!_ " Milo exclaimed, turning to Audrey who was in the shark-vehicle below him, Mickey and Sora, "You told me he only had guns!"

"What I said was 'He's never surprised'," Audrey argued.

"Forget that! We have other things to worry about!" Sora cried out while quickly slashing another Heartless into oblivion.

Milo nodded before swooping into view of the airship. Aqua and Kairi both thrusted their Keyblade at the Heartless coming their way, while Skuld and Ven both double-combo the Heartless as Riku and Terra did the similiar thing. Xion used at least one Blizzard Spell to freeze the incoming Heartless that headed towards her and Lea. Isa and Roxas did the same as Kairi and Aqua did. Goofy tossed his Shield at the Heartless that attempted to get near Sora, Mickey and Milo who thanked them and the Knight saluted while Donald waved.

Another airplane shot are Jack and Myde who both cried out while the latter tried to use his Sitar to stop it, only to accidently bump Jack into the panel and both men's hands touched the panel where a surge of blue-colored electricity flew from the fish's mouth and struck a truck down below where a few Heartless and human soldiers were shooting from. Vinny had done the same thing while trying to avoid in getting shot.

The three of them and the Atlantian Guards smiled when they saw what happened.

"That's interesting." Jack commented.

Myde let out an impressed whistle, "Old Atlantian guys sure knew how to build their stuff."

"Okay, _now_ things are gettin' good!" Vinny grinned.

"Heads up, fellas!" Mickey called out as he, Sora and Milo swooped in, the forming pointing at the hot-air-balloon, "We gotta stop them from reaching the shaft!"

The three others nodded and focused on the enemies. The Atlantian Guards were using surges of electricity, successfully destroying the airplane launcher and some more Heartless and human soldiers on the ground below. Xion and Lea both tricked a few human soldiers and Heartless in airplanes by flying towards the rock walls. The two travelles then flew up on their vehicle while the six enemies saw too late and crashed into the wall, exploding into a ball of fire seconds later.

Lea and Xion grinned before giving each other a high-five.

As Jack and Myde both destroyed an airplane in front of them, the duo flew right through the thick black smoke after the enemy plane exploded, coughing and their faces briefly covered in charcole.

"Think I got some smoke on my mouth." Myde muttered in disgust.

"Myde, Jack!" Sora called up as he, Mickey and Milo swooped close to the duo, "The five of us are gonna distract Rourke!"

Milo turned his attention to Audrey and Sweet, as well as Xion, Lea, Donald and Goofy, "Audrey, Sweet, Xion, Lea, Donald, Goofy! Fly up underneath that thing and cut her loose!"

"Got it!" Lea nodded.

"We're on it!" Sweet gave the others a thumbs up.

"Let's go!" Donald agreed.

All four vehicles flew towards the balloon where Rourke and Helga were using every weapon they could use against the Atlantian battle vessels while Pete continued to shout orders to the Heartless, but the more the Heartless and the soldiers were being defeated, the more he was beginning to really panic. Now the focus was on Sora, Mickey, Milo, Myde and Jack who flew in two different fish-vehicles while taking down more Heartless that tried to attack them.

Just then, a Keyblade hit Pete on the back of the head, causing him to be seeing stars comically circle around his head and he could hear birds tweeting before he fell onto the platform, dazed while Mickey's Star-Seeker Keyblade returned to him as the King's little revenge for capturing him earlier.

"...Not this again." Pete groaned, dazed.

Below the three villians, Lea was trying to use his Chakrams since his fire abilities needed serious recovery, Goofy was using his shield, Xion was using her Keyblade, and Audrey was using a body-saw Sweet had carried with him, trying to caught the rather stubborn chains holding the container.

"Ugh! I wish I could use my fire to melt these chains!" Lea grunted, irritated.

"Less talk, more saw!" Sweet ordered impatiently.

Sora, Mickey and Milo zoomed past Rourke who was firing at the trio with a machine gun but kept on missing, much to the commander's irritation. Just then, a surge of blue electricity suddenly appeared from above and crushed the weapon out of the commander's hands. He glared upwards, where Jack grinned back and Myde gave the evil commander a taunting raspberry while he sticked his thumbs in his ears and twiddled his fingers in a motion of ' _Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!_ ' before the two flew off.

As Rourke glanced down, he saw Donald, Goofy, Lea, Xion, Sweet and Audrey below, trying to cut the container from the balloon and turned to Helga who just ran out of ammo from her gun, "Looks like somebody's workin' overtime."

The lieutenant nodded before approaching the platform's railing. She pushed a small torpedo off the airship. It flew down and nearly hit Donald, Xion and Sweet. Donald panicked before pulling Goofy off.

Lea looked up and noticed, and cried out, "Uh-oh! Time to go!" and stopped what he was doing before grabbing Audrey by the collor of her shirt before they, Donald, Goofy, Xion and Sweet dragged back their vehicles where they soared away just as Helga pushed a second torpedo after them.

Meanwhile, Sora and Mickey were both still fighting the Heartless that were coming towards them and Milo who continued to steer their vessel, until hundreds more appeared.

"Well, guys, any last words?" Milo asked, nervously as he noticed.

"Nope." Mickey shrugged.

"Not me." Sora shook his head, "How 'bout you?"

The linguist nodded, confessing, "Yeah, I really wish I had better idea than this!"

Mickey knew that they had to do something or else they'd lose the Crystal, but at the same time, if they didn't focus, then the Heartless would crash their vessel, until he noticed a series of brown ropes keeping the airship together, especially at the hot-air-balloon's third balloon, before a crazy idea formed in the King's mind.

"Sora!" Mickey shouted, "You keep Milo safe and distract the Heartless! I'll go stop Rourke!"

"What!?" Milo cried out.

"Wait, your majesty!" Sora protested.

"Don't worry. Just trust me!" Mickey said, firmly.

Seeing the determination in the king's eyes, Sora immediately knew that Mickey couldn't think of a better idea. Had Sora come up with the same idea, he would've done the same thing, but as Mickey told him to protect Milo, the younger Keyblade Master had to trust him.

"Okay! Let's do this!" Sora declared.

Milo, while thinking that this was a crazy idea, steered the shark-resembling vehicle on a direct route for the airship's third balloon, and while he and Sora soared past and the latter thrusted another flying Heartless back smacking it to the wall with his Kingdom Key, Mickey jumped and slashed the third balloon with his Kingdom Key-D, bursting it while he grabbed the ropes from the main balloon to prevent himself from falling and quickly hanged on.

Rourke was furious when he saw Sora and Milo soar past and Mickey having destroyed the airship's third balloon, before noticing that the vessel was slowly starting to descend.

"We're losing altitude," He informed his lieutenant. "Lighten the load."

Helga grabbed a container of extra fuel and tossed it over board. She then shoved some wooden crates over the side. She wiped some sweat from her forehead. "That's it, unless someone wants to jump." She said.

The two glanced at Pete who stood up and shook his head to snap out of the daze, before noticing that Rourke and Helga were glaring at him. When the fat villian noticed what was happening, he held up his hands while backing away slowly.

"...Well, maybe to make things lighter and since I don't wanna jump...I'm outta here!" Pete cried out before using his teleport powers to get out of this world, disappearing in a dust of cloud which vanished as well.

"Well, that's one fat lard out of the way. Who wants to jump next?" Helga asked sarcastically.

Rourke snuck up from behind and grabbed the blonde-haired woman's arms. "Ladies first."

He shoved Helga over the railing. The lieutenant grabbed the edge of the platform and jumped back. She kicked a startled Rourke in the mouth and knocked him back.

"You said we were in this together!" She yelled furiously at the betrayal, repeatedly kicking his face. "You promised me a percentage!"

Rourke grabbed her foot. "Next time, get it in writing!"

With a great shove, he threw Helga over the railing. She yelled in alarm and panic while she fell towards the volcanic ground below.

"Nothing personal!" Rourke called down to his former lieutenant.

Mickey, shocked and horrified at the betrayal Rourke had displayed to his own lieutenant, untied part of the rope and used it to swing down, holloring a Tarzan-like yell, clobbering the stunned commander, knocking him down to the lower floor platform and dangerously above the repellars still swinging around.

However, Rourke surprisingly grabbed hold of Mickey's arm and tossed him to the floor with him where the king nearly fell off the platform all together, grunting as the impact hurt his ribs, but Mickey ignored the pain and instead glared up at the evil commander who was responsible for this mess, and the one who carelessly murdered Kida's father.

"Well, I have to hand it to ya', Mouse. You, Thatch and that Sora are a bigger pains in the neck than I ever thought possible." Rourke told Mickey as his body was now reeking with darkness that was forming on his body.

Mickey stood up and glared at the commander, holding a tight grip on his Keyblade. "I'll never forgive ya' for what you did to Kida, to her father and to her people!" The young king snarled. "It's not fair to any of 'em!"

Rourke just laughed cruely, "Life is never fair. Get used to it!"

"Never!" Mickey yelled, aiming his Keyblade to slash at Rourke's face while leaping upwards. To his shock, the commander grabbed it by the blade, before spinning around a couple of times with Mickey clinging onto the weapon's hilt and when Rourke let go, Mickey was flown backwards into the railing which caused him to fall and had to hold on while his weapon dismissed itself and the railing damaged the repellars above him, causing it to stop when it got stuck.

"I consider myself an even-tempered man," Rourke told him as he leaned down and darkness growing stronger and stronger, "It takes a lot to get under my skin, well congratulations! You've just won the solid-gold kewpie doll!"

When Sora and Milo both saw what was happening, as did Kairi, Aqua, Riku, Terra, Donald and Goofy, they cried out to Mickey's name and all made to help him, but each of their vehicles were blocked by five Heartless each, all of them knowing that it was coming from Rourke's darkness.

"Back off!" Sora shouted, as he swung his Keyblade through one of the Heartless and slashed it clear through the other four. The monsters were vanquished immediately and a group of captive hearts were sent drifting into the air. Sora was then forced to clobber another Heartless' head while Milo, trying desperately to reach Mickey and the Crystal, had been forced to avoid getting hit by other Heartless while Riku, Aqua, Donald and Goofy tried to do the same, but could only watch and hope that Mickey would be alright.

* * *

On the ground, Helga was on her back, having landed fatally on the volcano ground before she gazed up and saw the aircraft still going up. Betrayed and now wanting nothing more than her revenge even though it was her last, she struggled to reach behind her back and barely was able to pull out a large pistol while the numbers of Heartless and the soldiers were dropping rapidly due to the worldly travellers, the Atlantian Guards and the five former crew members.

"Nothing...personal..." She said weakly, before pulling the trigger. A ball of fire flew in a spiraling motion at her target.

* * *

Just as Rourke was about to go down and kill Mickey, a fiery flare flew the two of them and struck the main balloon of the airship. The whole vehicle burst into flames. He was beyond appalled. Not only had he lost his only means of escape with the Atlantian Crystal, but now he still had to deal with Mickey and even Milo and Sora should the two of them try and stop him as well.

Rourke punched a small red box and crushed its glass before reaching in and pulling out a fire axe, climbing down to Mickey who landed onto the container attempted to climb back up and summon the Star Seeker Keyblade, but found himself trapped and unable to find enough room or time to do so as the evil and insanely fast commander was now more determined to kill him and anyone who stood in his way.

Mickey ducked as the commander swung his axe in a chopping motion.

"Tired, Mickey Mouse?" Rourke taunted, before he tried again downward and ended up missing, smashing the axe into a porthole-shaped window on the container, causing pieces of glass to go flying about, though some were still sticking onto the container. "Aw, that's a darn shame, because I'm just _**getting warmed up!**_ "

As Mickey avoided in getting sliced, he noticed the shards of broken glass and felt the Crystal's light tainted onto it before another quick idea came to him. Light brightens the darkness and Rourke's heart was completely blackened in darkness. So a tainted piece of glass coated by the Crystal's light could possibly stop the villian for good. Mickey quickly pulled the shard off before he was grabbed by the front of his shirt-jacket and was held up in the air by Rourke who aimed to thrust the axe into his chest.

The king could hear the horrified cries from Sora, Milo, Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Aqua and Terra, and without delay Mickey sliced the glass shard along Rourke's left arm. The villain dropped his axe in alarm and pain, giving Mickey the chance to escape his grasp and climbed up the chains as far as possible.

As Rourke glared at him with pure hatred, he suddenly felt a very unusual and painful sensation spread into his arm where the cut had been made. To his horror, his body was starting to turn blue and crystal-like, transforming him into a blue-tinted figure with yellow-and-red eyes.

Mickey hanged on before feeling his grasp slip from the chains and cried out in alarm. He would've fallen to his death had Sora and Milo suddenly not appeared when they jumped from the shark vehicle and grabbed hold of the chains while each grabbing hold of Mickey's arms, the three of them hanging in the air.

"Sora! Milo! You came back!" Mickey cried out, surprised and very relieved.

"Never would've let anything happen to my friends!" Sora replied with a wink, and Milo nodded in agreement. Mickey smiled back in gratitude to the teenager and young linguist, before the three of them gazed below them to see the fully transformed and seemingly frozen Rourke.

"Did you just...?" Sora trailled off.

"Yup. I'll explain later." Mickey replied.

"Thank heaven." Milo sighed.

Suddenly a large muscular arm appeared, making Milo, Mickey and Sora scream in alarm and the trio being forced to lean back as the fully transformed but still alive Rourke climbed up to try and kill all three of them. Sora then saw the chains and repellers and had an idea, summoning his Keyblade before carefully whacked Rourke's head upward to distract him while he and his two friends quickly lowered themselves.

Rourke in the meantime saw too late at Sora's distraction and found himself leaned straight up to the now again moving repellars, being sliced in half by it, before he shattered into countless shards of glass. The impact also caused the repellers to explode and also break the chains which resulted the container, Sora, Mickey and Milo to fall to the ground.

The trio landed into the volcanic ash a few inches from it, rubbing their heads, before gazing up when the blazing remains of the airship headed directly for them.

"Oh, great!" Milo complained.

"Just push!" Sora shouted, as he and Mickey clambered up to their feet and as did Milo, the three of them rushed around the pod to the other side. They pushed with all their might and sent the container rolling into the middle of the chamber. They dashed after it.

While the remains crashed in a loud thud onto the volcanic ground, Sora, Mickey and Milo fell face-first onto the ground. The entire cavern shook so violently, it would have appeared to have been an earthquake. The trio stood up as Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Aqua, Riku, Terra, Jack, Myde, Ven, Skuld, Lea, Xion, Roxas, Isa, Audrey, Sweet, Vinny, Cookie, Mole and the Atlantian vehicles landed around the three of them.

But while everyone was relieved that the battle was over and they successfully retrieved the Crystallized Kida, they were not out of the woods yet.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay...so Atlantis will be five and a half chapters long. *Shrugs sheepishly*. I don't want to make the chapter extremely long, so sorry about that. The next chapter will** _ **definitely**_ **end the Atlantis world and then we'll move onto the next world.**


	25. CH24: Another World Saved

**Author's Note: It's crazy! Not only I'm updating this story almost everyday lately(Which is extremely minor compared to what's happening outside Fanfiction), but now Florida is under serious threat by Hurricane Irma!**

 **To those who live in Florida, I pray and hope that all of you and everyone in the capital will be safe and alright and hope that the Hurricane doesn't hit.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH24: Another World Saved.**_

"Sora!" Kairi cried out as she and Aqua hopped out of their vehicle and the first thing the teenaged girl did was help him stand, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sora replied, before he and Mickey were glomped on by Donald and Goofy while Riku rushed over as well as did the rest of their friends. "H-Hey! Guys! We're okay, really!"

"We're glad you're okay, fellas!" Goofy said as he hugged both Sora and Mickey.

Donald was blabbering so much that no one could understand what he was saying. Then again, sometimes he speaks so quickly, due to his voice, it was hard to understand what he was saying.

"You're the craziest little guy I've ever met, King Mick'." Myde commented to Mickey who blushed sheepishly.

"Well, huh, I guess I haven't changed at all." Mickey admitted, rubbing the back of his head. He did admit to himself that what he did in his fight against Rourke had been crazy as he hasn't done anything like that in a long time and knew that it was something Sora, Ven and Aqua would usually do.

That was when the ground started shaking all the more. Turning around to gaze upon the burning wreckage of the airship, everyone saw large, deep cracks appearing in the ground. Bursts of hot steam came shooting out. The entire cave was soon trembling.

"What's happening?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"The volcano." Mole realized with alarm, as his eyes widened with fear. "She _awakes!_ "

Donald screamed before leaping into Goofy's arms, wrapping his arms around his friend's neck, quivering in absolute fear.

Jack's eyes quickly filled with fear as well, and all he could mutter was, "Not good."

"Hey, I had nothing to do with it." Vinny said while automatically holding a dynamite which, to his alarm, was already set alight. He quickly put out the fuse with two fingers to stop it quickly before _it_ exploded and make things worse.

"I think we should skedaddle!" Goofy urged fearfully.

"No, wait! We've got to get her back or the whole city will die!" Milo proclaimed loudly and strongly as he grabbed the remains of the chain that had connected the pod to the airship.

Sora nodded as he and Mickey hurried to help.

"And we don't get the heck outta were, we'll be toast!" Lea pointed out, but he and everyone else hurried to help none the less.

"We don't have a choice! Just do it!" Sora urged, as he and the others hooked the chains onto the pod before hooking the other end to Jack and Myde's fish vehicle, as Sora, Mickey and Milo hopped on.

Within minutes, the Atlantian vehicles were airborne. As they flew off, the pod started to drag behind, but a loud crack was heard, causing everyone to turn as they realised that the chain suddenly broke free of the container. Hastily, Milo slid down the chains, with Sora quickly following despite the protests from Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Audrey. The duo reached the ground as the avern floor was now filled with violent tremors, enormous cracks, and oozing lava. They instantly seized the chain's hook and dragged it to the pod.

Sora assisted Milo in wrapping the chain around the container before the latter yelled, "GO!"

Sora and Milo both jumped onto the pod as the container was dragged through the air behind Jack and Myde's vehicle. The lava flow was directly behind them however, as Sora and Milo held onto the pod as they were carried down the passage. The flying, Atlantian vehicles soared out of the tunnel super quickly. They flew so fast, Kairi, Sora and Milo barely saw the lava flowing out of the tunnel and slamming into Mole's drilling machine. The enormous vehicle was shoved aside and sent falling over the edge of the cliff and sent into the river of lava below, lost forever, but no one payed attention to that.

The sky overhead was still dark and there was no sign of any strong Light around. Flying pieces of burning rock shot across the sky.

It did not take long for the Atlantian vehicles had set down on a plaza near the edge of the city and just outside the palace. The pod was dropped off and Sora and Milo hopped off. An Atlantian guard handed Milo a spear. Sora and Riku both insisted with doing the same after two other guards handed spears to the teenagers, breaking into the sides of the container despite it being tough, but the three of them were not giving up.

"The fissure! It is about to eject its _pyroclastic_ _fury_!" Mole cried out, pointing at the rock wall in the distance where plumes of lava were starting to pour out in a hurry while he was starting to jump up and down in a frantic state.

"I think he's saying the wall's about to blow!" Lea tried to translate with a shout to Sora, Riku and Milo.

With a final desperate pull, Sora, Riku and Milo successful creaked open one of the sides of the pod before the spears would break, but it was still enough for the Crystallized Kida to break free as the pod came apart. The trio took several steps back as the pod's parts started to orbit the now-freed Crystal; the glowing matter still had had the shape of Princess Kida. After a few seconds, the pod's pieces drifted away and the design of the plaza's ground started to light up. Everyone watched as little by little the entire city was illuminated in a bluish glow.

Donald jumped onto Goofy's shoulders in alarm, while Goofy jumped onto Myde who stumbled due to the weight of the two, before all three of them to fall onto the ground in a small pile on top of each other. Lea stepped awkwardly to avoid the blue lights as though he was afraid to touch them. Mickey, Kairi, Ven, Aqua, Terra, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Skuld and Jack gazed at the lights on the ground and then all over the building before them and everyone else, instantly sensing the powerful light that was comfortable, soothing, and warm.

The Light flowing through the city vanished a moment later. A series of humungous stones suddenly crashed through the ground, forcing everyone to step as far away as possible. Sora, Kairi and Mickey instantly recongised them as the same ones from inside the Crystal's chamber.

"The Light on the stones came back!" Mickey exclaimed in awe.

The Crystallized Kida and the circle of stones rose high into the air. Sora, Riku, Milo, Kairi, and Mickey stared in awe. Donald, Goofy, Myde and Jack gazed up in confusion. Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Skuld, Mole, Vinny, Audrey, Sweet, Cookie, Packard, and the Atlantian warriors gazed up in curiosity. The stones started to spin around the Crystal. They spun so rapidly, the Light from the Crystal became a complete blur.

' _This must be what Kida remembered._ ' Kairi thought, recalling how that bright light looked like a star when Kida had been a child. A beam of bluish-tinted Light suddenly shot out from the Crystal and zoomed across the sky. All eyes turned to where the beam was headed. It struck a pointed object submerged in the water. The object started to move before it rose. To everyone's amazement, it was a gigantic robotic man with bluish eyes that were glowing.

Sora, Riku and Kairi all realised that it looked more like a giant stone statue, making them realise this was the true part of the story they heard when they were little. The figure turned to its right and started to march to the edge of the plateau. Ms. Packard was standing a little bit behind with a camera and tripod set up, taking pictures of this amazing event.

Several more beams of bluish Light flew across the sky which struck more figures who were identical to the first one. The figures each walked to the edge of the plateau. Here, they stood as though they were soldiers stationed on guard duty. The city was surrounded by the figures who now formed an enormous circle. The lava started to burst out of the rocky wall, while everyone wondered what the stone giants were going to do.

Then one of the gigantic figures reached out and clapped its hands. One by one, all the other giants did the same. When they retracted their hands, a magical blue wall appeared before each of them. The walls grew rapidly. When a blazing piece of rock from the lava struck a wall, it disintegrated.

"They're creating a barrier to protect the city!" Terra realised in awe.

"So _that's_ how Atlantis didn't completely drown in the first place!" Ven said, stunned with awe.

"...This is what the king meant of the Crystal offering protection to the city and it's people. With the heart of one of royality, the combined power of both is what's needed to save itself and everybody!" Mickey realised, remembering what the late-Atlantian King had said. Sora, Kairi, Skuld and Aqua all nodded in agreement.

The lava finally burst from the wall and flowed like a raging river straight for the plateau. By this time, the shield had formed a large dome over the city, sealing the Crystal away from harm, too. The lava washed overhead, seeking a way inside. To Sora's relief, the shield kept the molten rock out.

Before long, the entire shield was covered in lava. In a split second, the Crystal unleashed a powerful Light. Sora and the others turned away to shield their eyes. The lava hardened in an instant. Moments passed slowly...

"Okay...now what?" Myde asked, awkwardly.

As if to answer his question, the Crystal's Light pierced through the solid rock above. It continued down the length of the shield's dome until it reached the plateau as the shield began to disappear, causing everyone to quickly brace themselves, but to their relief, the rocks were not about to hit them. Instead, the rocks just continued to slide down to the outskirts of the city and into the outer rim of the plateau and forced the water trapped inside to flow out like waterfalls. None of the rocks struck the gigantic figures standing guard with their outstretched arms.

The sky's bluish color returned. Alongside it, a flurry of clouds had appeared and taken the form of a fog-bank, none of them able to see the Crystal. Mickey and Kairi hurried over to Sora, Riku and Milo, before all five of them looked upward as a bright Light shone down from above.

There came Kida, back into her original self, slowly descending from the clouds and still unconscious. Sora, Milo, Kairi, Mickey and Riku gradually stepped closer to where she was about to land, with Milo holding his arms out to gently catch her. The moment she gently landed on her feet, the Light faded quickly and she started breathing. She opened her eyes and looked around. Since Milo was the closest to her position, she blinked and muttered his name.

She then blinked in confusion when she felt something in her right hand and opened it to find what Sora, Kairi, Riku and Mickey realised was a small bracelet, made to fit a child's wrist. It was pink with three gems, two blue and the middle one red. Kida smiled, as she recongised it as the bracelet she lost when her mother was taken by the Crystal years ago.

Now Kida realised that, in lingering memories while inside the Crystal, her mother had given it back to her as a loving farewell and giving her a second chance. She gazed up at Milo, with tears in her eyes. She threw herself into the young linguist's arms and started to cry. Milo felt startled for a brief second before he gave her a hug.

Sora, Kairi, Riku and Mickey all smiled, and while the three teenaged best friends glanced at each other, knowing that nothing would seperate them again, Mickey wiped away tears of his own that tried to leak free. He then felt a hand being gently layed on his right shoulder, and looked to see that it was Donald who smiled warmly at him, with Goofy bending down with a smile of his own. Mickey's smile grew more emotional. While Yen Sid may not be here, the king was relieved he still had his best friends, old and new, and friends who had been lost for a bit over a decade had also returned and given a second chance.

They will set things right. Mickey vowed to make it happen.

"Whoa...check it out!" Roxas's voice perked up.

"Amazing..." Isa's voice added.

"Remarkable." Skuld's voice breathed softly.

Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald and Goofy spund around, and their eyes lit up as they gave their own notes of astonishment, as did Lea, Xion, Terra, Aqua, Ven and Myde, while Jack was speechless as they and everyone else approached the edge of the plaza. In the distance, the ruins of a rather large city could be seen where the water had once been. It was clear they had been submerged for a long time, but the remains were still quite obvious, with all of them realising the falling rocks had caused the water to disperse and reveal the ruined buildings.

Milo and Kida approached the others with smiles of their own, secretly holding hands. Sora noticed and grinned but decided to not comment and to give them some room to themselves.

* * *

The worldly travellers stood with the expedition as Milo stood next to Kida who was placing a tiny crystal around all of them each.

"Atlantis will honor your names forever." Kida said as she finished by placing a crystal around Jack's neck. "I only wish there was more we could do for you."

Vinny shrugged, "Uh, you know, thanks anyway, but, eh...I think we're good." as he nodded at a large swordfish-shaped vehicle behind the crew members where Atlantian warriors were loading bowlfuls of golden items onto it via a ramp.

"I want some too!" Donald spoke up, his eyes glittering in greed. Lea responded by tugging him by the shirt.

"Nice try." The red-head smirked knowingly.

Mickey shook his head to Kida, "No, thank you, Kida. These crystals are more than enough."

The rest of the worldly travellers nodded in agreement, except for Donald who folded his arms in disppointment, grumbling, "Aw phooey."

"I'm surprised even you don't want some of that stuff." Riku commented to Jack who smiled knowingly.

"I'm not really in the mood for riches. Who needs gold when there are more important things in life. Eh?" The Pirate replied in return.

"They'll take you as far as the surface," Milo pointed out for Vinny, Sweet, and the others.

"We're really gonna miss you, Milo." Audrey said.

Vinny approached Milo and giving him a quick hug, saying, "You know, I'm going to reopen the flower shop and I'm going to think of you guys every single day. Monday through Friday, nine to five, Saturday till two." He paused in thought as he walked away. "Sunday... I'm gonna take Sunday off probably...maybe I'll go in for a couple of hours, I don't know. August—I'm gonna take August."

"I ain't so good at speech-ifyin'," Cookie approached Milo next, before handing out a cylinder container with familiar gooey stuff oozing out to the young linguist, "But wanted you to have this. It's the bacon grease from the whole trip."

Skuld cringed, Lea couldn't help but groan slightly, Donald was nearly passing out, and Myde turned green in the face. Jack sticked his tongue out slightly twice in distaste, while the rest of the worldly travellers shook their heads.

"Cookie...I-I..." Milo seemed a bit uneasy, unable to grin.

The chef wandered off, not wanting to say goodbye. Audrey then came up and gave Milo a kiss on the cheek, causing the linguist to flinch a little in surprise.

"Two for flinching," She said, dealing two friendly punches before walking away with a wave. "See you, Milo."

"Hey, Milo!" Mole called up as he prepared for a great big hug.

Milo however, cringed slightly at the alarming stench from the digger, saying uncomfortably, "Mole! Wow, hey...well...Goodbye, Mole." simply patting Mole on the head.

"Now, you sure you want to stay?" Sweet asked, "There's a hero's welcome waiting for the man who discovered Atlantis."

"Ah, I don't think the world needs another hero." Milo said, which surprised Sora and Roxas. "Besides, I heard there's an opening here for an expert in gibberish."

"You take good care of yourself, Milo Thatch," Sweet told him.

"Yeah. You, too, Sweet." Milo replied, as the two shared a handshake.

"Come here!" Sweet smiled as he pulled Milo into a hug, squeezing so tightly that it made Milo's neck creak which the younger man remembered how his neck got sore again in the first place due to the fall back in the volcano.

"Uh, Sweet...uh, before you go, could you..." Milo began, gesturing at his neck.

Sweet nodded and fixed it up in the same way he did at the campground, with Milo sighing in relief, "Thanks."

"Oh, you're getting a bill." Sweet joked with a chuckle.

Sora chuckled, even though what Milo said did worry him a little. Before they could say anything, however, the Shepherd's Journal then floated out from Milo's bag from close by and hovered in the air, glowing in light. The Crystal which continued to hover over the city glowed slightly as well, which Sora then felt his Keyblade summon itself. The worldly travellers then realised what this meant and the teenager nodded.

The young Keyblade Master held out the Keyblade as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Shepherd's Journal. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"Well," Riku began, "Guess we'd better get going too."

"Say uh, Kida. I was just wonderin'." Mickey spoke up as something else came to mind. "Back in the Crystal Cave, do ya remember what you said?"

The Princess blinked, having vague memories, before saying, "I do remember hearing through the Crystal's source that...a sorcerer I once met briefly with my father is still alive."

The young King jolted slightly in surprise and somewhat great relief. Mickey knew that Kida was talking about Yen Sid, remembering that the Atlantian King told him of the Sorcerer coming here many years ago. He glanced up at the Crystal which continued to shine brighter than ever. Was it the Crystal that sensed this and used Kida to commuicate with him? If so, then even the Crystal knew what was happening, and that his mentor is still alive...at least for now.

"Well...thanks." Mickey replied, smiling a little sadly, holding out a hand to shake Kida's, only to be surprised when the Princess scooped him up into a hug of her own, before hugging her back.

"Can we go home now?" Mrs. Packard asked impatiently.

"Come on ya'll," Sweet told everyone. "Let's get one last shot in front of the fish."

The crew members, Milo, Kida, and the worldly travellers all approached the swordfish-shaped vehicle. They stood around a large mound of golden trinkets.

An Atlantian guard took charge of the camera and tripod. He grinned at everyone, "Say _Gochk._ "

"Gochk!" Everyone repeated in turn.

After the photo was taken, and Milo giving Sweet some kind of package, while the team members boarded the aircraft which then took them off to return to the surface, Sora and his companions waved a goodbye to Milo and Kida who waved goodbye in return and once the worldly travellers found another spot so that no one would know how they would leave, Mickey and Donald signaled the Gummiship to teleport them and the rest of the group back into the vessel, where their adventure would continue and leaving Atlantis behind.

* * *

However, unknown to everyone, the mysterious figure in the black coat had been in the waterfall area where Sora, Milo, Kida, Kairi and Mickey had been to earlier, gazing at the water where the ruined structure with the mural was still underneath, in thought of what he has witnessed for the entire time.

"Well..." He began to himself, actually sounding a bit sad. "At least the old coot learned his lesson, and is in a better place. It's too bad Atlantis won't truly be safe until everything is sorted out. I'm still gonna keep an eye on those kids."

With that in thought, he too left the world of Atlantis behind by entering a corridor of Light and Darkness he created.

 _ **{Atlantis}**_

* * *

Meanwhile, at Maleficent's castle in the Enchanted Domintion, Pete had returned just moments ago about his recent failure in not only being unable to locate the Book of Prophecies at Atlantis, but also of Rourke's apparent demise due to too much darkness the overtook his Heart. Dulor was also there, his arms folded as he leaned against the stone wall in the throne room, while Lord Beckett stood behind Maleficent who, let's just say, wasn't all that happy.

"...And I'm pretty certain that Keyblade brat, the linguist fellow and that Boat-Boy King most likely beated that there Commander by now." Pete concluded, a little fearfully as he knew the consenquences for his latest screw up.

"Those simple fools...must they always stand in my way!?" Maleficent hissed angrily, clutching her staff so tightly that one would think she'd end up breaking it in half due to her anger, and the jeweled orb began to glow dangerously green.

Pete cried out in alarm, knowing what was about to happen next and quickly leaped behind a rock to try and shield himself, crouching low and placing his hands on top his head, bracing himself.

"Hmmm...that boy is more trouble than he's worth." Beckett said, thoughtfully, surprisingly unimitated by Maleficent's growing urge to electricute anything and anyone in the room. "I suppose it would be time for me to return to Port Royal and prepare for Sora's arrival should he go there next. We don't want him or his friends to catch us off-guard and take advantage with Davy Jones, now do we?"

Fortunately, Maleficent calmed down when she heard this, and what else the fellow villian said did make her smile a little. "Of course...execellent idea, Lord Beckett. You were to return to begin your assignment to eliminate all pirates and conjour your world, were you not?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Besides, someone has to keep Jones in his place, and I cannot do that while I am outside of my world, now can I? I also hear of certain special pirates the control parts of the world's sea. Pirate Lords, if I recall. It will take quite some effort." Beckett explained.

When Pete realised nothing bad happened, he peaked from the rock before wiping his forehead and sighed in relief. But then what Beckett said also caused him to leap up and approach the two, cautionly.

"That reminds me. That Pirate fellow who killed Barbossa is with those pipsqueaks, and so are them three other Keyblade wielders; the pipsqueak with blue hair, the kid who kinda looks like that other kid that looks like that Key-brat, and that tall fellow who beat me in that race. I think that kid's name was Terra, if I remember." Pete piped up.

This surprised Maleficent slightly. "So not only Aqua has returned, but so have Ventus and Terra as well?" She inquired, before smiling evilly, "Perhaps Terra can work for our advantage."

"And this pirate who killed Captain Barbossa. What is his name?" Beckett inquired this time.

"I know who it is." Dulor spoke up, causing the other three villians to glance at him. "It looks like Captain Jack Sparrow is with them."

"Yeah, that's him!" Pete quickly said in agreement, before wondering, "Why would that pipsqueak be with them anyway?"

"Maybe Sora brought him with because he was supposed to either serve Davy Jones or face death by the Kracken." Dulor suggested. There was something about this that didn't add up. Indeed; why was Jack Sparrow with Sora and his friends?

Lord Beckett was far from pleased by this new information. Jack Sparrow was the man who foiled his plans in using slaves all those years ago, and no doubt, based on both Pete and Dulor's information, the pirate was after the Heart of Davy Jones to save himself from his dept. So this was why the Black Pearl had returned. For years, he wanted Sparrow dead more than anything.

"Perhaps, should Jack Sparrow return to Port Royal, I can use him for information. But first, I would need some planning for this." Beckett muttered. "It can also lead Sora and his friends into the trap as well."

"Think wisely, Lord Beckett. Remember that the Heartless crave for the darkness in all hearts." Maleficent warned.

The evil Lord smirked, "Your concerns are touching, Lady Maleficent...but hardly nesscessary."

* * *

In a darkest canyon within a darkest world in between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness, was an unexplored and most monsterous throne room which the monsterous beast himself, Chaos, the being of Discord, created himself after his brief meeting with the foolish mortals in the Realm of Sleep. He has made a throne for himself which he now sat in.

As he waited for someone, on cue, a corridor of darkness opened before a man strolled in, revealling himself to be none other than Arydn Izunia who politely bowed to Chaos to show his respects.

" **Arydn Izunia.** " Chaos acknowlaged, before inquiring, " **What pleasure can I do for you?** "

"Only to give you an update on those fools in the Realm of Light." Arydn began, grinning. "Unfortunately, they had saved the world of Atlantis and it's Crystal and are now on their way to another world. However, the foolish King of the kingdom is dead."

The Abomination growled softly, " **Curse those Warriors of Light. If they continue to stand in my way, they will overpower me should they rally with all of the Gods!** " He punched the side-arm of the throne that cracked slightly by the force of his fist.

Arydn shook his head. "Do not worry, Master Chaos. They have no idea that you are recruiting allies to stop them. Besides which, they have other problems to worry about; two other organizations with their own agendas plotting to either protect the Realm of Light, believing those warriors are not fit for it, or to rule the Realm itself with everlasting darkness. While they are busy, we can move on with the master goal. Don't you agree?"

Chaos thought deeply in what Arydn was saying. He did have a point. While Sora and his allies are busy dealing with other problems, that would leave them no time to handle in what Chaos is plotting.

" **I admit, you are right. But, I sense there is another who has returned by the power of the Keyblade of the fallen man who failed to bring forth the second Keyblade War.** " Chaos replied, before adding, " **None the less, we must make haste. Bring forth as many Warriors of Darkness as you can, Arydn Izunia and bring them to me. I shall crush all mortals and all of Light!** "

"Your wish is my command, sire." Arydn bowed once more.

" **One last thing. What of Caius Ballad, the protector of the Unseen Realm?** "

"He has no idea what he's missing out on. All he thinks is that the children and their allies are harming the Realm of Light. I like to keep it that way to avoid suspicion between him and me." Arydn shrugged.

Chaos nodded, " **Excellent.** "

Unaware to the two of them, around the corner of the room, was a young man in a red keffyle and white curl hair listening in before he ducked back and silently moved away as much as possible without getting caught.

' _This is bad. I gotta warn Skuld and those guys before it's too late. Ugh, just when things couldn't get any worse._ ' He thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the gummiship, everyone was resting while sailing through the Lanes Between while looking out for any worlds that need help and to also stop by to investigate in their continuing quest. None of the worlds they visited so far had any trace of the Book of Propechies or knowlagement of Chaos.

"Hey, guys." Xion spoke up after a couple of hours of flight. "I think we should stop by at a world soon, because we're still low on supplies."

"Now that you mention it, we haven't recovered our potions and such back at Atlantis." Roxas realised in agreement.

Lea picked into his pockets and sighed, "Yeah, all we got is money that the Heartless dropped, but no shops to get what we need."

Just then, the three of them and everyone else heard a loud growl which startled them, before turning to the direction of where it came from, realising that it came from Myde who was rubbing his stomach and groaning.

"Can we stop by at a place that has _real_ food and nothing that is sloppy or moving? I'm starving." Myde requested pleadingly.

"...I'm not really certain about food." Jack admitted, shuddering at the memory of seeing the disgusting beacon grease just before they left.

"As long as it's not beacon grease or what Atlantians and Mudka's serve...I'll be fine." Skuld nodded in agreement, feeling a little queasy.

"I'm sure we'll find a place to rest up pretty soon. It can't be far from where we are." Mickey said at the driver's seat this time.

Sora in the meantime, was left to his own thoughts. Now that Atlantis was safe, he can think about the things that happened lately. What Milo said concerned him; if the world didn't need another hero, would this mean Sora's destiny as a Keyblade Wielder would never end? Would there be more threats after Chaos is defeated? Or possibly after Bhunivelze is defeated? It didn't help when Vanitas could possibly try and take over his body and that scared him a little but he had to hold in that fear, or else his heart would be consumed by darkness.

"Sora? You okay?"

Blinking out of his thoughts, Sora gazed up to see that Riku was standing next to him, before the younger teen shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just, thinking about everything that's happened so far, and...how we're gonna stop Chaos and I really hope we don't have to fight against Bhunivelze since we have no idea how strong he is."

Riku nodded, "I get what you mean. But hey, aren't you supposed to be the one who come up with any sort of determination?"

Sora chuckled and teased, "Oh, so now I'm the leader of this group, huh?"

"Well, you are the one using the Keyblade to take us to worlds through new doorways." Riku teased back, being half-serious.

"That doesn't make me leader, though. Besides, since when did I ever claim myself to be leader anyway?" Sora rolled his eyes.

"You and I did compete against each other who would win the honor of naming our raft two years ago." Riku smirked.

The spiky-brown-haired teen looked away while blushing a little at the memories of Riku's teasing comment at the little race the two of them had on who would share the Papou Fruit with Kairi which had made Sora embarrassed and confused. Sure, he liked Kairi more than just a friend, but why did everyone want the hint that it was much more than that? Besides, he didn't think she had feelings for him-

Wait, what was he thinking!?

Once again, the gummiship's alarm brought Sora and Riku from their conversation as they and everyone else gazed while Mickey, Donald and Goofy studied their current whereabouts of their destination. Most of the group's eyes widened as a familiar town and castle stood in view before them.

"Isn't that...!?" Lea exclaimed, shocked and feeling hope and relief and worry all at once.

"Should we take a look?" Roxas asked.

Jack glanced at Skuld, asking, "Another world you lot recongise?"

The young woman shook her head, "I don't recongise it, but it's clear that Sora and everyone else do."

"Let's find out for ourselves." Sora proclaimed. If that was indeed what he and everyone else thought it was, despite Aced having sealed off Destiny Islands and Disney Castle, one could only hope.

* * *

 _ **{Radiant Garden}**_

As soon as all sixteen worldly travellers disembarked, the group found themselves in a familiar town, just behind a building in a familiar but now almost flourished marketplace. The tall castle in the short distance towering over the city. Instantly, fourteen of them recongised it.

"I knew it! It _is_ Radiant Garden." Lea said, glancing around.

"Gawrsh, I'm sure glad Aced hadn't sealed it off from us." Goofy said in relief.

Ven looked around, a bit saddened, "It looks so...different from what I remember. It's similiar but...I can tell that something happened to this place."

"Yeah, Maleficent and Xehanort happened to it." Sora nodded, explaining, "Leon and the others've been working hard in rebuilding it after we beated Xehanort's Heartless two years ago."

"So you do know this place." Skuld correctly guessed.

Kairi nodded and said, "I was born here, but when Maleficent invaded and Xehanort started out with his plans, I was sent to the Islands and lost my memories of everything except my name, up until two years ago."

"Me and Isa were born here too, and we grew up here 'till eleven years ago at the same time when that happened too." Lea added, shrugging, "It was also here that Xehanort killed us with his Keyblade and made our Heartless and Nobodies."

He then glanced at Ven and said, "This is also where we first met Ven a year before that."

"And the five of us and Namine live here now. So it's great to be back home again." Xion added, smiling at the home Lea made for himself, herself, Roxas and Namine a year ago.

"Sure brings back a lotta memories, because this is where I first met Aqua and Kairi that day too." Mickey added, and while Aqua nodded in agreement, Kairi looked puzzled and thoughtful, before the king sighed, "And where I first met Ansem the Wise too."

"Mickey..." Riku muttered, knowing that his friend was still mourning for the loss of the former ruler who sacrificed himself that year ago.

"If this was where you met this Ansem, where did he go?" Jack asked, shrugging.

Before anyone could answer, they heard a scream that echoed from the town below the marketplace which had not only the worldly travellers gazing in the direction where it came from, but it also caused everyone who were out on their usual daily lives to pause and wonder what in the world was going on.

"Sounds like trouble!" Sora exclaimed, already heading to the town to investigate.

"Wait for us, Sora!" Donald called out, as he and everyone else quickly followed.

"Only a few minutes back home and already we have to fight whoever or whatever's already causing trouble." Isa sighed in exasperation.

* * *

By the time Sora and the others reached the Borough, someone was already coming straight towards them, running like a banshee. From what those who didn't recongise him, he was an elderly white duck wearing a lab coat, red shirt and small glasses.

And he was being chased a Knife-armed Heartless. Mickey, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Terra, Aqua, and Isa instantly recongised him as Professor Ludwig Von Drake.

"Leave me alone!" Von Drake screamed.

"Look out!" Ven shouted, summoning his Keyblade and expertly tossed it like a boomarang towards the Heartless which was instantly destroyed the moment the weapon made impact while Von Drake fell onto the ground after ducking low.

"Are you okay, Professor?" Mickey asked worriedly as he, Donald and Goofy hurried over to their old friend and scientest who, after hyperlating, pushed himself up. The older duck's eyes scanned at the the trio before scanning at the rest of the group, most he recongised, while others he didn't.

Despite being relieved to see him again, Von Drake couldn't help but mutter to Mickey in slight annoyance, "That's some kooky definition of 'okay' you got there, your majesty."

"What are you doing here, Professor?" Donald asked, puzzled on why the clumsy inventor was here in Radiant Garden.

"You guys know him?" Sora asked, confused as he, Kairi, Lea and Ven hadn't been here when the others save for Jack, Myde and Skuld were here before.

"Yup. He's Professor Ludwig Von Drake. He helped in buildin' the Gummiship and even makes all kinds of stuff." Goofy answered, before admitting as he shuddered, "He even made a Future-Viewer one time too, but that didn't go well."

"I don't think I wanna know." Lea wasn't certain if he wanted to know about this or not.

"Ya' heard of the Bullet Train?"

"Now I really don't wanna know."

Mickey then gestured Von Drake to the others, "Professor, I'm sure you remember Riku, Terra, Aqua and Isa. Welp, our other friends are Sora, Kairi, Ven, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Jack and our new friend Skuld."

"Nice to meet you, Professor." Kairi waved.

"Hey there." Sora greeted with a smile.

"Yo." Lea grinned.

"Hi there." Ven nodded.

"Hello." Both Roxas and Xion nodded.

"Pleased to make your aqquintince, Professor." Skuld said politely.

"Hello, mate." Jack greeted.

Von Drake smiled at the newcommers. He liked these young people already, even though the pirate man looked edgy, but even he seemed friendly enough. "Pleasure is all mine, young lads and lasses. The Professor—and that's me—know all about inventions beyond wild imaginations. There are some mishaps sometimes, though, but I'm more brillant than most people says."

"Sometimes?" Donald repeated skeptically.

"What happened?" Aqua inquired, ignoring Donald's comment.

"I was on my way back to Merlin's when that Heartless fella chased me all over the town, and just when Cid, that young scientest fella and I made an upgrade for the Defense Mechanism." Von Drake said while pouting in annoyance, before shaking an angry fist, "Oooh! If I found out the cause all of this, I would stop all the Heartless myself!"

"How is everyone?" Mickey inquired.

Von Drake blinked for a moment before realising what the young king was talking about and replied, "Oh, everyone's fine. Though they are quite worried, especially that Namine girl and that Tifa lady."

"Are they still are Merlin's?" Roxas asked, urgently the moment when Namine's name came into mind.

"Of course they are, and we're still working on that Chaos and whoever else is causing problems. Got an update on that too, actually." Von Drake answered.

"Then I guess we head over to Merlin's next." Sora announced, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Merlin...wait, you mean the wizard who lives here?" Ven asked, finally remembering who this Merlin is.

"You know that guy?" Lea asked, surprised.

"I met him once when I first came here...and he showed me this book." Ven answered, folding his arms to his chest.

"What book?" Jack asked, puzzled, though he became even more so when Riku was unable to hold back a groan of dismay.

"You're about to find out." Riku sighed.

* * *

By the time Sora's team and Von Drake arrived at Merlin's place, it was already packed with familiar faces. Cid was at the computer typing away, Aerith was examining the banadage on Tifa's arm which has finally healed completely, Leon was standing in the corner by Cid's side, Yuffie was having another tug-of-war with Rikku over a Sea-Salt-Ice Cream bar while Yuna and Paine sighed, shaking their heads, and Namine was sat in a chair by the tea-set table through her sketch book.

Also in the room was Ienzo and Even who were both going through research books and blueprints, the former occisionally inquiring to Cid and Leon on a few certain things while the latter grumbled, wishing for Yuffie and Rikku to keep quiet, muttering something about 'Teenagers, never quiet.'

When the door opened and revealled the group, everyone inside stopped what they were doing and mixtured expressions filled up on everyone's faces.

"Lea! Isa! Roxas! Xion! Sora! Kairi! Riku! Everyone!" Namine cried out in great relief, getting up from the chair and rushed over to her friends in desperate attempt to reach them. She first hugged Xion, then Roxas, then Lea, and then Isa and them some. "You're back! I'm so relieved."

"We're glad that you're okay too, Namine." Roxas replied with a smile, and Xion, Lea and Isa all nodded in agreement.

"Hey, you guys!" Yuffie greeted cheerfully upon seeing Sora and most of the others.

"We were so worried about you." Aerith said in relief.

"Well, look who's back. 'Bout time too." Cid said, in his usual sarcastic tone.

Leon sighed, both in relief and exasperation, "You guys sure took your time in getting back."

"Sorry, guys. Had a bit hit and major delay and ect., and things like that." Lea shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What happened? Where are Cloud, Zack, Angeal and Genesis?" Tifa asked, worriedly.

"Well...uh...the thing is..." Sora hesitated to answer. Before he could continue, a duo of soft gasps in surprise filled the air before Sora realised that, while not recongising Even even though he looked familiar and he knew he never met Ienzo before, both men staring at who he realised was Ven.

"...Is that you?" Ienzo asked, stunned.

Ven was equally shocked as he recongised the young man. "Ienzo? Wow, you grew up so quickly! And you're a bit different than the last time I saw you."

"You haven't changed at all." Ienzo replied.

"Indeed." Even said, snickering, "So I was right. We were destined to cross paths again. Twelve years late, but none the less."

"Uh...well...nice to see you to, sir." Ven shrugged, also recongising the guy who was one of Ienzo's guardians from twelve years ago, especially since he remembered Even mentiong that Ienzo's parents had apparently died.

"Wait, wait! Am I seein' double, or does that kid look just like Roxas and Sora?" Cid blinked, shocked upon seeing Ven for the first time.

Rikku suddenly appeared in front of Ven who stepped back a little in surprise, while she looked over him, before the young woman nodded, saying, "Yup! He definitely looks like Roxas and Sora alright!" before asking the young man, "So...you got a name or what?"

"I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven." Ven replied, after a moment of an awkward pause.

"And those two guys and that girl are..." Paine spoke up, gazing at the three unfamiliar people behind Sora and the rest of the group.

While Sora and the others realised that she was referring to Skuld who nodded and stepped foward, everyone noticed that both Myde and Jack tried to hide behind Isa and Terra, but were both seen and the two men sheepishly stepped forward as well. Upon Myde's appearence, Ienzo shook his head while Even sighed, exasperated.

"Demyx...or perhaps an original name, I suppose." Ienzo sighed upon recongising his fellow former Nobody.

Myde hesitantly readies himself, not sure how to react, before waving sheepishly at the two other fellow Nobodies, "Hey, Zexion and Vexen. You guys are looking lively."

"It's Ienzo, actually." Ienzo responded, "And Even."

"Pititful whimp and slacker." Even scoffed at the mullet-haired young man, "What are you doing here with Sora and his friends?"

"Well, I, uh..." Myde began, hesitatedly.

He didn't get the chance to finish as the older man sighed, "Nevermind. I'll deal with you later. Especially since I still recall how you messed up with my experiments when we were in Organization XIII."

"Aw, c'mon! You're still mad about that?" Myde groaned, "I told you, it was an accident!"

"Messed up with his experiments? That's a new one." Roxas thought.

Lea sighed, playfully ruffling his friend's hair while saying knowingly, "It's a long story."

"I'm not sure if I want to know about that one either." Jack commented, a little worriedly.

"Anyway..." Sora quickly began, introducing most of his friends to each other before he and his group explained everything that's happened in both Olympus Coliseum and Port Royal, and everything that's happened along with revealing about Aced who had kidnapped Angeal, Genesis and Yen Sid, Cloud and Zack in Midgar with Vincent, Rufus and the Turks, and everything they learned so far on their new journey starting back at Olympus Coliseum to new worlds and Twilight Town they ventured to so far.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally left Atlantis behind and returned to Radiant Garden after "Second Life: Secret Episode". Not sure how the next chapter will turn out and I might take a bit of a break from either writting or just from this story to update another one of my still worked on stories. Sorry that this chapter was shorter than the others, but I was running out of ideas at this point.  
**

 **Again, I do pray and hope that everyone of you in Florida will be safe and Hurricane Irma heads back out to sea and doesn't hit the mainland.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	26. CH25: An Unusual Visit

**Author's Note: Sorry for the lateness of the update. Gosh, we're already three months away until the end of 2017! Where'd the Time go?**

 **Oh well, at least next year(hopefully if they don't change the release year for the real KH3)is something I'm really looking forward to.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH25: An Unusual Visit.**_

By the time Sora and occasionally the others were done, they were met with a brief silence, as everyone who heard the story shared concerned glances. Sora and his group didn't blame them for looking and most likely even feeling alarmed with how the situation was really going on right now.

"...And, you're a Keyblade wielder, chosen by Sora, and despite that, you were forcefully exiled from your world due to Davy Jones and tricked him into believing you're dead?" Leon finally quired to Jack after a few moments, also getting that Sora had admitted that he'd chosen the Pirate as his successor without realising it.

Jack shifted uncomfortably, grinning sheepishly, "Pretty much. You can thank Lizzie for that one."

"Lizzie?" Sora asked, dumbfounded.

"I think he means Elizabeth." Goofy thought, somehow reading along the lines of what their pirate companion was talking about. Once Sora remembered, he nodded in understanding and realized that Jack had gave Elizabeth a nick-name.

Leon sighed, placing a hand to his forehead. "Looks like things have gotten more and more complicated."

"Sorry." Sora muttered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, didn't the Professor mention about you guys havin' an update on Chaos and Bhunivelze?" Lea quickly spoke up, remembering the main reason why they were all here in the first place.

"I sure have." Von Drake said, before admitting, "And uh, it's not what any of us had expected."

"Indeed." Even nodded in agreement, explaining, "Through the research Ienzo, Von Drake and I have looked through along with the others is quite astonishing. It appears that Chaos is, shall we say, an abomination of discord and destruction."

Lea rolled his eyes, "We already know that much. Not to mention that Yen Sid warned us that Chaos' lookin' for allies to go up against us."

"As are we all. However, it appears that Chaos and Bhunivelze were once allies, along with a couple of others during the time of one hundred years ago." Even cotinued.

"What!?" Sora's group exclaimed, shocked. Did that mean Chaos and Bhunivelze were awake a century ago too? How was that even possible?

"In a diary that we found in Ansem's Lab, it was handed down to him and his ancestors by someone who we are unfamiliar with. All we can say is that he wore a black coat and could foresee the future events. It is written that Chaos and Bhunivelze could be linked even to the Keyblade War." Ienzo spoke this time.

"The Master of Masters." Skuld muttered in realization.

"So it may be." Ienzo nodded in agreement, given the further knowlage Skuld and her new friends had mentioned earlier. "Unfortunately, the pages were scattered or possibly destroyed. All we can gather is that the two were allied with another Goddess and...an immortal man with powers of darkness who had been alive for 2,000 years. No one knows his name."

"Who was the Goddess?" Kairi asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling about all of this. If what Ienzo, Even and Von Drake were saying was true, then the situation was more dangerous than ever. She tried not to think about the nightmare she had back at Kuzco-Topia.

"Well, the only thing we could make out was that it begins with a 'C'. But the rest of the letters have faded, unfortunately. Which is quite annoying." Von Drake shrugged, apologetically, which made the group slump.

Except for Jack who muttered, "Hang on a minute. I know one Goddess that bears a name that begins with a 'C', ni unfamiliar;" He paused for a moment before saying softly, "Calypso."

"The Sea Goddess you briefly mentioned about?" Roxas asked, recalling Jack mention that name when Kairi read one of the many letters that was with the Dead Man's Chest in the old wooden chest back in the Caribbean.

"You know who she is?" Tifa asked, a little skeptically.

"'Course I do. Most pirates know the story of Calypso in my world." Jack nodded, before adding, "Not everyone believes it because no one knows what she looks like. I still find it hard to believe that Davy Jones even fell in love of her."

"Wait a minute...Are you saying that Squid-Face guy was in love with a girl?" Myde asked, incredously and shocked.

"Yep, just like all stories say about Davy Jones being possessed by love and that love was towards a woman. No one knew who she was...up until now. Or rather, if this is the same Calypso as the one from the legend." The Pirate nodded.

"Ewwww." The mullet-haired man groaned in disgust at the image of Davy Jones's fishy-face kissing a human girl's face which, in most people's opinion's, was pretty much disgusting.

"That's what that creepy Voodoo lady told us; Davy Jones fell in love, but for some reason, or another, something bad happened and he couldn't live with the agony he was feeling in his heart." Lea realised, recalling what Tia Dalma mentioned during his, Roxas, Isa, Xion and Namine's adventure together earlier.

"And in the end, he cut out his heart and placed it into the chest, making himself immortal, but evil at the same time and did not turn into a Heartless." Isa added in agreement.

"Wait, he what!?" Rikku exclaimed, shocked at what else she and everyone else just heard.

Yuffie shook her head, protesting, "Hold on. Hold on! This is crazy! He can't just cut out his heart and not turn into a Heartless! No!"

"I agree. There's no way anyone could do something as that. It's impossible!" Ienzo added.

"Ah, but it's actually improbable, mate." Jack said, knowingly. "Met the Fish-Face himself, more times than I can count. Ask them, they'll tell you." he gestured his hands to Sora and the rest of the group who, to everyone else's surprise in the room, nodded in agreement.

"It's true. Unfortunately." Terra said. "We're not sure how he was able to do it, but instead of turning into a Heartless...he mutated in form of sea life."

"Besides, if Xehanort can do something as crazy and evil as splitting his heart into twelve pieces and take control of twelve people with no hearts or broken hearts and turn them into clones of himself, then it makes sense that Davy Jones could do somethin' as crazy as cut out his heart and survive to tell the tale, becomin' immortal in the progress." Lea nodded, his arms folded to his chest.

"Hmm...very questionable." Even muttered, deepily in thought. "Yet, considering that all worlds are different...it does make sense." smirking.

"Hey, don't you go get any ideas, Even." Lea quickly warned with a frown. "This is a situation with Chaos, Bhunivelze and Aced, alright?"

"So if Calypso is the same Goddess that was with Bhunivelze and Chaos, then what happened to her?" Aerith asked, worriedly.

Everyone turned their attention to Jack who shrugged a little, explaining, "Nobody really knows. At least I don't. If this is the same Calypso Jones fell in love with, then he might know." before cringing at the awful thought, "Pity that would mean questioning him, which I doubt he would even listen. He practically rules the sea, especially with his terrible Beastie."

"What Beastie?" Cid asked, skeptically.

"He's talking about the Kracken. The giant Octopus." Ven answered.

"It almost ate us too." Goofy added, shivering at the memory of having trouble fighting and avoiding it.

"Thanks for the reminder, Goof'." Lea grumbled sarcastically after Tifa, Aerith, Yuna, Yuffie, Rikku and Namine gasped in horror at what Goofy just said.

"Do you have any idea at least about what happened to Calypso?" Aqua questioned to the pirate who blinked.

"Well..." Jack began, awkwardly, "There is one legend. Possibly took place a century ago. This is a restricted secret that only pirates that have governed one part of the my world are knowlaged of. Not that I much believed in it, but I'm willing to half believe it."

"Pirates governing one part of the world?" Riku repeated, skeptically. "How does that work?"

"I trust that you lot will keep it a secret?" Jack inquired in return.

"Just tell us already!" Donald yelled impatiently.

"Sure, we'll keep it a secret." Mickey promised.

The Pirate Captain of the Black Pearl shook his head, before admitting, "The Brethren Court."

"The what?" Myde slumped.

Jack sighed, beginning again, "The Brethren Court. Located in a strong-hold only nine Pirate Captains chosen to govern any part of the world they would want, known as Pirate Lords, would know the way and would go only if there would be a a meeting of case of emergency that a threat should behold to all pirates. The song, which is also known as Hoist the Colours, would be sung that would be time to condeem the Court itself, and the Pirate Lord would have to honor it."

"I never knew even Pirates had honor." Xion muttered.

"Yes, well, teamwork between Pirate Captains is the most difficult task ever known. Especially if other Captains would are breathing down your neck and you have a dept to owe them. It's rare to actually come to an full agreement first hand. Someone always starts a brawl like in a bar fight in Tortuga as well." Jack continued.

"What's that got to do with Calypso?" Isa asked.

"I'm getting to that." Jack said, rolling his eyes. "According to Pirate Lore, the first Brethren Court discovered a way to capture Calypso and imprison her in her human bones, and tamed the sea to all pirates. She did have a wrath towards humans, with the storms and maelstroms, hurricanes, all of that."

"The sounds suspiciously similiar to what Gibbs told us about those Cannibals believed in, thinkin' that you were a god in human form wanting to set you free." Lea muttered, skeptical about the entire thing. He then questioned, "Besides, how the heck would you know about all of this, anyway?"

"He snuck in. That's how." Roxas answered sarcastically.

"Have not." Jack pouted, while fully aware of the sarcasm. "There was no sneaking in. I was there at the Third Court, which was my first one. Savvy?"

"Hold on. Are you saying there was only three Brethren Courts so far?" Terra asked, not buying any of this.

The pirate nodded, "Yep. The second one was just a meeting to keep things under control, as I was told. The third one was dealing with the threat of another Pirate who turned himself evil, calling himself the Shadow Lord...which unfortunately, fell upon me to deal with it."

"Why you?" Skuld inquired.

"Tia Dalma asked me to. The Shadow Lord wanted to destroy the Pirate Lords with his army of Shadows. Not like those Heartless thingies, mind you."

"That doesn't explain how you would know all of this." Leon pointed out.

Groaning in exasperation, Jack finally gave up and revealled, "Alright, I confess. The reason why I know all of this is because...I am one of the nine Pirate Lords; of the Caribbean...The youngest to have ever joined when I was twentytwo, to be honest."

"YOU!?" Sora and the rest of his group exclaimed, in shock and disbelief, while Leon and his group stared at the Pirate in shock and disbelief. Not only was Jack a Keyblade Wielder now, but before meeting Sora...the man himself was also one of the third or second generations of the current Pirate Lords?

"Whoa." Lea muttered, stunned. "Never imagined ya' to be part of an Organization."

"It's not that thrilling." Jack shuddered, "I've never been comfortable in being at the court. Thank goodness there hasn't been a calling to the fourth court yet."

"Gosh...I'm not sure trapping Calypso is such a good idea. On the other hand, if she was with Bhunivelze and Chaos, then she could be sided with them if she finds out what's going on." Mickey said, worriedly.

"Especially given that should Aced find out about this, he would no doubt believe releasing her is the right course of action to defeat the rest of our enemies as well as us." Skuld nodded in agreement. "And since there was a journal of the two gods found earlier, perhaps finding more in this Ansem's home may be our next step."

"I know Ansem the Wise, and if that's the case, then maybe you're right." Mickey agreed with a serious expression.

Everyone else nodded in agreement despite that things had got more and more confusing. Just then, in a magical cloud of dust appearing next to Cid who cried out in alarm, a familiar elderly man in a blue robe and matching pointy had and the ridiculously long beard appeared.

"I thought it was you. Right on time." Merlin greeted to Sora and the others who most of them were relieved to see him, while Jack stood there, shocked and in disbelief at the older man's sudden appearence.

"Hey, Merlin." Sora greeted with a smile.

Jack, once again stunned, turned to the others, and questioned softly, "...Does he always do that?"

"Yeeeeah, he always appears outta nowhere." Cid answered before the others could, groaning, "Crazy old coot."

"Ahem!" Merlin grunted loudly, as he had heard this, sending Cid a glare while tapping his wand in the palm of his right hand, threateningly. Seeing that glare alone was enough to surprisingly make the mechanic hold a worried expression before the blond-haired man backed off a little, looking quite scared.

When Jack saw Cid's expression and how the other man held his hands up in either surrender or defense, he muttered, "I take you are not in each other's likings. Ay?"

"Last time I called him old, he blasted me." Cid mumured.

"He could at least have a trim." Jack whispered to him as he leaned towards the mechanic. "That is the longest beard I've ever seen."

"I heard that!" Merlin said, which made Jack frightened a little. "I may be old, but I'm not deaf." before admitting, "On the other hand, I think it may be time to trim this confounded beard."

"Hey, how come you're not zapping him?" Cid protested, finding that totally unfair.

"Simple." Jack began, "A beard like that could get in a way for lots of things. For example, he could hurt himself if he got it caught in the door or anything else for that matter."

Merlin gave a sigh while everyone else glanced back and forth between the conversation. "Unfortunately, it's already happened."

Suddenly Lea chuckled with a smirk, "Yeah, the first time me, Rox', Xi' and Namine came back home last year, Merlin got his beard caught in the door, ending up pulling it out but got it stuck around his head."

* * *

 _ **Flash-Back: After the events of "Second Chance" and before the events of "Second Life"...**_

 _"...So, you're willin' to let us stay?" Lea asked, hesitatedly. It's been at least seven hours since Mickey, Donald and Goofy brought him, Roxas, Xion and Namine here to Radiant Garden. After they and the Disney Trio explained to Leon and the others what happened, Lea had decided earlier to make his childhood home his permament home along with his three best friends._

 _"Of course. I mean, we all had our problems everywhere." Merlin nodded. But as he shut the door behind him to head over to the Bailey on foot, he didn't realise that his beard got stuck in the door which pulled him back. As he yanked at it, the wizard complained, "There! See what I mean?"_

 _With a giagantic tug, Merlin successfully pulled himself free. But his heard rapidly wrapped around his head and wand. He pulled hard while groaning, only for his entire head to be covered in white aging hair. For a split second, it reminded Lea of a dandelion covered in seeds. For another second, Merlin spluttered as he unrolled his beard from his face, resulting secret snickers from Roxas, Xion and Namine, while Lea tried not to laugh._

* * *

End of Flash-Back.

Donald ended up snickering at the memory, while the others tried not to laugh and hid their smirks and giggles behind their hands.

"By the way, Lea." Merlin spoke up, ignoring the snickering from the younger wizard. "You and Isa are rather behind schedule for your training in using our Keyblades."

"Oh! Uh..." Lea shrunk back a little, embarrassed. "Sorry. Emergancy things happened and well...with Yen Sid captured by a crazed new bad guy, none of us had the time to think about training."

"We were too busy with our current mission that we sort of forgot." Isa added.

"I was afraid of you'd say that." Merlin sighed. "I do sense that Yen Sid is still alive. Pity I have no idea where he is at the moment."

"How did you know that?" Skuld inquired, stunned.

"Oh ho ho, I thought you would ask that, young lady. After all, I am a powerful Wizard, and we tend to know almost everything! I've even seen the future once and awhile." Merlin replied, "For example, I've predicted that you and Captain Jack Sparrow would join Sora and the others."

The young woman stared at him in awe, muttering, "Amazing!"

"Say, why don't ya's train for a little while we're here." Mickey suggested, before gazing at Kairi, adding, "Kairi could use some special training too."

"Good idea. I do want to be a bit stronger to help out more." Kairi nodded in agreement.

"Me too. I need to keep up with my training in magic." Namine added.

"What about you, Jack? You could use some tips in training with the Keyblade." Sora asked the pirate.

Jack shook his head, "No, thank you. I'd rather stick with the traditional combats of fighting skills. If I learn to use magic...that would not be a good thing if I ever return to where I came from. Savvy?"

"He has a good point." Aqua replied in agreement now that she thought about it. Plus, if other pirates saw that Jack Sparrow could use magic, things would not be good at all. That would just make him an even bigger target.

"I think some training might help for a little while while we're here, and also to keep the Heartless at bay at the same time." Riku added.

"Good idea, Riku." Mickey said, "And maybe see what else we can find while we're at it."

* * *

Three hours later, as Kairi, Lea and Isa were practicing with Aqua, Terra and Skuld, while Namine practiced with Aerith and Merlin, Sora, Riku, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Jack, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and even Myde trained occassionly while they, Leon and Yuffie would fend off the Heartless once and awhile that appeared, including the tubby large ones that were quite annoying.

Finally they were given another break, this time calling it a day, much to Myde's relief as the young man moaned while falling onto his back. "Oh, please tell me there's decent food I can eat." He muttered.

"There's a resturant in town that has good food." Yuffie offered, finding herself a little hungry too. "They have all kinds of meals; Pasta, Pizza, Burgers, you name it."

A grin filled up Myde's expression as he sat up excitedly, "Now _that's_ more like it!"

"You said it." Donald, who overheard, said in agreement.

"I don't know what these Pizza or Burgers are, but I could use some Pasta." Jack muttered in agreement. At least this world has something he was used to...once a month or two. He then asked, hopefully, "Do they have pies too?"

"Yeah, why?" The young ninja girl replied.

"Oh good." Jack smiled. "I love pies."

"I'm surprised you even like things other than Rum." Riku smirked.

The pirate shrugged cluelessly, "What? Anything is better than Cookie's...very vile and awful Beacon Grease."

"Too right." Ven chuckled in agreement.

Myde groaned, "Try not to kill my appetite, please."

"I'm not hungry." Sora confessed.

"Yeah, me neither." Kairi added.

"That reminds me." Merlin suddenly spoke up, approaching the two teenagers, "Sora, perhaps you should give Pooh a visit, considering how Roxas and Xion were placed there a little while ago."

While confused at first, Sora then remembered the early start of the Kadaj incident and perked up happily, "Sure! I'd love too!" before remembering something and turned to his friends, asking, "Hey, any of you guys wanna join me?"

"Sounds like fun. I've always wanted to see what the Hundred Acre Wood was like." Kairi said, grinning.

"Ay?" Jack muttered, dumbfounded.

"Yeah...no thanks." Riku quickly shook his head.

"Pooh? Wait, you mean..." Ven began, trailling off. "Hold on...you're talking about the book?" while Terra and Aqua shared a confused glance.

* * *

Everyone followed Merlin back to his house where they stood in front of a table, and a familiar book sat peacefully. Sora smiled fondly at the front cover; Pooh bear and Sora himself watching the stars, the renewed cover that was fixed when Sora restored the book once more.

"Wait...the cover's different than what I remember." Ven realised, as he instantly recongized the book. The same book that gave him a slight upgrade of his powers twelve years ago. The title was the same, and he reconized the bear. But what shocked him, Aqua and Terra who also recongised it, was the fact that the picture of Sora was on it.

"Why is Sora on the cover with a stuffed bear?" Jack muttered, puzzled. The title ' _Winnie the Pooh_ ' was bad enough, but for the teenaged boy to be on the cover with a toy bear was just utterly ridiculous. From what he's understanding, it was suited for small children.

"Sora goes into the book and visits everybody in that world." Goofy explained.

"You can actually do that?" Terra asked, in disbelief. "I thought it would only make you stronger."

"You mean you know Pooh's storybook?" Sora asked, surprised.

The older man nodded, explaining, "I found it twelve years ago when I first came here. I thought Merlin dropped it, but it wasn't his. I left it here for safe keeping, though."

"Well, that explains everything." Ven thought, folding his arms to his chest.

"Interesting. To think that Sora is capable of going inside the book is astonishing." Aqua thought to herself.

"Xion and I went in there too two weeks before the two of us, Namine and Lea found Isa." Roxas explained.

"A witch named Madam Mim trapped us in there for a little while. It's a long story." Xion added.

Isa blinked, before gazing at Lea, saying, "Please tell me this is a joke..."

The redhead grinned, "Nope. This is the real deal." before remembering, "Uh, we should move out of the way so that we don't get accidently sucked into the said book." moving Isa to the side. Riku and Goofy did the same with Jack. The others, shrugging, moved out of the way except for Sora and Kairi.

"Ready?" Sora said with a grin.

"Yeah!" Kairi nodded.

The teenage boy turned to the rest of the group, saying, "We'll be back soon."

"Maybe next time most can all go. I've always kinda wondered about that place too." Mickey admitted.

"We'll keep things under control, just in case the Heartless attack." Riku promised.

"Oh, c'mon, Riku!" Sora groaned.

"Nice try." His friend smirked.

The spiky-haired teenager sighed, defeated. Eventually, he will get Riku to come with him. At least Kairi's enthusiastic in going with him, though. With a smile, Sora turned and unlatched the golden lock and opened the book for both of them. There was a brillilant glow which made most of them cry out in alarm, and then when the light faded, Sora and Kairi were gone and the book snapped shut on the table.

"Sora! Kairi!" Aqua cried out, alarmed.

"Don't worry." Riku said, calmly. When the others turned to face him, he, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Roxas, Xion and Namine, along with Yuffie and Leon all held knowing looks. "This happens all the time."

"So...Sora does this often?" Skuld asked, blinking uncertainly.

"Yup!" Goofy nodded, before explaining, "Though, most of times, Sora had to find the missin' pages to restore the book; twice in fact."

"Well, at least the living toys are inside this book and out out in the open." Myde shrugged, gazing to Jack, "What do you say?"

But then he noticed that Jack had such a shellshocked and utter disbelieved look, not to mention slightly horrified, which was a bit comical. He was left speechless at what he just witnessed. So much so as that he was certain he briefly forgot to breathe.

"Jack?" Myde asked, concerned, which got the attention of everyone else.

Finally, unable to absorb all of this, Jack's vision went black and passed out, collasping onto his back on the stone floor.

"Jack! Are you okay? Ven cried out, worriedly as he, Aqua, Namine and Xion rushed over to see if the pirate was alright, while everyone else just stood there in awkward silence.

Finally, Mickey spoke awkwardly, getting a fair idea of why Jack Sparrow had just suddenly fainted. "Um...I think he's seen too many strange things that he's not used to."

* * *

 _ **{HUNDRED ACRE WOOD}**_

Kairi was more than surprised to see that she and Sora had landed in a completely different world, just as he told her once. A field like forest surrounded them with green leaves, yellowish green grass. It was quite possibly late spring. She didn't recongise the place at all. The tall tree next to them had a door that looked small, about Mickey's height. High up the tree was a window and a made up balcony.

There was also a broken wooden sign that said ' _Trespassers Will—_ " but other than that, it looked imcomplete and broken.

"Sora...is this really...?" Kairi trailed off, unable to finish.

"Yep!" Sora said, grinning. "It's not exactly a portal. We're inside the book."

"It doesn't seem like it, but...wow!" Kairi spread her arms out and spun around like she did at Arendelle.

Her friend chuckled, happy that she was enjoying herself already. Sora knew that his friend would love this place; just the right place for a little bit of a fun adventure without too much to worry about. In fact, the most worrying having to worry about was—

"Bees!" A chorus of fearful cries startled Sora and Kairi out of their thoughts. As soon as the two teenagers looked into the direction where it was coming from, coming from the thickerish trees were a stuffed tiger, bouncing in a hurry. Behind him was a yellow and white rabbit, running on two legs, and behind him was a stuffed yellow bear with a red shirt, running in a panic.

To Sora and Kairi's surprise and shock, the leaves above the trees suddenly shreded apart as hundreds of bees came zooming, which also startled a small blue bird who clucked in panic like a chicken in fright as the bees came zooming past. One of the bees looked around before pointing down at the animals and led the other bees to a full on attack, which everyone else on the ground noticed.

"Oh bother!" The bear cried out.

"Uh oh." Sora muttered, before turning to his friend, saying, "Kairi, keep Pooh and the others safe! I've got some bees to take care off." hurrying over along with Kairi who, concerned that her friend could most likely get stung, followed.

"Look! There's Sora!" Rabbit cried out, recongising the boy.

"Don't worry, guys! I'll handle this!" Sora told the animals while summoning his Keyblade to handle the bee problem. "Just get behind my friend here! She'll help too!"

"Thanks, buddy boy!" The tiger said hurriedly.

"Thanks, Sora!" Rabbit said hurriedly.

"Thank you, Sora!" The bear said hurriedly.

Sora nodded, before turning to glare at the bees who, before they knew it, were quickly and easily knocked away by the strange giant Key that did more harm to them than they could with their stingers. Nodding, Sora then gestured all of his friends into the house, the two teenagers had to crouch down to fit in. Both Sora and the bear closed the door before the latter joined Rabbit and the tiger onto the bed, hiding underneath the blanket.

"Phew." Sora sighed, dismissing his weapon.

"Where did all those bees come from?" Kairi wondered, panting a little.

The bear peaked his head out from the blanket, asking nervously, "Are they gone, Sora?"

"Yeah. We should be fine for now." Sora replied.

"Or maybe they're pretenderin' to be gone." The tiger said, almost ominously which was unsual for him, also peaking from the blanket along with Rabbit. "You know, bees are sneaky like that."

Just then, the door was suddenly banged, alarming everyone and while Sora and Kairi quickly stood in defense, the three animals hid back under the bed while the tiger gasped in horror, whimpering, "I was right."

The moment the door opened, however, it wasn't the bees as everyone had been expecting. They relaxed when it was a stuffed gloomy donkey. To Sora, Kairi and the bear's concern and pity, though, a single bee sting pimpel was right on the middle of his noise.

"Eeyore? Are you alright?" Sora asked, concerned, as he bend low.

"Oh, Eeyore. You got stung out there?" The bear asked, worriedly.

"No." Eeyore muttered gloomily, eying the stung, "I got stung right here where I can keep an eye on it."

Kairi bend on her knees, gently patting the donkey on the head, "Oh, you poor thing. Does it hurt?"

"It only stings a little. Thanks for noticin' me." Eeyore replied at the new commer.

"Well, is everyone else alright?" Sora asked to the others.

"Uh...Tigger's here, Pooh's here, Eeyore's here, Sora's here with a new friend, I'm here..." Rabbit counted, before asking the boy, "Who is this young lady?"

"Oh, right." Sora remembered, "This is my friend, Kairi. I brought her with me today. Kairi, this is Eeyore, Pooh, Rabbit and Tigger."

"Nice to meet you, everyone." Kairi said with a gentle smile.

"Oh, hello, Kairi. Nice to meet you too." Pooh greeted.

"Hello." Eeyore said.

"Well, aren't you very polite. Nice to meet you, too." Rabbit said with a smile.

Tigger bounced off the bed and towards Kairi, saying, "Kairi, eh? Well, I betcha go bouncin' around with Sora, don'tcha? Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!"

"Bouncing?" Kairi blinked, glancing at Sora who blushed a little, embarrassed.

"It's a long story." Rabbit shook his head, before wondering, "Now, um...who am I missing?"

Pooh in the meantime climbed up a tipsy art's table to use to grab the honey pot from the bookshelf next to the window. The pot itself, due to some loose honey, had a book stuck on.

"I don't know, Rabbit. Let's ask Pig-let!" Pooh cried out in alarm when, as he sat down, the table gave way and he was suddenly thrown out of the window and landed outside on the soft grass.

"Pooh! Are you alright?" Sora cried out as he, Kairi, Rabbit and Tigger raced to the window, carefully moving the table out of the way. Pooh was lying on his stomach, the honey pot on his head with honey leaking out, and the book stuck on...his back.

"Oh, bother. I just landed on my, um... self." Pooh replied, a bit awkwardly.

Tigger then noticed the book and, curiosity getting the better of him, carefully and successfully pulled it off of Pooh, and opened it up to take a look inside. It was revealled to be a scrap book, filled with paintings. While Sora helped Pooh up and had him sit on the window sill with Kairi removing the honey pot from his head, what Tigger saw made him gasp before he bursted into tears, crying.

"What's the matter, Tigger?" Kairi asked, quickly concerned. Then as she and Sora looked at the picture, it was a painting of Tigger himself, with almost everyone else dressed up in...Tigger costumes? Sora blinked in surprise as he also recongised both Roxas and Xion there as well.

Rabbit rolled his eyes, saying to his bouncy friend, "Oh, please, Tigger. It's just a drawing in a scrapbook."

"But it reminds me, of the bestest family reunion...I ever had!" Tigger sobbed, wiping away tears of not sorrow, but rather happiness of his and the others' most recent adventure. He then stopped crying, and just as Rabbit turned the page, he turned it back before turning it to the next page again, much to the latter's exasperation.

Tigger then smiled the picture of Pooh in a tar-pit, with a jar on his head, saying, "Oh, look. There's the day little Piglet caught his first Heffalump."

"Tigger, that's not a Heffalump." Sora corrected with a chuckle. "That's just Pooh with a jar on his head." with Kairi giggling at the picture as well while trying to cover her giggles with her hand.

Pooh, being a bear with a very little brain, chuckled, "I forgot how much I look like a Heffalump with a jar on my head." which caused Rabbit to groan again, and Sora to shake his head with a knowing smile.

"Heffalump?" Kairi asked, puzzled.

"They steal honey." Tigger whispered to the teenage girl.

"Piglet caught Rabbit, all right." Eeyore noted as the page was turned again.

"Oh, let me see." Rabbit said eagerly. To his annoyance, however, was a picture of himself, looking quite annoyed with his hands on his hips. He glanced at the others, placing his hands on his hips and said with an annoyed look, "That doesn't look a thing like me."

Sora, Tigger, and Kairi glanced back and forth, all three of them realising that Eeyore was right; in fact, Rabbit was unknowingly doing the same thing as the picture Piglet had drawn. But they decided not to comment. They turned the page and Sora smiled a little; it was a picture of himself with Pooh, Rabbit, Eeyore, an Owl, a Kangaroo and a baby Roo, a Gouper, and a pink dot that he knew was Piglet.

"What's that tiny pink dot?" Tigger asked, pointing at the picture as he didn't recongise it.

"That's Piglet." Sora noticed, before his eyes widened as he suddenly realised that this was Piglet's house and yet, the said small animal wasn't here at all. "Hold on. Where is he, anyway?"

"Piglet?" Rabbit repeated, also realising and remembering now that there was someone missing. "Where is Piglet?"

Tigger moaned worriedly, saying, "We must've lost track of him after we got chased by the bees."

"That means he's out there somewhere." Sora realised, worried.

Pooh shared Sora's concern, "Ohh, but he's so little. He could be in big danger."

"That means we have to find him and see if he's alright." Kairi said, worried. She might not know Piglet, but even she was concerned for the little guy's safety.

"Yeah." Sora nodded, before muttering in realization, "Only problem is...where could he be?"

"Think, think, think." Pooh muttered to himself while tapping the side of his head. Then he had an idea, and said while gazing at the scrapbook, "You know, since this is a book of Piglet's memories, maybe it remembers where Piglet is."

"Oh, brilliant deduction there, Pooh boy." Tigger praised, "It's a regular Piglet map."

Rabbit gave the two of them a skeptical look, "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, I don't think it works like that." Sora admitted, before suggesting, "Maybe Owl might have a clue where Piglet is."

"The first page has Owl's house anyway." Eeyore said, after he and Tigger flipped the page back to page one. True enough, a picture of Owl's tree house was there.

"Great work, Sora, o'l buddy!" Tigger praised happily, making his way out of the door, "I bet the little guy is there right now."

"Do you think this Owl can help us?" Kairi asked.

"Well, he might've at least seen Piglet earlier." Sora shrugged with one shoulder, as he and Kairi followed the others out, Pooh putting the honey pot away and carrying the scrapbook with him, and Eeyore following behind.

Rabbit was dismayed, "Not to Owl's!" before realising that everyone else has already left, leaving him with no choice but to follow, groaning in exasperation, "Oh, no. We'll be there all day."

* * *

So Sora and his friends ventured off to Owl's house on their new quest to find the missing Piglet, hoping that their missing friend was alright and not in any real danger.

It didn't take Sora and the others long to find Owl's tree house, which Kairi was once again amazed by. As Sora had mentioned, everyone lived in tree houses...well, Eeyore's house was just made from a pile of sticks.

"Hey there, Owl." Sora called up, as the said Owl was sitting in a rocking chair until the teenager called.

"Sora! It's good to see you again." Owl greeted, standing up, "I have more stories to tell you."

Sora shook his head, "Thanks, but um, have you seen Piglet?"

"Piglet? Why of course I've seen him, many times!" Owl replied, "He's about so high, with little pink ears—"

"Uh, actually." Sora gently interrupted, "What I meant was have you seen him at all today? We're trying to find him but he's missing."

That caught Owl's attention, "Missing? Why, that's terrible. I just happened to have seen him go by earlier. Would you like me to keep a sky-high look out for him, Sora?"

"That'd be great, thanks." Sora replied, with Pooh and Tigger nodding, Kairi smiling, Eeyore just standing there, and much to Rabbit's relief.

"Very well. I'd best be off." Owl declared, before pausing just as he was about to take flight, adding, "Oh, and uh, watch out for Heffalumps. I actually saw one just the other day?"

"Heffalumps!?" Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger and Eeyore exclaimed, horrified, while Sora and Kairi both glanced at each other in alarm. Not only was Piglet missing, but now there was actually a real Heffalump around as well, in the Hundred Acre Wood? Or was Owl just seeing things?

"Indeed. Good luck, all of you." Owl said, before asking again, "Oh, and who might this young lady be?"

"This is my friend, Kairi. I brought with me to visit." Sora introduced.

Kairi waved with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Owl."

"Pleasure is all mine, miss Kairi. You and Sora both look adorable together. Now then, good luck!" Owl waved once more before finally taking off flying into the sky, while both Sora and Kairi both blushed heavily by this comment, and groaned in embarrassment.

"Thank goodness you're around, Sora." Rabbit sighed in relief, "I thought we would've been stuck here listening to his stories all over again."

"Yeah, hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" Tigger said in agreement, "And then Owl would've gone to the part where he goes on for a while."

"But what about the Heffalump?" Pooh said worriedly, "Piglet's in more danger now than ever."

Tigger gasped at the quick realization, "You're right, Pooh boy! We gotta go find him!"

"And then make a plan to capture this Heffalump once and for all." Rabbit declared, boldy, even though his knees were shaking like mad at the very idea of encountering a Heffalump.

"Do you guys even know what a Heffalump looks like?" Kairi asked, sounding a little scared.

"Well...not really. But if there is one around here, we have to be a bit more careful." Sora shrugged, even more worried about his smallest friend. "Let's get going."

So with the led that Piglet had been at Owl's earlier, Sora, Kairi, Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger and Eeyore continued their search on foot, only to pause halfway when they all suddenly heard a very unfamiliar noise that, to Sora and Kairi, sounded like an Elephant trumpeting that echoed through out the entire area.

"What was that?" Kairi asked, glancing around.

"Heffalump!" Tigger cried out, fearfully as he, Pooh, Rabbit and Eeyore all quickly hid behind Sora's legs, shaking and quivering as they all rapidly glanced around their surroundings for any signs of the said dangerous beast, as the said noise continued, but then began to fade.

"...Well...it might be somewhere, but I don't think it's close by." Sora muttered, frowning in great concern. Nothing like this happened before, and he began to worry. What if darkness was starting to enter even the peaceful world like the Hundred Acre Wood? Heartless did tear up the book twice; the second time resulted in Pooh losing his memories.

"Uh, Buddy Bear. What does the Scrappity book say on page two?" Tigger asked, nervously.

Pooh, nervous himself, opened up the book again and turned to the second page, revealing another familiar house, answering, "Looks like Kanga's house. Piglet loves to go there."

"Well, Kanga's house is where we'll look for Piglet." Rabbit agreed.

"Good idea. Maybe Kanga and Roo know where Piglet is." Sora added, only to cry out in alarm when the ground suddenly moved in front of him and the others, all of them backing up. To their relief, was a familiar small gouper coming out of the ground.

"Say, if it ain't Sora!" Gouper greeted happily, "What bring's ya' back here, sonny?"

Sora sighed, "Hey, Gouper. You kinda nearly scared us." before asking, "Hey, have you seen Piglet by any chance?"

"No. Last time I saw Piglet was yesterday." Gouper shrugged apologetically, before noticing Kairi and pulled himself out of the ground, asking her, "Who might you be?"

"I'm Kairi." Kairi answered. "Are you one of Sora's friends?"

"Kairi, this is Gouper." Sora introduced, before explaining to Gouper, "I brought Kairi with me and well...now all of us are looking for Piglet who's missing."

"And we have a Heffalump lurking around in the Hundred Acre Wood too!" Tigger added, almost panickily.

"Heffalumps, and now Piglet missin', you say?" Gouper repeated, before thinking deepily and said, "Sounds like big trouble today. I'll see if I can't search underground for things we need to capture the Heffelumpy and find Piglety."

"Thank you, Gouper, and oh do please be careful." Pooh said, with the others nodding in agreement.

Gouper saluted, turning to leave, "Glad ta be at service. I ain't in the book—HWAAAGGGH!" he suddenly screamed as he fell into the hole he dug up, not having payed attention, landing back underground with a thud. Despite this, he called up from below, "Don't forget to call."

Rabbit facepalmed himself, moaning. "We're never going to find Piglet at this rate."

"Sure we will. We're not giving up." Sora told him with confidence. "C'mon. Let's go."

At least Sora hoped that they would find Piglet and that the Heffalump wouldn't cause too much trouble around here. Looks like things were getting a bit twisty here in this world as well.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. Well, we've entered the Hundred Acre Woods and I've combined the storylines of "Piglet's Big Movie" and "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" into a single storyline for this world adventure and added Gouper since he wasn't in either films.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	27. CH26: The Double Acre Adventures

**Author's Note: I know that this story isn't as good as my previous ones, but I try my best and well, you're all probably getting impatient in wanting to see Tangled. It will come, so don't worry.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH26: The Double Acre Adventures.**_

Halfway towards Kanga's house, Sora and the others called out for Piglet while still looking through the Scrap Book. Kairi couldn't help but think about what this 'Heffalump' was like even though she and Sora both felt that maybe it wasn't as scary as everyone in the Hundred Acre Wood thought it was. Besides that, no one really knows what it really looks like other than Owl. Then again, Owl's not as one might say as intelligent as he claimed himself to be.

A question then perked up in Sora's mind which was something he'd meant to ask since fending off the Bees earlier.

"So um, how did you guys end up being chased by Bees anyway?" Sora asked Pooh.

Pooh blinked before thinking as he tried to remember, before saying, "Why, it was earlier today that we made a plan to get honey from the Bee hives by making them a new Hive. Piglet came along, wondering what we were doing too."

And so Pooh bear, with the occasional help from Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore, told Sora and Kairi how today's events had started.

* * *

 _ **Flash-Back: Before Sora and Kairi's arrival...**_

 _Piglet was at home, finishing up his latest painting for his scrap book. As he sat in front of the window of his home, he was unaware that Tigger was outside, awkwardly carrying a fake tree while stumbling. But as Piglet placed the painting into the book, he then heard a noise and turned around and saw not only Tigger finally, but also to his surprise, Eeyore, who was...also carrying things and was dressed up like a Bee._

 _Then Rabbit came, carrying other stuff including a violin. Finally, Pooh appeared, also carrying items such as a cloth, glue, paper and a ball. All four of them were heading off somewhere within the Hundred Acre Wood. Curious and wondering where his friends were going and what they were up to, Piglet put away his book, grabbed his scarf and scurried out to follow everyone._

 _He found them in the middle of the woods up on a hill. Rabbit was up on a tree branch, where on a higher branch, a Bee hive was hanging there and he was holding the same violin. Tigger was strangely dressed up like a tree. Eeyore sat on the ground, still dressed up like a Bee, with a mega-phone in front of him._

 _Pooh himself was soaking and sticking gluey paper onto the ball with a hole in it and it looked similiar to an actual Bee Hive. There was another log there that resembled to the tree costume Tigger was wearing._

 _"Tigger, are you ready for the Hive yet?" Pooh asked._

 _"All I am is ready. Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo!" Tigger said happily, before asking about the tree costume, "How do I look? I mean, uh, does this log make me look fat?"_

 _"Ohh. Like the best honey tree that a bee will ever see." Pooh replied, smiling as he gave his bouncy friend the fake Bee Hive before placing the slightly heavy other log over his head. Tigger then bounced up and landed on top of him to make themselves look like a Honey Tree._

 _Piglet then came out from the grass and approuched the real Bee Hive, while Rabbit began playing the violin. Which, wasn't even close to expert level._

 _"Rabbit. What are you doing?" Piglet asked._

 _"Oh, can't you tell?" Rabbit replied, acknowlaging Piglet's pressence. "I'm lullabying the bees for our big plan." before playing again._

 _But all it really did was_ _ **Screech, Squeek, Eek, Screech, Shriek**_ _._

 _"They seem to like Bee-thoven." Rabbit continued._

 _Bee-thoven? More like Bee-Torture. Within the Bee Hive, the Bees were, as not promised, not liking it. They all continously cringed and buzzed a groan while covering their none-existant ears with their hands, and really, who can blame them?_

 _Not certain that it would answer his full question, Piglet went over to Eeyore, asking, "Eeyore, what are you doing?"_

 _"I got to use my big voice to tell the bees about the new hive." Eeyore, gloomy as usual, replied, before demostrating while speaking through the mega-phone, which the extra volume caused Piglet to stumble back and clean out his left ear to rid the ringing noise, "_ Buzz, buzz. Great new hive. _"_

 _Still puzzled, Piglet went up to Tigger and Pooh, asking to the former, "Tigger, could you tell me what you're doing?"_

 _"I have to hold the fake hive hive enough for the bees to see." Tigger answered, holding the flase Hive as high as he could. "It's the biggest part of the plan. That's what Tiggers do best. Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo."_

 _"You do seem bigger than usual." Piglet commented, slightly disheartened. This only made him feel even smaller than usual, which was a sad thing for him._

 _Pooh, hearing his smallest friend, managed to peak through underneath Tigger, greeting, "Oh, hello, Piglet."_

 _"Pooh," Piglet began, hoping that at least Pooh could explain better than the others, "What are you all doing?"_

 _"Harvesting honey, of course." Pooh began, gazing at the bunch of papers on the ground. As Piglet picked it up and scanned through multiple drawings, as Pooh explained, it not only matched the description of the drawings, but it finally began to make sense; "It's all in the plan. First, Rabbit will lure the bees with beautiful music. Then Eeyore tempts the bees into their new hive. Then Tigger holds up the hive for the bees to see. And then comes the best part. We get honey from their old hive. Ha ha."_

 _Well, that certainly explained everything and now Piglet managed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Feeling wanting to help with the plan, he then requested, "Can I help you with your big plan?"_

 _Pooh shook his head, or at least he tried to without causing him and Tigger to fall, and said carefully and apologetically, "Well, thank you, Piglet, but, um, perhaps another time."_

 _"When we have a bit smaller of a plan or when you're a bit bigger of a Piglet." Tigger added._

 _"I'm sorry, Piglet." Rabbit concluded apologetically, as he and the others all believed that this was far too risky for someone like Piglet to get involved. "But I'm afraid this is a very big plan._

 _While Piglet was disappointed in not being able to help due to being the smallest animal, he then cringed and plugged his ears with his fingers when Rabbit continued to play the violin and despite what Pooh said...unfortunately, it was not beautiful music at all. It was the complete opposite._

 _ **Screech, Screech, Screech, Squeel, Squeel, Squeel, Eek, Eek, Eek, Shriek, Shriek, Shriek!**_ _Rabbit played it faster and faster and it only got more and more worse._

 _Finally, the Bees were at their boiling point and declared to get rid of the noise outside of their hives and attack anyone who simply got in their way as they realised it was to drive them out to steal their honey._

 _Soon the flock of Bees came out of their Hive, which at first Rabbit thought it worked. To his horror, however, the Bees snatched the violin from him and to his and Piglet's shock, they broke it in half! Rabbit shrieked when the Bees turned their attention to them and hid behind the tree._

 _Fortunately, Eeyore came to the rescue and called out through the Mega-Phone, "_ Buzz, Buzz! Great new hive. Free Rent. Buzz, buzz! _"_

 _The Bees, hearing this turned their attention to attack everyone else on the ground, and to make things worse, Tigger was getting several itches due to having sticks and leaves poke him which was very uncomfortable._

 _Piglet, seeing the Bees coming straight towards him, cried out in panic, "Oh, d-d-dear!" and ran, but accidently tilted the mega-phone upward, causing the Bees to zoom right through the front and out of the back in the smaller hole, narrowly missing Eeyore who ducked slightly._

 _"Oh, Buzz!" Eeyore muttered, a little freaked out. In the midst of chaos, the mega phone on top of Piglet who couldn't see, and both he and Eeyore, stumbled backwards._

 _The Bees, looking around, saw the stuck Piglet and decided to attack him next. When Piglet managed to pull the Mega-Phone off him, his eyes widened as the Bees were coming back. But as he tried to look for a way out of this situation, he looked at the mega phone, and then at false Bee Hive and an idea came into mind._

 _Finding his courage, Piglet held the mega-phone up and hoped for the best. The Bees ended up repeating history as they flew through the mega-phone and all accidently zoomed into the false hive. The impact caused Tigger and Pooh to seperate and the former landing on the ground, stumbling._

 _Dropping the mega-phone, Piglet then saw angry eyes of the Bees and hurriedly plucked a remaining soaking gluey paper and stuck it onto the hole, trapping the Bees inside so they couldn't escape easily. He sighed in great big relief at his quick panicked thinking._

 _That was close._

 _Everyone else also sighed in relief before both Pooh and Tigger threw away their costumes while the latter dropped the closed up false hive with the trapped bees and at Pooh's calling, Rabbit tipped the real hive upside down to the ground. The other two held up a honey pot to catch the falling waterfall of honey._

 _"We're geniuses." Tigger said happily, only for him and Pooh to have misjudged and were completely covered in honey while the honey pot was slightly empty. None the less, Tigger added, "Sticky geniuses."_

 _Soon the two of them, and Rabbit who climbed down from the tree, and Eeyore who took off his Bee costume, all congratulated each other for the success as Pooh happily licked the sweetness of honey._

 _Piglet, feeling proud of himself for having helped out all along, began to speak up, "But-but I was the..."_

 _To his disappointment, Rabbit said apologetically, "Oh, Piglet. I'm sorry that you couldn't be part of our big plan."_

 _"Oh, but I thought I..." Piglet trailed off as everyone was too busy celebrating, and then realised that none of them had even seen him actually having tricked the Bees into going into the false Hive and all had thought that the Bees did that on purpose._

 _Disheartened and sad, Piglet walked away. He even noticed that his shadow was small as well. As he decided that maybe a walk could make himself better, along the way, Piglet noticed that a little ladybug was having trouble crossing two grass blades. Being generous, he helped by holding up his hand and allowed the little insect far much smaller than him cross, and the adorable Ladybug waved it's thanks to him._

 _That made him feel better. Piglet then noticed that a little Squirrel was having trouble reaching for an Acorn that was too high for it. So he helped by moving a rock and plucked it from the branch, handing it over to the furry-tailed animal who also thanked him. Then, a little baby blue bird fell from the sky and Piglet quickly saved it by catching._

 _The little bird then tweeted in distraught as it pointed at the other side of a river with a pebble bridge was, and on the other side, was a tree where a bird's nest with two grown up birds were also distraughted. Feeling sorry for the bird, Piglet then placed it onto his head and crossed the river on the stones and then helped the little bird fly up to the nest where it was happily reunited with it's relieved parents, and the bird family thanked him._

 _While Piglet was glad to help and he did feel a little better, he still felt slightly disheartened at the fact his friends didn't ask him for help._

 _"Oh, it'd sure be nice if my friends needed me." Piglet said to himself._

 _Then he had thoughts. Of how his friends wanted to aske him for his help; to lullaby the Bees, to call them to their new hive, to help make the false hive to be higher and that they really needed their help._

 _This made Piglet smile and he happily raced back to the opposite direction and unknowingly got his scarf stuck to a fence. As he went, the animals he helped happily went along with him._

 _Meanwhile, back with Pooh and the others..._

 _"Ahhh." Tigger sighed in relief, smearing himself with Honey. "Wonderfullest honey." as he could no longer feel the itchiness he felt earlier._

 _"Oh, I thought Tiggers hate honey." Pooh said, thoughtfully._

 _"Well, they do to eat." Tigger agreed, before explaining, "But to stop the itching, oh, there is nothing betterer."_

 _Then, all of the sudden, Pooh thought he heard some kind of noise, but as he placed his hand on his head, it was covered in honey and now covered his ear in honey, asking, "Did you hear something? I'm afraid I've got some honey in my ears."_

 _"What's that, Pooh?" Tigger asked, now hearing some kind of buzzing noise, which made him, Rabbit and Eeyore quickly worried. "I can't hear you over all that buzzing."_

 _"Who's buzzing?" Pooh asked._

 _They all glanced over at the false hive, and saw it jitter and move. Then, all of the sudden, the angry buzz of the furious flock of Bees came blasting out of the false hive, ripping a new hole through it in the process and were now glaring angrily at the four of them who stood in horror._

 _"Bees!" The four of them chorused. Soon, Eeyore and Tigger made a run for it, but the former tripped and fell down the hill, while Rabbit quickly grabbed hold of Pooh's arm and dragged him to follow Tigger who accidently smashed the honey pot in the process._

 _The trio ran away screaming from the furious Bees who wanted nothing more than to turn the group into a trio of prickly pin cusions, while Pooh cried out fearfully, "Oh bother!"_

 _They ran while also noticing a familiar spiky-haired boy who had just arrived with an unfamiliar darkish red-haired girl who both saw what was going on..._

* * *

End of Flash-Back.

"...And then you came and saved us all, Sora." Pooh finished the story.

"Yeah, without you, we'd all been stunged to death! Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo!" Tigger said, happily to the teenaged boy who smiled sheepishly.

"Not all of us." Eeyore said, reminding everyone, "I got stung."

"There's something about what you all said doesn't add up." Kairi couldn't help but comment, which made everyone stop and glance at her.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, curiously.

The teenage girl, having thought about the story Pooh and the others had said, couldn't help but think about from Piglet's point of view, explaining, "Well, it doesn't make sense that the Bees would just attack due to Rabbit's music, then trap themselves in the fake bee hive before escaping and then attack again and there was no sign of Piglet during that time."

Everyone glanced at each other for this, before Sora folded his arms and thought deepily, then realised that his friend had a point. "You know, I think you're right. Maybe Piglet had something to do with the Bees getting into the fake hive and got stuck in there for a while."

"Now that you mention it, I thought I was seeing things, but I could'a sworn I saw little Piglet hold that horn Eeyore was using and the Bees coming right out of it and into the fake hive." Tigger said thoughtfully in agreement.

"And if that's the case, then maybe it was Piglet who trapped the bees into the hive. Otherwise, they would've flown right out a lot sooner, right?" Sora theoried, with Kairi nodding in agreement.

"And we never would've even got the honey out of the old hive." Eeyore said, coming to realise that it made even more sense.

"And we didn't even realise it until now." Rabbit said, now feeling guilty as even he realised that it made perfect sense.

Pooh lowered his head while gazing at the Scrap Book. "Oh, bother. I believe, if this is true, then we have hurt Piglet's feelings, because we didn't congratulate him for helping us."

"Hmm, come to think of it, Piglet did help us a lot too as I remembered." Sora said, feeling sorry for Piglet. "I mean, he asked me to help when you got stuck in Rabbit's hole while trying to get out when we first met."

"You're absolutely right, Sora." Rabbit said in agreement. "If it weren't for Piglet, you'd never help us to make carrot juice to make him thinner or get him out of my front door."

"He really cares so much, doesn't he?" Kairi asked. Before anyone else could answer, she nearly tripped and stumbled back when her foot nearly went into a small ditch on the ground. Regaining her balance, she gazed down and saw...a round hole in the ground. In fact, when she and the others looked up after they saw what happened and stopped, their eyes widened as several other dents on the ground were there, and apparently it was making a trail in pairs.

"Are these...footprints?" Kairi inquired.

"Sure looks like it." Eeyore commented dryly. "If it's not, then the sky's finally fallen. Always knew it would."

"That's impossibibble." Tigger said, while Sora shook his head as his bouncy friend tried and failed to say 'Impossible'. But still, gazing at the large footprints, it gave him a bit of more worry.

"There's only one thing that can make a footprint that big." Rabbit paused dramatically. "A Heffalump."

"Just like Owl said." Pooh said, fearfully. At this moment, while everyone glanced at each at the worries of both Piglet missing and now they found evidence that a Heffalump was in the Hundred Acre Wood, a familiar female Kangaroo hopped over, which Sora and most of the others recongised.

"Hey, Kanga." Sora greeted, then became concerned when he and the others noticed that she held a concerned look on her face. "What's up?"

"Oh, Sora. It's good to see you again." Kanga greeted, before noticing Kairi and quickly greeted her kindly, "Oh, well hello there, dear. Are you Sora's friend?"

"This is Kairi." Sora introduced the two to each other, "Kairi, this is Kanga."

"Nice to meet you, Kanga." Kairi greeted with a small wave.

"Nice to meet you too, Kairi." Kanga replied, before asking all of them, concern returning to her face, "Have any of you seen Roo? He should've been back home by now."

"Roo's missing too?" Sora exclaimed, shocked.

"What do you mean?"

"Piglet's missing and we're looking for him." Pooh answered first, now even more worried.

Tigger then gasped, rather dramatically before saying, while grabbing Rabbit by the shoulders, "Don't you know what this means? Piglet and Roo are both in troubable with Heffalumps!"

"Tigger, c-calm down!" Rabbit cried out, pushing his bouncy(and once and while annoying) friend off him, even though he was shaking in panic. "D-Don't panic! The best thing to do is...do everything at once!"

"But how can we find Piglet and Roo and worry about the Heffalump at the same time?" Pooh asked worriedly, shrugging.

"The first thing to do make a trap and capture the Heffalump and if it has both Piglet and Roo, we demand it to release them." Rabbit declared.

"I think it'll be easier if some of us look for both of them just in case." Sora suggested, though he had his doubts that the Heffalump was even dangerous.

"You mean, split up for a little while?" Kairi inquired, and when her friend nodded to confirm the speculation, she nodded in return before suggesting, "Maybe I can go with Kanga to find Roo."

"You would?" Kanga asked, slightly surprised.

"Of course."

"Oh, thank you, dear. You're sweet."

Deciding that it would be okay for now as the Hundred Acre Wood was fairly peaceful despite the risk of having a Heffalump roaming around for some reason, Sora then continued to Pooh and the others, "In the meantime, the rest of us will find Piglet and at the same time watch out for the Heffalump."

Despite the fear of the Heffalump, the concern of the safeties of both Piglet and Roo were everyone's top priority, so everyone agreed that it was the best course of action as of this moment.

* * *

 _With Kairi and Kanga..._

"Roo!" Kanga called as she and Kairi searched one part of the Hundred Acre Wood, searching for the missing young joey. They were searching through the forest, calling out for Kanga's son.

"Roo?" Kairi called out, worriedly and hoping that Roo was alright and safe.

"Roo, dear?" Kanga tried again.

The two were about to call out for Roo again when both Kairi and Kanga heard a sound, not too far from where they were. It sounded like...children laughing? From the sounds of things, it sounded like two very young boys happily playing as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

"That's Roo!" Kanga realized, in relief.

"That's a relief. But, who is he playing with?" Kairi wondered, puzzled.

Kanga was confused herself. "I'm not sure. Let's go take a look."

The teenaged girl nodded before hurrying over with Kanga to the source of the laughter. When they finally reached to where the sounds were coming from, both Kairi and Kanga peeked from behind a tree and to their surprise and relief, was indeed Roo, a smaller version of Kanga wearing a blue shirt, and with him was...a big lavander elephant like thing with a fuzzy tail, no taller than Pooh, Tigger or Rabbit.

And he looked to be very young and friendly. In fact, he was playing with Roo as the two were laughing happily.

"It's a Heffalump." Kanga whispered.

"That's a Heffalump?" Kairi asked, wide eyed. She had admittedly expected the Heffalump to be bigger and much more scary and dangerous looking. This was the complete opposite. The Heffalump was friendly and young.

She then smiled and said, "He and Roo are very cute."

The more the two of them watched Roo and the Heffalump play, the more they realised that the young boys were friends and indeed the Heffalump was friendly. Kairi and Kanga smiled warmly at the scene. Though that still left one question in Kairi's mind; this Heffalump looked too small to have made those large footprints. Suddenly the two of them put the two and two together.

There was another, larger Heffalump in the Hundred Acre Wood, and judging at how young this one in front of them was, it was starting to make sense.

* * *

 _With Sora and the others..._

As the group searched around the Hundred Acre Wood, Sora was hearing more and more about how heroic and helpful Piglet was the more Pooh and the others gazed at all the paintings in the scrap book; like how Piglet rescued Roo from the river, then at another time Piglet, during Halloween, gathered up his courage to save everyone from a Spookable(though Sora felt that the 'Spookable' thing was just their imaginations, but he didn't say anything), and how he helped rebuild Eeyore's house.

During this, Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger and Eeyore began to all feel guilty for not giving enough credit to their friend and all wished that they had and were now more desperate to find Piglet. Sora could understand fully well, and he was worried for both Piglet and Roo, hoping that they were alright.

The five of them then called out to Piglet while looking through out another part of the area, eventually arriving at a bridge to stop.

"Where is he?" Sora wondered aloud.

"Perhaps we should look in the book again." Pooh suggested.

"Hey, I just got a Tiggerific idea." Tigger perked up, snatching the book from Pooh and began to flip through the pages quickly as he continued, "Let's see where the book ends and go there. What do you think?"

Rabbit was the first to protest as he snatched the book from Tigger, pointing out, "No, no, no. If we do this in an orderly manner, we'll find him much quicker." before going through the pages in a slower pace.

Sora shook his head with a mental exasperated sigh. Everything Rabbit ever did in the book, it didn't always seemed to work out at all. On the other hand, he knew that either way searching for Piglet wasn't going to be quicker in other optains.

Tigger seemed to have thought of the similiar thing, because he pointed out in annoyance, "But orderlier doesn't seem to be working, does it?"

"All I'm concerned about is finding Piglet and Roo and watch out for the Heffalump." Rabbit responded, just as annoyed.

"Well, I wanna find Piglet and Roo too!"

"We all want to find them!"

The two of them then began to fight over the book in a tug of war as the two continued to argue, much to the concern of Sora, Pooh and Eeyore.

"Hand it over, bunny boy! Finding Piglets and Roos are what Tiggers do best!" Tigger argued.

"lt's what Rabbits do best." Rabbit argued stubbornly.

"Tiggers!"

"No, Rabbits."

"Tiggers!"

"Rabbits!"

By then, Pooh cried out, "Ooh, be careful! That's the only way to find Piglet!"

"Guys! Stop fighting!" Sora demanded to the two.

It was already too late, as at the last tug, the book slipped out of Rabbit and Tigger's grasp and flung into the air, much to their and everyone else's horror. They tried to reach out to grab it, but it was far out of reach as the Scrapbook landed into the river, many of the paintings flying out and discarded. Sora, Pooh, Eeyore, Rabbit and Tigger could only watch as the book was being carried away by the river's current, and none of them could reach it to get it back.

"There goes our map!" Rabbit cried out in dismay.

"And Piglet's memories." Pooh added in sorrow and defeat.

A moment of silence after Sora sighed.

"I only wanted to find Piglet." Tigger sombely muttered in guilt.

"We all did." Rabbit replied in the same guilt.

Pooh sighed, "Oh, I wish we could have told Piglet how much we meant to him."

Seeing how the four of them were ready to give up all because they lost the book, Sora shook his head, pointing, "Hey, c'mon, guys. Are we all just gonna give up finding Piglet now?"

"We lost the Scrapbook, and Piglet's memories." Eeyore pointed out.

"That doesn't mean we should give up now." Sora said, and when the others gazed up at him in confusion and wonder, the teenaged boy continued, "So what if we lost the Scrapbook? It doesn't mean that Piglet's memories were lost too. Sure, pictures remind us much of the past and everything we went through, but losing them doesn't mean we lost our memories. They're deep within our hearts, sometimes forgotten but never lost. Besides, Scrapbook, map or not, searching for friends doesn't change."

"You mean we can still find Piglet even without the Scrapbook?" Pooh asked, feeling some hope rise inside him, as did the others who glanced at each other. All of them started to realise that Sora had a good point as it gave them more memories that were not in the book; whenever one or two of them were missing, they still searched anyway.

"Yep. I know we will." Sora nodded.

Realising that Sora was absolutely right, Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore ultimately agreed, with renewed hope and determination to find Piglet, because Scrapbook or not, he was their friend, the five of them resumed their search to find Piglet while keeping an eye out on any signs of a Heffalump. They continued to call out to him and searching around the Hundred Acre Wood and while Sora knew it could possibly take a while, he also had a feeling that they were getting closer to him.

All of the sudden, the ground beneath Pooh gave way, startling the bear as he fell into the what Sora and the others quickly realised was a pit-trap.

"Pooh!" Sora, Tigger and Rabbit cried out, while Eeyore muttered, "Oh, boy."

"Oh, bother." Pooh muttered after he landed at the bottom of the trap, rubbing his, uh, bottom.

"Pooh! Are you alright?" Sora called down, while surprised that the pit-trap was surprisingly deep, and wondered briefly where it had come from in the first place.

"Ooh, I seemed to have fallen into...a big hole." Pooh muttered, before he began to try and climb out, only to slide back down when the dirt gave way. "Oh, bother, bother. Um, excuse me, could I have some...help?"

"We gotta get Pooh outta there!" Sora told the others who nodded in agreement. Coming up with a plan, they decided to make a rope, with Sora to say on top. He held onto Eeyore's back legs, while Rabbit hanged onto his front legs as he lowered himself down, and finally, Tigger also climbed down carefully and hanged onto Rabbit's legs while using his tail to use as a rope for Pooh to grab onto.

"Here you go, buddy boy." Tigger called down to Pooh. "We made you a rescue rope! Hoo hoo hoo hoo!"

But despite Sora carefully lowering himself without falling in or accidently letting for of the others, even as Pooh stood up and stretched out his arms, the bear was still a couple of inches too low from Tigger's tail, no matter how hard he tried.

"The rescue rope isn't rescuing." Pooh sighed.

"Then we need a little more help." Sora sighed, and he knew that Kairi and Kanga would be too far from where he and the others were right now. He hoped that they weren't too far away.

"Who's small enough?" Eeyore asked, dismayed.

Rabbit shook his head in disbelief, worriedly, "Oh, dear. Who can help?"

' _Yeah. A little help would be nice_.' Sora thought to himself. He couldn't just leave Pooh stuck in the hole for a long time and he didn't want to. Neither did anyone else. The problem was, who can help at a time like this?

Apparently, the answer was solved as all of the sudden, appearing next to Sora, much to the teenager's surprise, was a familiar, small pink animal as he and the others who he was holding were greately relieved to see save and sound and having arrived just in time to help. If anyone was small enough to help get Pooh out of the hole, it was...

"Piglet!" Sora and the others cried out in relief.

Piglet, who had been searching for his friends after he found that they were missing and that the Bees had gotten out of the fake hive, had finally found them and was surprised that Sora was here, and when he heard that Pooh was in trouble, gathering up his inner courage, he'd came at the right time, peered down at the hole and saw how deep it was, and gulped nervously.

"You can do it, Piglet." Sora encouraged once he knew that his smallest friend had come to help.

"Yeah, buddy boy! Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" Tigger added encouragingly.

Seeing the encouraging expressions on the others, it was enough for Piglet to realise that they needed him. This alone gave him determination and seeing how they needed his help, he gathered up the courage in his heart. So, he carefully climbed down all the way to Tigger's tail while calling down to Pooh, "Hang on, Pooh!"

"Uh, I'm not hanging anywhere." Pooh realised, as usual due to his very little brain. When he looked up to see who talked to him, he was greatly surprised and relieved himself to see his missing and now found friend. "Piglet."

Piglet held onto Tigger's tail with one arm and his legs while holding out his other for Pooh to reach. After a bit of a stretch, the two joined hands and held on tight, which then allowed Sora to pull the five residents of the Hundred Acre Wood back up to the safety of the normal ground and a few feet away from the hole. Once everyone was standing up and back on solid ground, they all sighed in relief, and soon gathered around Piglet, hugging him while he was slightly surprised.

"You sure had us worried!" Sora said in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness you're safe!" Rabbit was saying.

"We're so glad to see you." Tigger added.

"Glad to see me?" Piglet asked, blinking in confusion. Did that mean they were looking for him as well?

Pooh nodded to confirm it and said, "Oh, yes. It's so good to have you back." hugging his very best friend who, feeling emotional, hugged him in return, just as the ground slightly popped up near the group, and Gouper came pulling himself out.

"So you found Piglet and seen that my pit-trap caught that Heffey Heffalump!" Gouper called out, relieved to see Piglet alright as well.

What Gouper had said about the pit trap caught everyone else by surprise, blinking in confusion and slowly growing annoyance, as Sora asked, "What? You mean you build that trap that Pooh fell into?"

"What? Pooh?" Gouper blinked, before hurrying over to the hole and to his disappointment, it was completely empty. Groaning in annoyance, he grumbled, "The nerve of that bear, falling into the trap that was meant for the Heffalump...!"

"Oh, Gouper." Rabbit groaned in exasperation, facepalming himself, while the others, even Pooh, looked at the gouper in slight, or in Tigger's case, sheer annoyance.

"Uh, Gouper. You'd ought to be careful with y-your traps." Piglet pointed out.

Shaking his head in annoyance, while walking away, Gouper grumbled to the group, "Speak for yourse-" only to not look where he was going again and ended up stepping right into the hole he'd just made and fall right into the bottom, screaming in surprise, "-EEELLLLFFF!"

 _ **Thud!**_

He landed at the bottom, yelping, "Omph!"

Sora chuckled nervously while shaking his head, only to become alarmed when he and the others had heard a scream nearby. It sounded familiar and quickly his eyes widened as he immediately recongised it.

"W-What was that?" Piglet asked, nervously.

"That didn't sound like a Heffalump." Tigger thought.

"Or a Jaguar." Pooh added.

"Or a Woozle." Eeyore added, glumy.

"It was Kairi!" Sora exclaimed, worriedly.

"Oh, dear. She and Kanga and Roo must be in danger!" Rabbit cried out, starting to get into another panic attack.

Piglet, not having met Kairi yet, asked to his friends, "Oh, excuse me, but, w-who's Kairi?"

"She's Sora's friend who came with him to the Hundred Acre Wood." Pooh replied, "And she and Kanga were looking for Roo who went missing, like you did."

"Oh, d-d-dear! We've got to help them!" Piglet cried out, now quickly worried as well.

The group didn't need to be told twice, as they all raced to the source of the sound in hopes that Kairi, Kanga and Roo didn't end up encountering the Heffalump or anything more unusually dangerous in the Hundred Acre Wood.

When they arrived five minutes later, Kanga was at the side of another pit-trap, trying to reach down into it along with Roo and, to the group's shock and Sora's surprise, was a Heffalump. It didn't take Sora long what had happened; like Pooh, Kairi had ended up falling into another one of Gouper's pit-traps, meant for the Heffalump.

He had to admit, this Heffalump was a lot smaller and a lot more cute than he had expected.

Immediately, Sora called out, "Guys!" to which Kanga and Roo, and even the Heffalump looked, and while the former two were relieved to see him and the others, the latter looked frightened and backed up a little.

Seeing this, Roo told his new friend ensuringly, "It's okay, Lumpy. That's My and Mama's friends Sora, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore."

"Sora? Is that you?" Kairi's voice called from the bottom of the pit.

"Yeah, and the others are with me." Sora called back to his friend stuck in the ground, relieved that she was okay.

Tigger gasped in shock and his eyes widened in disbelief, as did the others when they saw the Heffalump named Lumpy, "It's a real Heffalump!"

"And it's got Roo, Kanga and trapped Kairi too!" Rabbit cried out as well.

"Wait, that's not true!" Roo cried out, quickly stepping in front to shield the frightened Lumpy from the others. "He's trying to help to pull Kairi back up."

"Now, see here, Roo-"

"Rabbit." Kanga interrupted him, "Let him finish, please." in which Rabbit did as he was told. If there was one thing he knew he shouldn't do, it was to anger a mother, especially Kanga.

This allowed Roo to continue, "We're all wrong about Heffalumps. They're not scary. Lumpy's my friend. He's just like us. He gets scared."

"Oh, d-d-dear." Piglet muttered, calming down and immediately feeling sorry for the big but rather also small Heffalump, smaller than the one that should've been due to the footprints.

"He likes honey." Roo continued.

"Oh, my." Pooh muttered in realization. Well, Lumpy did look afraid and friendly and plus, the young Heffalump liked honey as well. Well, at least that was one thing correct about the Heffalumps, but now it wasn't as bad as he thought it was.

"He even learned how to bounce." Roo added.

Tigger blinked in surprise. Like him and Roo and Kanga, Lumpy the Heffalump can bounce too? Suddenly he felt guilty for not realising the truth about them and maybe he could get to get along with this kid.

"Sometimes we get scared of things that we don't really know about." Sora agreed with a nod. "The poor little guy is more afraid of us than we are of him, and like Roo said, he's trying to help him and Kanga to get Kairi out of the hole."

Finally, Rabbit relaxed a little, feeling guilty as well; twice in a row now.

Lumpy still hesitated, but relaxed a little as Sora said kindly, "Don't be scared, Lumpy. We're all friends too."

"He's right." Kairi called from the pit, as everyone gathered around and to their dismay, this was deeper than the one that Pooh got stuck in, which meant that this one was more too dangerous to make a self-rope with all of them here.

"H-how are we going to get her out?" Piglet asked, worriedly.

Roo nodded in agreement. It was too deep and it was too risky for all of them to try and get Kairi out without falling in and getting stuck themselves. That's when Lumpy realised something and, with determination, he turned to Roo and said, "Roo, I've got an idea."

He then ran off a couple of feet away and as Sora and everyone else wondered what the young Heffalump was about to do, Lumpy tried to blow his trumpet several times and frightening Piglet.

"Don't worry, Piglet." Pooh told his friend ensuringly to calm him down, as he somehow figured what Lumpy is trying to do. "I think he's trying to help."

"You're right. He's calling for someone to help." Sora nodded in agreement, as Lumpy blew as hard as he could this time, and finally was able to make the noise that could be heard all around the Hundred Acre Wood. Suddenly they all heard the same sound, except it was louder and possibly bigger, responding to Lumpy's call.

Relieved that help was coming, Lumpy cried out happily, "Mummy!"

"Mummy!?" Rabbit and Tigger both exclaimed in horror, realising what was really going on, and attempted to run away, but Kanga grabbed them to stop them from doing so.

Everyone could feel the vibrations of footprints, and then, out from the trees, a larger Heffalump, possibly about five times bigger than Lumpy, emerged, trumpeting once more. Roo was amazed to see his new friend's mother, Sora's eyes widened in amazement, Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore stood frozen, Kanga's reaction was a little surprise, and lastly, both Tigger and Rabbit, in sheer shock at the size of _this_ Heffalump who was Lumpy's mother, fainted.

Seeing the smaller Heffalump, the mother Heffalump approached him and demanded angrily, "Heffridge Trumpler Brompet Heffalump the IV! Where have you been?" and when Lumpy looked a bit guilty for having run off like that, she quickly calmed down and hugged him with her trunk, saying softly this time, "Oh, my little darling. I've been worried sick."

"I'm okay, Mummy. But my friend Roo's friend's friend is in trouble." Lumpy replied, pulling his mother to the edge of the hole while the others backed off a little. "Mummy, this way! Hurry! Her name's Kairi."

Seeing the teenaged girl in the hole, Lumpy's mother called down, "Kairi, are you in there? Now don't be frightened. I'm Lumpy's Mummy."

"I'm right here, Mrs. Heffalump." Kairi called up, surprised to see the size of this Heffalump, but ultimately relaxed when she was told and had also realized that the one above was indeed Lumpy's mother.

"Don't you worry, love. Leave it to me." Lumpy's Mother called, lowering her trunk to reach down and carefully wrapped it around Kairi's waist, slowly pulling her back up to solid ground, much to everyone relief once Kairi was back on the upper ground.

"Thank goodness." Sora sighed in relief.

Kairi nodded, then turned to the large Heffalump, saying kindly, "Thank you for helping me, Mrs. Heffalump." before saying to Roo and Lumpy, "And thank you both too, Roo and Lumpy. If you both haven't met, I would've still been in that hole."

Roo and Lumpy, seeing how Kairi was a very nice person, blushed a little for the compliment, before Lumpy celebrated that his mother had did it and trumpeted happily and successfully again, before they, Roo and Kanga all embraced in relief and happiness. Everyone else smiled at the heart-warming scene.

That's when Sora, Kairi and Pooh all realised why the Heffalump, the mother Heffalump was making all the noises and footprints in the first place and understood.

"Oh, Rabbit. That's why the Heffalump was in our wood. She was looking for her baby." Pooh said, with a smile.

Realising that Pooh was right and also feeling incredibly awkward for the behavior, Rabbit approached Lumpy and cleared his throat, saying, "Young Heffalump. I, uh, that is to say, we, uh, can you ever forgive us? We have acted very badly."

"That's okay, Long Ears." Lumpy said, smiling and now no longer feeling afraid of any of the others and quickly coming to forgive them.

While Rabbit mentally sighed that he'd just met a Heffalump version of Tigger, Tigger himself chuckled as he nudged Rabbit with a grin, "I like this kid already."

"You were right, Roo. He is nice once you get to know him." Lumpy said to Roo, referring to Rabbit.

"And I see that you found Piglet. Everything turned out alright today." Kanga said in relief.

"Well, actually, it was Piglet who found us and helped to get Roo out of another hole that Gouper kinda made. It's a long story." Sora sheepishly corrected.

"I guess Piglet, Roo, Lumpy and his mother are all heroes today." Kairi giggled. Everyone all around them laughed in agreement and good times.

It looked like things were back to normal, only better because now Pooh and the others had found more new friends.

* * *

A little while later, Sora and the others sat near the tree on the hill as they watched the sun set, joined by Lumpy and his mother, and even Gouper who apologized for the traps once he got the whole story, and Pooh and the others apologized to Piglet for losing the scrapbook and told him that he did many great things even before today's events, to which Sora and Kairi both agreed on, and Owl who also got the full story also joined them.

"Sora. C-Can I ask you something?" Piglet spoke up.

"Sure. What is it?" Sora replied, curious.

"Well, as a small and timid animal, I'm afraid I'm usually too afraid to do anything and meet anyone. But when my friends are in trouble, I-I suddenly feel brave and m-my courage comes up to me in my chest. I-Is it normal for you and Pooh and everyone else too?" Piglet inquired.

Sora smiled, and explained, "Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but sometimes fear can get to us a lot, but when your friends are in danger, it's your heart that tells you that they mean so much to you that you'd do anything to help them, and even with or without encouragement of others, it's really friends that makes you forget your fear and instead face it. And sometimes, it doesn't even matter if you're big or small. If you put your mind into it, you can do anything."

"Really?"

"Yep. Really."

"You're right, Sora. I guess I can be brave, when I need to be." Piglet smiled at the encouragement and support.

"Guess that means size doesn't count even if the plans are biggerer and you're smallerer. Hoo hoo hoo hoo!" Tigger realised.

"Aboslutely." Rabbit agreed, as did everyone else in this world, while Kairi smiled warmly at Sora. He'd always be supportive without even trying, and that's what she cared so much about him of.

"I like how you make all of us feel better, Sora." Pooh smiled happily, chuckling.

Sora nodded, "Thanks, Pooh." before sighing as he and Kairi both stood up, with the former saying, "Well, we'd better get going."

"Are you leaving?" Lumpy asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, afraid so. But we'll come back soon." Sora promised.

"It was very nice to meet all of you." Kairi added, a little sad to leave, but knew that other worlds were calling, and everyone else in Radiant Garden were waiting.

"Do take care, loves." Lumpy's mother said warmly.

"Remember to bounce by with the three of us!" Tigger added, referring to himself, Roo and Lumpy.

"Thank you again, Sora." Piglet added.

"Right. Hey, do you know what I find funny?" Sora smiled.

"What's that, Sora?" Kanga inquired.

"Well, it looks like that Lumpy captured all of you in a good way." Sora replied.

"And made new friends too." Kairi added.

Pooh nodded in agreement when he realised that Sora and Kairi were right. "Things are going to change around here, but for the better."

"Indeed, Pooh bear." Rabbit nodded in agreement.

"See you and Kairi again, Sonny." Gouper waved.

"I really do need to tell you more of my great uncle's voyage." Owl added.

"Bye Sora! Bye Kairi!" Roo waved.

Sora and Kairi waved goodbyes to their friends of the Hundred Acre Wood as they began to disappear from the book and soon would be returning to the rest of their group back in Radiant Garden to continue their own adventures, leaving behind this world once more until their next visit and this time, without any worries of Xehanort, Chaos and Bhunivelze.

 _ **{HUNDRED ACRE WOOD}**_

* * *

 _Back in Radiant Garden..._

As Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Skuld, Ven, Aqua, Terra, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Myde and Jack who'd regained consciousness a short time ago and had half-hoped that Sora and Kairi both entering the book had been nothing more than a dream, were waiting for their two friends to return. They'd been in the Winnie the Pooh book for at least an hour and a half now.

Just then, light materalized from the book which got everyone's attentions and when it got a bit brighter, the book opened all by itself and from a flash of light, Sora and Kairi both reappeared as the book behind the two closed up.

"Was everything okay?" Aqua asked, the first to greet the two teenagers.

"Yep. Everything's fine." Sora replied with a smile.

"It's a good thing Heartless never get into the book. It was actually quite fun." Kairi added.

Lea chuckled as he had his arms folded to his chest, "Meanwhile, most of us were training while you two were in there, and Jack here just woke up a few minutes ago."

"Really? What happened?" Sora asked, he and Kairi both suddenly concerned for their pirate friend.

"He fainted the moment you two entered that book. That's what happened." Myde answered, shaking his head. He then noticed that the pirate in question looked a little bit pale at the reappearance of Sora and Kairi, before the younger man added with smirk, "And I think he's about to pass out again."

While Jack suddenly realised that was what he was about to do against his will, he shook his head to quickly recover and immediately denied with a childish pouting, "I will not pass out, and I did not faint. I was a little knock on the head. Savvy?" in an futile attempt to defend his dignity.

"That wasn't what it looked like to me." Terra pointed out with a teasing smirk. Everyone else couldn't help but smirk as well at this comment, while Jack rolled his eyes in slight annoyance.

"Sora." Mickey spoke up after a few moments, "Leon told us to meet him at the castle once you and Kairi got back. I think he, Cid and Merlin found somethin' really important on the situation with Chaos and Bhunivelze."

That was news flash to both Sora and Kairi. The two of them glanced at each other, wondering if what Leon and the others had found, noting that absence of Merlin, Leon, Cid, Yuffie, Tifa, and the Gullwings, would help them and their companions. Maybe they found out about Aced and the whereabouts of Yen Sid.

Only one way to find out.

* * *

 **A/N: The Hundred Acre Wood is done, as it only took two pages. Well, one and half. Hopefully the next chapter at some point, we'll be heading to the next world.**

 **See you then!**


	28. CH27: A Clue

**Author's Note: I was meant to post this on Tuesday, but writer's block and being torn to either update this or "Dissidia Crystal" or even "Kingdom Hearts: Before Crisis" hit me hard. Sorry about that. Well, anyway, here's the new chapter of KH3 for 2018 which is(hopefully it won't be delayed to 2019 next year) the very year the real KH3 game finally comes out and the conclusion of the Xehanort Saga.**

 **But do note that I still suck at battles. Sorry about that, guys. Anywho, let's continue onward! Oh, and one more thing, due to Disney having bought the 21st Century Studios, the next world at the near end of this chapter will not be Disney or Pixar.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH27: A Clue.**_

The moment Sora's group left Merlin's house, and while on their way to the castle through the Bailey, Heartless kept on appearing which they had to fight their way through. But as they were almost there, all of the sudden, a large, massive Heartless appeared before them; one of those Behemoth Heartless which nearly freaked everyone else. Other smaller Heartless appeared as well, surrounding it; from Shadows to Soldier-Heartless and the knife-armed Heartless.

"Ugh...I hate these guys!" Myde whined, as he summoned his Sitar, Lea summoned his Chakrams, Isa summoned his Claymore, Donald summoned his Staff, Goofy summoned his Shield, Namine stood her ground despite only having some training in magic, and everyone else summoned their Keyblades to fight the Heartless.

"So do I." Jack shook his head, before he and everyone else jumped out of the way when the Behemoth summoned a strong Thunder attack which missed the group when they saw it coming. Seeing this as their chance, they immediately attacked while avoided it's dangerous abilities when it summoned more Thunder and then powerful dark orbs of energy which rained down. Sora and Skuld used Barrier Spells to protect themselves and their friends while Xion, via Sora's memories, leaped up onto the Heartless' back before attacking it's horn since everyone knows that it's the Behemoth's weak spot.

Mickey then used the Stopza Spell onto the Heartless before it could attack again, allowing Roxas to toss his Keyblade at the Horn after Xion jumped off having finished attacking it several times, damaging the beast even more while the King aided them by shooting out Orbs of Light at the Horn as well. In the meantime, Goofy spun around and around with his Shield with his Goofy-Nado skill, destroying the Heartless that tried to attack him and the others, while Donald and Namine casted magic spells of Fire, Blizzard and Thunder at the Shadow Heartless that swiped at them before being destroyed.

Sora dodge-rolled from the Soldier-Heartless before low-cutting one and then striked another five in different angles with his Keyblade. He finished off the move by reverting into his Wisdom Form that allows him to shoot out multiple spells with temporely upgrade. Kairi, Skuld and Aqua teamed up in defeating the Knife-armed Heartless with multiple skills of magic and combo, while Lea burnt and sliced seven Heartless by tossing his Chakrams and then catching them, before switching them out for his Keyblade to finish the job. Isa blasted some away with a Wind Spell at the thrust of his Claymore, knocking them into the wall where they slumped and disappeared into oblivion.

Myde summoned Water Pillars to eliminate the Heartless who, trying to get to him, were hit by his attacks instead and he then whacked them with his Sitar, sending them flying. Riku and Terra preformed a double-Combo at several Heartless before thrusting their Keyblades upward or downward to the monsters' defeats. Jack just slashed and sliced at the Heartless that came his way as quickly as he could which worked out well since he was built for speed.

When Mickey's Stopza spell wore off, the Behemoth felt the effects of the attacks before it slumped to the ground with a roar, landing on top of the Heartless Sora and the others pushed back, crushing the smaller Heartless who, along with the giant Heartless, faded away completely.

"Well...that takes care of them for now." Sora commented, relaxing a little as did his friends. "C'mon. Leon and the others are waiting."

The group nodded.

* * *

Finally, after another fifteen minutes, Sora and the gang arrived in the familiar office where, to Sora, Donald and Goofy's slight surprise since they weren't here lately, it was cleaned up a little bit than the last time they were here. To Skuld and Jack, this place was new to them.

"This is...?" Skuld began, glancing around at the room. It was around, with book shelves, portraits and still broken lava-lamps, with a desk and chair in the middle.

"This is Ansem's office. He used to be here most of them before eleven years ago." Mickey explained, gazing at the desk as memories of his old friend filled his mind. A friend whom he would never see again. It still ached him, but the King was determined not to lost any memories of Ansem the Wise again.

"So, just outta curosity, what happened to him, anyway?" Myde asked, folding his arms against his chest.

"He sacrificed himself in damaging Xemnas' Kingdom Hearts with a machine. It not only allowed the captured Hearts to be released, it also restored me back to normal." Riku explained with a sigh.

"And it's also part of the reason how I got my heart back in the first place, with Cosmos', Rox' and Sora's help." Lea added.

Mickey nodded, adding, "Ansem did say anything could happen when the machine blew up. It was what his heart told him to do."

"His heart guided him to do that, you mean." Skuld muttered, sympathized for the noble man's sacrifice. "That was his guiding Key."

"Mickey...I'm sorry." Ven muttered to his friend, feeling sympathized as well. The King gave him a soft sad smile in return as his way of saying thanks.

Jack, while the conversation went on, noticed the large portrait of a familiar young man, but with silver hair, dark-red eyes, a purple scarf and a white coat, next to wall of the DTD wordings. Confusion and curosity getting the better of him, the Pirate approached to get a better look and when he did, it confirmed his suspicion; the man in the picture looked like Terra.

"Why is there a portrait of you, Terra?" Jack spoke up, catching everyone's attentions and it took them a second to realise what he was talking about. "Or rather, someone who looks just like you? Either one."

"Well...pretty much both, actually." Terra awkwardly answered.

"Ay?"

"Huh?" Skuld echoed, confused.

Myde blinked, before pointing out, "Looks more like Xemnas, if you ask me."

"It is Terra, but with Xehanort having taken over his body twelve years ago." Aqua explained. "Somehow, Xehanort had discovered a way to transfere his own heart and taking over another when their heart has been engulfed with darkness."

Terra, looking away slightly in shame, added, "Yeah...and because of me being stupid, I was gullible and naive to the point of being tricked by Xehanort who wanted me to surrender my heart to darkness so that he could take over my body. Even though my mind and soul survived, I wasn't strong enough back then to regain control."

A slight pause.

"That just makes me more wiry of darkness even more." Jack shuddered slightly.

"But how did Xehanort use that kind of power?" Skuld questioned.

"I think it has something do to with his Keyblade. The one that Riku and I destroyed." Sora theoried.

"The one with the moving eye-ball?" Jack blinked.

"Wait. What?" Myde asked, shocked and quickly disturbed.

Before any of them could say anything else, however, an unfamiliar and youngish male voice called out behind them that seemed close, "Hello? Anybody ho-" only to cut off when Sora and his friends turned around and saw the uninvited visitor, and to Sora, Donald and Goofy, they were feeling deja vu when they first met Tifa a year ago in this very same room.

Stopping the doorway was a young man about in his very early 20's, with young features on his face and dark eyes blue eyes. His hair was raven black and slightly spiky on the top and short. He wore a black t-shirt underneath a black coat-like vest, black pants with pockets, black boots, and on his left hand was a black glove.

When he noticed the group of seventeen, the young man somewhat sheepishly said, "Oh! Hey there. Sorry for coming in like this."

"Nah, it's no problem at all." Myde was the first to response as he waved dismissively and it took the rest of the group strong will to resist the urge to either roll their eyes, facepalm or groan. Or in Isa's case, smack the mullet-headed young man upward on the back of the head or tug him by the ear...again.

Namine on the other hand, blinked in surprise as she muttered, "Noctis?"

The man, apparently known as Noctis, blinked in return as he gazed at the girl before greeting, "Hey, Namine. I guess these guys are friends of yours, right?"

"Yes." Namine nodded as she then introduced Noctis to the rest of the group, "These are Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Jack Sparrow, Myde and our new friend Skuld."

"Hey there." Sora greeted to Noctis, with the others giving their own greetings to the latter.

"So, you know him?" Lea inquried to Namine.

"He came to Radiant Garden a week back while the rest of you were busy." Namine explained. "Actually, Leon and Yuffie saw him fighting Heartless."

"I see that you guys met Noct." A familiar voice spoke from the worldly travellers' right, causing them and Noctis to turn to see Leon standing there, as though he just materalized from nowhere.

"Leon!" Sora acknowlaged.

"Oi. Where did you come from?" Jack asked, dumbfounded. Skuld and Noctis both shared the Pirate's expression as they had no idea how the Gunblade wielder appeared like that either.

"Yeah, I don't see gramps with you right now." Noctis added.

"By gramps, ya' mean Merlin, right?" Lea smirked, catching on what the younger man was saying. Apparently even Noctis had come to know Merlin who liked to poof all over the place when he felt like it to get to places a lot faster than anyone else in the entire multiverse.

"I guess you know him already, huh? Uh, do me a favor and don't let him hear that. Last time I made that mistake...he kinda made me learn a lesson when it comes to vague insult and magic." Noctis nervously scratched the back of the head. "Not to mention that I didn't pay attention to Cid's warning."

"You could say that the older a man and a woman can get, the more ill-tempered they get." Jack commented, before grinning as he told the two younger men, and to Myde, "You lot will be like that one day."

"Ha, ha." Lea deadpanned. "And _you_ won't?"

Jack faulted a little, and Myde couldn't help but grin, saying, "He's gotcha there, Jackie!" which made the pirate groan this time in dismay.

"Okay, boys. That's enough." Kairi told them, even though she, Aqua, Skuld, Xion and Namine couldn't stop the giggles.

Sastified and mentally grateful for Kairi, Leon placed his hand on the wall where the secret button for the secret door lit up upon his touch and it illuminated, the wall vanishing and revealling the secret passage into Ansem's computer room. Needless to say, Skuld, Noctis and especially Captain Jack Sparrow were impressed.

"Astonding." Skuld mumured.

Noctis let out an impressed whistle. "Didn't see that one coming."

"Oh...a secret door." Jack commented the obvious.

* * *

The group and Noctis followed Leon into the computer room where Yuffie, Tifa, Cid, Aerith, Even, Ienzo, Von Drake, Dilan, Aeleus and Merlin were, with Cid typing away at the computer when he and the others greeted Sora's group and even Noctis.

"Where're Yuna and the others?" Sora inquired after greeting the group and noticed the Gullwings' absence.

"The misbehaved miscrents?" Even snorted, looking annoyed at the mention of the treasure-hunting trio. "Somewhere in the castle looking for things valueble, I gather. It's a pity that they won't find something of their own desires."

"In other words, Yuffie made up a rumor about treasure chests somewhere around here to get them out of her, Cid and Even's faces." Tifa giggled but with some exasperation at the same time.

Donald snickered at that, winking at the teenaged ninja who winked back, while the others rolled their eyes at that.

"Sounds like when Donald lied to them about Leon having treasure to pick sides when the Organization attacked with the Heartless and Nobodies last year." Sora shook his head with a smirk. He also did know, given Yuffie and Rikku's squabbling, the two girls had formed a rivally at one another. Similiar to Merlin and Cid's bickering.

"Hey, it was either that or those brats causin' trouble and distractin'!" Cid grumbled as he typed away.

"Indeed. It's nice and quiet without them." Even nodded in agreement. He then turned to glare at Myde and grumbled, "Though now we're stuck with another nuisance who constantly likes to be lazy."

"Hey, I helped out a lot lately!" Myde pouted. He then muttered something about 'Cranky old man' while Even began grumbling about, 'Teenagers and this one is always the same. No respect'.

"If yer not stuck with just one cranky old loon, you're stuck with two." Cid grumbled.

"I heard that!" Even shouted, as he and Merlin glared at Cid's back. "How dare you!"

"Hoo boy." Von Drake sighed, facepalming himself. "At this rate, all of us are going to be driven up the wall." Ienzo, Aeleus and Dilan all nodded in agreement, while Aerith sighed.

"Say, fellas. What was it that you wanted to show us?" Mickey spoke up, hoping to break off the tension and possible future argument that was about to take place between the older men.

"For one thing, we figured out a clue." Leon said, "Not sure if it'll prove useful, but I think it's related to what you guys told us earlier."

"Told them what?" Noctis asked. Everyone glanced at him and he sheepishly shrugged, "Sorry. I'm still kinda lost here."

"Dude, we only just met. Of course you're kinda lost in all of this." Myde shrugged.

"It's a really long story." Ven apologetically said to Noctis.

"And how related is this clue to what we've told you lot on the situation that's happened?" Jack asked, which, to pretty much everyone, sounded more like babble.

"Why dont'cha's ask Tron to translate?" Cid suggested sarcastically, and while Sora, Donald and Goofy smiled in relief even though they were aware that the mechanic was being sarcastic yet being serious, Jack, Skuld and Noctis were once again confused.

"Who?" Jack asked.

As soon as the question left the Pirate, Cid finished typing and a eletrontic-like voice echoed from the computer, " _Greetings, friends. System is up, and ready for User input._ " much to Jack, Skuld and Noctis' surprise.

"The Computer just spoke!" Skuld cried out, amazed.

Sora, grinning widely, approached the computer and happily greeted, "Hey there, Tron!" with Donald and Goofy gathering behind him with large grins as well.

" _Sora! Donald! Goofy! It's been a while._ " The voice, identified as Tron, greeted back, and from the sounds of things, even he was happy.

"Whoa...it does speak." Myde asked, wide-eyed in awe and disbelief.

"Yeah, I'll say...kinda weird but impressive." Noctis nodded in agreement.

Jack on the other hand, shook his head in exasperation and dismay. "Fish people, Goat-People, flying Horses, giant moving rocks, living Toys, talking Snowmen, glowing books and now this...at this rate, I'll be losing me mind entirely. I really want some Rum right now, close my eyes and pretend this entire adventure is all a strange dream."

"Be lucky you haven't been to Wonderland yet." Lea chuckled at the Pirate's comments. "Trust me, that place is just as creepy."

After Sora introduced Tron to the rest of the Worldly Travellers and Noctis introduced himself, the Keyblade wielder then asked, "So, Tron. What's going on?"

" _I gathered information what the others had told you and through research from some of Ansem's hidden files, we discovered something...quite disturbing._ " Tron began.

"Whaddya mean?" Goofy asked.

" _It's only half of the report, but from what we gathered, it's making some kind of sense; From what the two men you encountered before said, it's connected. It was originally a Myth that got Ansem's eye. A Myth of the War of the Gods._ "

"War of...the Gods?" Sora muttered.

" _Back in the time of the previous War, there was another that happened. Jealously and hatred towards those of free will; Bhunivelze had followers against Gods of Free Will that created Hearts and Souls. Gods from different Realms gathered into a single place that would cause massive destruction. He created a few Gods himself, two whom one world worshipped before his own defeat and eternal slumber, and another whom he created of Discord that was weakened into fragment state from the Unseen Realm._ "

"Chaos..." Riku surmised.

Tron seemed to agree, because he continued, " _Right. But then, from what we also gathered, Bhunivelze and Chaos awoke a hundred years ago since they awoken by the man who lived for now than 2,000 years, and a Goddess of the Sea._ "

"Calypso?" Jack asked, dumbfounded. "May I ask why she was involved in that when she was in love with Davy Jones?"

" _I'm...not sure._ " Tron admitted after a pause, much to everyone's disappointment. " _Though they were defeated by someone with a Keyblade, at the cost of their memories and massive power, replaced by that of a simplier power of something else, almost like a short-cut. They were aided by another who was said to have the power to hand over another to a True King of another world who was said to summon Gods once he defeats them._ "

"The Astrals?" Noctis suddenly spoke up after a gasp of realization, causing everyone else to glance at him in confusion. "Is that why...is that why I was sent to other worlds?"

"Noct?" Sora asked, confused and becoming worried.

Much to Sora's chargin, though, Vanitas materalized even though the former was still the only one to see him, as the former darkness of Ventus muttered with a sadist smirk, " _Looks like Mr. Raven boy here knows something you don't, and I get a feeling that the said Keyblade wielder who stopped Bhunivelze, Chaos and those other losers before is Ventus. That would probably explain why he doesn't remember._ "

' _Vanitas, would you just shut up?_ ' Sora grumbled mentally and quickly done his best to ignore him, which, thankfully, Vanitas snorted before taking the hint and vanished for the time being.

"There was something about Noctis you wanted to tell us with this information, didn't you, Merlin?" Ienzo suddenly spoke to the Wizard who by now got everyone else's attentions.

"Well, the thing is about the young man...Prince Noctis may have a strong connection to this since I saw a future that concerns everyone. While it is blurry, it concerns not only him, but also Sora, Kairi and Ventus, I'm afraid, and even Cloud and everyone else, but mainly Sora." Merlin explained.

"Me?" Sora muttered. But then the first part of Merlin's sentence quickly registered in his and everyone else's minds and they all turned to Noctis, exclaiming in shock, "PRINCE NOCTIS!?"

"Uh...you knew, gramps?" Noctis asked, nervously, before quickly correcting himself when Merlin gave him a glare, "Uh, Merlin?"

"I may be old, but I am a powerful Wizard! And I'll have you know, you should be paying more attention to your education, especially with your status as king of your world." Merlin scolded.

"You're sounding like Ignis." Noctis groaned.

"Uh...S-sorry, your majesty! We didn't know you were...uh, um...!" Goofy stuttered, he, Donald, Aqua, Terra, Isa, and the rest of the worldly travellers, except for Sora, Myde and Lea who stood there, gob-smacked in shock, bowing to Noctis like they would to all royalties, including Mickey.

"Guys, there's no need to do that. Just call me Noct." Noctis quickly told them. "Besides, I'd like to keep a low profile."

"That's okay, Noct." Mickey assured to the young Prince that was now fully identified. "Gosh, I happen to be King of Disney Castle, but I'm quite happy for my friends to call me by my name too."

"At least you didn't get seperated from your friends like I did." Noctis smiled a little.

"Oh, we had our fair share of being seperated when we didn't want to." Lea shook his head. "So uh...what are Astrals, anyway?"

"Gods connected to my world. Long story short. My family on my father's side were known as Kings of Lucis, having the power connected to a Crystal. Me; I'm supposed to have the power of the Astral Gods to help me on my quest to drive away the darkness forming in my world and also help someone to stop this second 'God War' or something." Noctis explained, before shrugging, "I still don't have a clue about that either."

"And the Keyblade wielder who stopped the previous War of Gods but lost his memories..." Skuld began, frowning in concern.

"And who had his powers replaced to that of being a short cut to another...Could that really be me?" Ven added, guilt starting to form. "If that's true...then no wonder I don't remember much except my name, and it's no wonder Xehanort wanted to use me to recreate the X-Blade even if it was a fake one compared to that of the Princesses."

"Do think that's what Caius was trying to tell us?" Kairi asked, worriedly. Other than that, she was also deepily worried on what else Merlin had said; it made her think about the nightmare she had back in Kuzcotopia-the death of everyone, the giant humaniod thing that had no love for souls or hearts, calling her nothing more than a vessel.

"Let us not forget about the Brethren Court imprisoning Calypso-unless, of course, she had a sister who had similiar disregard." Jack piped up. "That is, if the legend is true."

"I guess the only way to find out is to find the Book of Prophecies. That's the only way to know for sure." Skuld suggested firmly, "And to make sure Aced does not stop us from stopping the threats that are happening to other worlds."

Mickey then thought of something before realising, "Maybe, if Ansem had the diary of the God War, then maybe he might have the Book of Prophecies too. Let's check the library, just in case."

"Yeah, before Maleficent and Pete do." Riku nodded in agreement.

"Thanks for the help, Tron." Sora said to his computer-friend.

" _Happy to help. You and the other users be careful._ " Tron replied.

"Users?" Skuld blinked, confused.

"That's what everybody in Tron's world call everybody in the outside world." Goofy explained.

* * *

Five minutes later, everyone ventured into the Castle's Library after coming up empty-handed in Ansem's office since none of the bookshelves had what they were looking for. So that left the Library as their next best option in hopes of finding the very book before Maleficent. If they didn't, then either it wasn't here either or the worst thing that could happen, she already had it.

Apparently, she and Pete were apparently already one step ahead, because the moment Sora and the others arrived in the familiar maze-like Library, they heard two familiar voices...close by.

"Just hand over that box, pipsqueak!" Pete's undeniably familair voice grunted, and sounding that he was losing his patience.

"Forget, tubby! This chest has treasure in it! Go get your own!" Rikku's voice grunted back. "I'm taking this back to Yunie and Paine!"

"Ugh...Him again." Roxas groaned, quickly irritated.

The group followed the sources of the voices, until they skid to a stop when coming from their left was Rikku, holding a small red chest in her hands, running past them. Right behind her was Pete who was chasing after the young former fairy.

"Oh no, you don't! Nuh-uh! Get back here, you l'il brat!" Pete growled, already catching up to Rikku.

"Hold it, Pete!" Mickey spoke very firmly in his king-mode, causing Pete to suddenly freeze at the sound of a familiar voice behind him. "You're not goin' anywhere!"

The large fat cat slowly turned around, now nervously as he saw not only his small but fast and powerful nemesis, but also the other 'pipsqueaks' and their friends who stood there, glaring at him and ready to fight, just in case. Even Noctis, who never met Pete before, glared at him as he already could tell that this guy, clumsy as he looked, was trouble. The moment Pete saw them, he groaned in dismay at the sight of Sora's group there. Not to mention the large numbers that were against him.

"D'oooooh! Why do you bozos always mess up with my plans!?" Pete groaned, sounding as though he was whining.

"Because your plans stink! Can't you do something else other than trying to cause trouble to the worlds?" Sora responded.

Pete smirked at that. "What, and do all the goody goody things you numbskulls do? I don't think so!"

"What did you want in that box anyway?" Noctis questioned firmly with a frown.

"Oh, new kid, eh? Well, it's the Book of Prophecies! See, that book is gonna help Maleficent take over all the worlds!" Pete grinned.

"How do you know that it's not what you're after?" Yuffie pointed out, skeptically. "For all you know, it's probably just a potion or junk."

"She has a point." Myde nodded in agreement.

"Maybe so, but then d'at would mean you all know where it is!" Pete declared.

"Actually, we don't. And even if we did, we wouldn't tell you!" Terra pointed out, glaring at the enemy.

This made Pete angry, as he then stood in a fighting postion despite the numbers, though he did have a plan-B and it does come in handy in having powers of darkness on his side. "Then I'll just make youse and even if you nitwits don't, nobody messes with me, see!"

He then snapped his fingers and several Heartless appeared, surrounding the group who most of them quickly brought out their weapons, including Noctis who summoned a sword in a similiar fashion on how the worldly travellers summon their weapons. Von Drake just hid behind a bookshelf just in case since he couldn't fight.

The fight was quickly on.

Sora, Mickey and Ven took on Pete while everyone else took on the Heartless. The trio leaped out of the way when Pete surprisingly jumped into the air and attempted to squash them with his fists but missed. Mickey then chanted Firaga at his old enemy, right at on the, er, butt. Feeling the unusual heat after he smelled something cooking, Pete realised too late and ran around in circles panicking as his butt was on fire, allowing Sora and Ven to throw their Keyblades Boomarang style, knocking the villian over to the side. After the fire went out, Pete growled in fury before summoning a Thunder Spell at the trio who dodged repeatedly and then delivered combos at him before he counter-attacked by using the Silence spell, disabling the group from using their magic temporarily.

None the less, it didn't stop anyone from using their weapons against both Pete and the Heartless. Sora blocked Pete's attempt's of using his fists, as Ven thrusted his Keyblade at the villian's head and Mickey kicked him in the face, making him dazed and having Sora knock him back after a few whacks and hits with the Kingdom Key. This act allowed their and the others magic to return and continue the battle with their other skills. Though those like Jack, Tifa and Yuffie didn't have that problem since they mainly relied on their weapons or in Tifa's case, her martial arts. To their annoyance, Pete summoned his shield that protected him from any kind of attacks and he laughed manically, before rolling in his shield to try and knock everyone off-guard which would also help the Heartless to attack the heroes.

Unfortunately for Pete, he didn't count on that Noctis, whom no one saw him fight before, suddening tossing his Sword _and_ wrapping around in blue light from one end of the room to another as he saw what was going on. Deciding to lend Sora, Ven and Mickey a hand, the young Prince then summoned another Sword and used it to whack Pete in his shield backwards and causing it to roll out of control. Sora, Ven and Mickey, thanking Noctis, did the similiar thing by using their Keyblades to whack Pete like a golf-ball until finally the villian hit the wall and bounced all over the place, inadvertedly squashing and knocking out his own Heartless as it did so. Everyone else then had the oppotunity to do the same at Pete while taking out the Heartless along the way which made things easier until finally Pete's shield deflected and faded away, leaving him on the ground.

Despite this, Pete got up quickly and then summoned another Thunder Spell all over the place, causing everyone to either dodge or block the attack, though he didn't count on Namine using Blizzard which briefly froze him into a Cat-cicle. This allowed Donald to get a little bit of revenge as he casted Thunderaga on Pete and a few lingering Heartless that were left. Mickey countered by using an Orb of Light spell on the fat-enemy and Sora and Ven finished him off by smacking him on the chest and then on the head so hard that not only Squall, Tifa, Yuffie, Even, Ienzo, Dilan, Aeleus, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Riku, Kairi, Terra, Aqua, Myde, Donald, Goofy, Jack, Skuld, and even Merlin and Cid(who had a spear with him for once), and Noctis to finish off the Heartless, but also allowed Sora, Ven and Mickey to knock Pete into the wall which ended the battle.

Pete by then, standing up wobbily, was seeing stars circle around his head and hearing birds chirping before he stumbled and landed on his bottom, still completely dazed from his yet another humilating defeat.

"I'm gettin' sick of this..." Pete moaned.

"And we're getting sick of you!" Donald retorted back.

This made Maleficent's Second in Command shake the dizzy spells off and stand up, grunting angrily, "Youse just wait! Next time, I'll crush you pipsqueaks and get that box with that book in it!"

"Uh, correction. There is no 'book' in this box, meanie!" Rikku's voice spoke from near by.

Pete turned just in time for a small now empty box hit him squarely in the face, and the Gullwings stood there, approaching Sora and the others while glaring at the villian. In Rikku's hand was just a small trinklet as the young girl continued, "You're the LAME-est treasure fanantic in history!"

"You shouldn't join with Maleficent because she is just no good!" Yuna added, glaring at Pete.

"Like us when we briefly worked for her, you picked the wrong side." Paine simply concluded.

"How 'bout you get out of our faces before we make you, Pete?" Lea warned the tubby-villian with a dangerous glare that he use to use often when he was Axel in Xemnas' Organization XIII.

"Face it, Pete. Maleficent will never win and neither will you!" Mickey added, folding his arms across his chest as he glared at the villian.

"That's what you think, Boat-Boy King!" Pete yelled back. "One of these days, you and your palies are ancient history!" before he poofed away to get himself out of here for the time being.

"That guy's such a sore loser." Myde commented after a moment of silence.

Sora nodded in agreement, "And Maleficent's a total hag."

"None the less, we should be extra regards to both of them." Ienzo muttered, before adding, "And just in case the Book is not here, perhaps it's best that you and your friends continue to search other worlds, just in case."

"I think he's right about that." Isa nodded once he thought about it. "If we linger here for too long, we're wasting time."

"Not to mention that it'll take us hours just to look all over this place." Lea sighed.

"Maybe Aced might know more about what's going on. If we can fight him and ask him about this, it might give us a better idea about Chaos and Bhunivelze." Kairi agreed.

"Unless Chaos is looking to revive Bhunivelze. That's another possibility." Aqua said firmly with strong concern.

Everyone else shared a concerned glance; Maybe Aqua was right. Perhaps Chaos is looking into reviving the God who created him and other Gods that caused not only the Keyblade War but also the War of the Gods. Not to mention that they still had to find Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis.

"First I lost track of my friends and now this...Can't take a break." Noctis sighed.

"Join the club." Roxas sighed, before turning to Noctis and admitted, "You were pretty awesome there, Noct. I didn't know you could wrap and fight!"

"Yeah, the way how you did that makes my old abilities look pathetic." Lea agreed with a grin.

Noctis blushed a little at the compliment, "Thanks. Though Gladio thinks I'm still lacking in strength a little."

The name the Prince mentioned caught the Worldly Travellers off-guard as Sora asked, "Wait! Did you just say Gladio?"

"He wouldn't happen to be a tall man with a large sword and muscle, would he?" Skuld inquired.

"Yeah...why?" Noctis asked, a little nervous and suddenly kicking himself for having revealed too much information to people who he barely knew already. Then he quickly asked when he realised that they knew one of his friends. "Wait! You've seen him?"

"Gawrsh, he was at the Coliseum we were at a while ago." Goofy remembered.

"He disappeared after he helped us, though. But I think he'd still be there." Xion added.

"But he's okay, right?" Noctis urged, and suddenly the group were reminded of how Sora and Ven would react.

"I'm sure he's fine." Riku told him. "He's a tough fighter."

Lea nodded, "Yeah, he saved us once or twice."

Noctis sighed in relief, "Yeah, that sounds like Gladio, alright." before he gazed at the Worldly Travellers, saying, "I have to get to where he's at. I'm not gonna sit around and not to anything."

"Noct, it's too dangerous." Aqua told him firmly.

"I don't care. Gladio, Ignis and my other best friend Prompto mean a lot to me! It's my fault we got separated in the first place." Noctis pointed out just as firmly.

"I get what you mean, Noct." Sora nodded, already understanding what the Prince was talking about. "I've done the same thing when me, Donald and Goofy were looking for Riku, Kairi and King Mickey. Even Roxas, Xion, Namine, Lea and Isa feel the same way; Ven too." which the aforemented group nodded in agreement.

"And when I was looking for my friend Cloud too. We know what you're going through, Noct." Tifa concluded.

"Guys...!" Aqua began, only for Mickey to approach her.

"Aqua...I know that you're worried, but even Princes and Kings have to go out and make sure things are alright, even by risking their lives. Gosh, I pretty much do that all the time!" Mickey kindly pointed out.

Realising that Mickey was right, and that memories of having pushed Ven away rather than letting him grow up and prove himself were returning to her, Aqua sighed and reluctantedly nodded. She had to stop being overly-protective and protect her friends while at the same time allow them to make their own right choices in life. Besides, it irked her to admit it and despite how he didn't look or act like it, but Ven was actually way older than she and Terra were.

Come to think of it, so were Aced, Ephemer, Skuld and Strelitzia.

"Right...I'm sorry." Aqua nodded eventually.

"So,whaddya' say, guys? Let's help Noct find Gladio and maybe their other friends too, and we can find Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis along the way too!" Sora declared.

"Yeah! Good idea!" Donald agreed enthusiastically

"I don't mind." Jack shrugged.

"In the meantime, the rest of us will keep things busy here and let you know if we found the book." Leon muttered.

Namine, as much as she wanted to join her friends, decided, "I think I'll stay here, just in case. Maybe I can figure something out."

"We'll be back before you know it." Roxas promised, adding, "And don't worry, we'll be careful."

"And we'll help look for this book too." Yuna offered.

"Sounds boring but also important, too." Rikku muttered.

"I'm in." Paine nodded.

Just then, the trinklet Rikku found began to glow and hover and Sora's Keyblade glowed as well, making him realise what was going on. He held it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Trinklet. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"What's that light?" Noctis asked, amazed.

"The world's safe for now, and a gateway to another world's opened up." Sora explained.

It came to an agreement that Prince Noctis would be joining Sora's party temporarily while Leon, Namine and the others continued defending Radiant Garden while at the same time search for the Book of Prophecies in case it was here in this world.

Yet none of them or their friends in other worlds know that things were only just going to get more and more complicated.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, at Nibelhiem in Midgar..._

In hopes of finding more clues to Chaos, Cloud, Vincent, Zack, and the Turks decided to head over to Nibelheim to find any more of the research papers that could help them solve the problem. They also hoped in finding the Book of Prophecies here while they were at it. So far...no luck as of yet.

"Geez, there's no way we're gonna find a needle in a haystack this size." Reno grumbled as he pulled out yet another large stack of books and plonked them onto the table, where the dust coming off them made him sneeze.

"Do we even know what the Book of Prophecies even looks like? I'm not even sure what we're looking for." Zack sighed, flipping through another useless book with diagrams that he couldn't understand and it was giving him a bit of a headache trying to figure it out.

Cloud did was everyone else had been doing, flipping through page after page, then closing the book and tried another, saying, "From what Skuld said, it's supposed to have information on what the 'Master of Masters' written down after he saw the future of anything and everything he can see. Though, given how much of these books are scientific, I don't think we'll have much luck here."

"I'm thinking that you're right. If such a book did exist, it wouldn't be here." Vincent agreed. "And the only information we found on Chaos is what we already learned. Especially from Lucrecia's research."

"Then, why the hell are we here to begin with?" Reno groaned, getting frustrated. "That this rate, it's turnin' into a wild goose chase!"

"It was just in case we did find both the answers. Or at least, some of it." Rude pointed out.

The redhead sighed and searched through yet another book, before shaking his head and concluding, "Guys, I think it's gettin' to the point where we came here for nothing."

Cloud was about to say something when the hairs on his neck prickled and he heard a faint sound of foot steps, which alarmed him to turn rapidly, thrusting out his Fusion Sword and he heard the others who also heard this do the similiar thing, taking defense stances, the blond-haired man demanding, "Who's there!?"

The man who they saw gave them chills; he was tall, in a complete black coat that was strikingly familiar. The only minor difference is the zipper that was heart-shaped. The rest of it, Cloud and the others recongised instantly.

"Organization XIII?" Cloud asked softly, completely shocked.

"I thought we got rid of those guys when Xehanort was killed!" Zack exclaimed. "What the hell is going on?"

The cloaked man chuckled, as though finding their reactions amusing. "What? You think I'm with the guys who messed things up with the worlds? Oh, I get it! It's because of my coat right? It's just like the Organization. _'Oh no! It's the Organization XIII guys! It's the end of the worlds!'_ "

"What the hell is so funny!?" Reno growled, his EMR clutched tightly in his hand.

"Ah, calm down. I'm not with the Organization. I'm just some old guy lurking around; a wanderer, if you like." The man in the coat said dismissively, as though this was a casual day.

"For a _wanderer_ , you seem to know quite a lot that you shouldn't." Vincent said, supiciously.

Reno nodded in agreement, "Yeah, didn't anybody tell ya to mind your own damn business?"

The man in the black coat paused for a moment, before slumping a little while pouting rather childishly, "Way to kill the suspense. Thanks alot, guys!"

"This guy is totally weird." Zack muttered to his friends and the two Turks.

"I think he's trying to mess with our heads...like how Sephiroth would." Cloud muttered, concerned. There was something about the man in front of them that just felt...completely off. Like this man was the master of manipulation.

"Nice to see you thinking logically!" The man in the black coat spoke up again, apparently having heard what Cloud just said, catching the five other men off-guard. "Just so you know, you're not gonna be finding what you're looking for here. Another thing, you really should watch out for the two guys who went through life, death and immortality."

"You know of Davy Jones, I gather." Vincent narrowed his eyes.

The man in the black coat calmly turned around, which his hands behind his back, saying, "Well, him too. So I guess that makes three. The ones you really should be looking for, is one who once had the heart of a Goddess, and another, who cannot be killed by anyone except for one with powerful light. And even then, it'll be difficult. Not to mention that he's more dangerous at manipulation, and even more dangerously cruel."

"And you expect us to believe you?" Zack asked, skeptically.

"Nah, not really. It's up to you guys whether you do believe me or not. Just so you know, everything that you thought of before is much more different than what you and the Keyblade wielders know now." The man in the coat told them.

"Meaning?" Rude grunted.

"You'll see." The man in the coat held up his right hand and slowly clitched it, before waving a farewell to the group as he disappeared into a corridor of light and darkness, stunning the men in the room of the old lab in the Manor.

After a tensed moments of silence, the group shared an uncertain glance, with Reno muttering nervously, "So...what do you guys think?"

"While I don't trust him, I don't think he was completely lying. He even mentioned about Keyblade wielders, and if he does know about everything we went through..." Cloud began, before nodding, more to himself than the others, concluding, "You guys go and warn Reeve and Rufus. I have to go find Sora and the others and warn them."

"I'm coming with you." Zack quickly spoke up, taking a lead to follow Cloud out of the manor.

"Whoa, whoa!" Reno quickly spoke up, hurrying after them, pointing out, "Do you even know where that kid is right now, Chocobo-Head? He and the others could be anywhere by now."

Cloud paused, before saying, "It doesn't matter how long it takes. I know what my heart is telling me. I just have to think about them and my heart will lead me the way."

"He does have a point. Not only that, they might need a little more help in finding Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis too, and stop Aced's crazy ideas." Zack agreed.

"Besides," Cloud continued, "We can't just stay around here in our world during a crisis like this. At least I can't..."

"He's right. Who knows what is happening as of now. Even though Sora and the others can handle anything, there is a chance that something might go wrong." Vincent agreed.

Sighing in defeat, Reno muttered, "Point taken. Fine, you two guys go ahead and warn the kid and the others. The three of us will head back to HQ and warn Tseng, 'Lena and everyone else, just in case."

"Cloud, Zack. Be careful." Vincent told the younger men who both nodded, silently promising that they will.

While the two Turks and Vincent left to head back to Edge, Cloud and Zack left Nibelhiem and via Cloud's motorcycle, left the world all together to travel to other worlds to find Sora and the others as soon as possible.

None of them really trusting or knowing what the coated man's true intentions were.

* * *

 _Back with Sora and his group..._

The group, having Noctis join them until they returned to Olympus Coliseum in hopes of finding Gladio, were enroute to the said world in the Gummi-Ship, where they hoped that they were at least getting a step closer to figuring out how to stop the new crisis that was threatening all of the worlds, and also finding the location of Aced, Yen Sid, Genesis, Angeal, and in Skuld's case, Ephemer. Maybe even Lauriam, whom Skuld still thinks is similiar to Lamuria, the original of Marluxia.

Though not only was Myde sleeping, as usual, but Noctis also dozed off in his seat after the Prince found them to be quite comfortable. Much to Donald's annoyance.

"Ooh! How can he sleep like that?" Donald grumbled, glaring at Noct's direction.

"The same way Sleeping Lazy is, apparently." Lea smirked, pointing at Myde's sleeping form with his thumb.

Mickey smiled, "Aw, I'm sure Noct's just exhausted from fighting the Heartless at Radiant Garden. There's nothin' wrong in fallen asleep before the next adventure."

"You know what? Noct kind of reminds of how Sora would sleep on the beach back at home." Kairi admitted with a smile.

"Yeah, he liked to slack off too." Riku grinned teasingly.

Sora blushed, pouting at his two best friends, "Gimme a break, guys!" and blushed harder when everyone else save for the two sleeping companions chuckled.

However, all of the sudden the entire vessle jerked, catching everyone off-guard and startling both Noctis and Myde awake and the alarm blared and flashed red light. Outside, electricity covered the Gummi-Ship just as a figure disappeared into a corridor of darkness, cackling away.

"What's going on!?" Ven cried out.

"I don't know! The Gummi-Ship's covered in electricity, though!" Mickey cried out, as he struggled to regain control of their ship. "We gotta land somewhere fast!"

"Why now of all bloody times!?" Jack exclaimed, while trying to hang on for dear life.

"Hey! There's a world close to us!" Goofy hurriedly pointed, as a new World was coming into distance towards them.

Knowing what has to be done, Sora turned the group, "Guys, hold on tight! Gotta prepare for a hard landing!"

"It'll only be damaged if we all stay here! If we can teleport, everything will be okay!" Mickey informed them.

The good news is, they all safely teleported out and the Gummi-Ship didn't explode or crash. Bad news is, it wasn't going anywhere for a little bit...and Sora's group were about to face another problem in the certain world they landed into.

Translation; it delayed their return to Olympus Coliseum.

* * *

 _ **{ROMANOV EMPIRE}**_

The landing Sora had was pretty much a bit of a crash landing when he teleported out of the damaged Gummi-Ship. The teenager was laying on in front in the snow of a new world he landed into. Groaning as he regained conscious after a bit of a knock out, Sora pushed himself up.

"Ugh...nice way to welcome someone." The sixteen year old remarked sarcastically, standing up as he found himself in an unfamiliar forest in the middle of winter, and then felt a slight flash of deja vu.

Thankfully, he hasn't lost track of his friends as they all stood up as well, with slight groans and sighs themselves. That was always a good thing.

"Is everyone alright?" Terra asked, and was relieved when they replied that they were all fine. Just a bit shaken and not just from the unexpected drop of tempreture.

"Gawrsh...I wonder what attacked us." Goofy muttered, worriedly.

"A Heartless?" Xion suggested with concern.

"Yeah, probably. Especially those darn electric-type ones. The magic-element Heartless are the most annoying in my opinion." Lea shrugged in agreement.

Myde shuddered, "Even when they remind you of how Larxene liked to fry everyone when they push one of her wrong buttons. If you ask me, she was practically covered in them."

"Wrong buttons?" Xion asked, confused. Kairi, Aqua and Skuld on the other hand, looked a bit miffed and crossed their arms as they glared at the mullet-haired young man.

"You mean you don't know?" Noctis asked, while brushing snow off his shoulders and surpressed a shudder at the cold while it began to snow.

"How Xion doesn't know is a long story." Roxas told him, a bit awkwardly. "Come to think it, I only found out about that a year and half ago."

The young Prince stared at 'Ven's Twin' with wide eyes of disbelief, muttering incrediously, "You gotta be kidding me."

"Would that be another new way of saying how a man crosses a woman?" Jack asked, nervously.

"Ugh, seriously? You too?" Noctis groaned.

"Hardly my fault the world that I come from isn't that advanced. The only advanced thing I've seen so far before I even met the lads and lasses are clocks." The pirate pointed out.

"Good point." The younger man sighed.

"How bad is the damage?" Riku asked, as Mickey fiddled with a small remote that was saved from the Gummi-Ship.

The king sighed, shrugging, "Welp, the good news is that it still fly. Bad news is, it lost two of the Gummi-blocks that scattered needed to fly safely to other worlds. One landed somewhere here in this world, and another closer by which, unless we retrieve the one here, we're not goin' anywhere for a while." making everyone else groan.

"Well, at least we're all in one piece. We'll be alright." Sora said optimistically after a moment of silence.

"And there are two signs leading to places here too." Kairi added, pointing at a tree they were standing next to. One sign on the left said to a Fish Factory, and the one on the right said to a place called St. Petersburg.

"That's another bonus. Question is, which way should we go?" Roxas thought.

"Well, I don't think we'll have luck at a Fish factory." Isa deadpanned.

"So, to St. Petersburg, then?" Lea shrugged.

Before anyone could answer to that, they heard a woman's scream coming from behind them. When the worldly travellers turned in alarm, they saw a young, possibly eighteen year old young woman with brown/red hair in a bun, blue hat, blue eyes, wearing a brown warm coat, dirty-yellow raggy outfit, thin brown pants with dark boots and fingerless gloves to keep her hands warm, running from three familiar monsters that were chasing her.

"Heartless!" The group exclaimed.

"Look out!" Mickey cried out, rushing for the girl's aid as he leaped and as the girl ducked, the King summoned his Keyblade and slashed at the Heartless, destroying them with three single hits before landing on the ground safely and asked the girl, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for saving me from those...whatever they are." The girl panted slightly, standing up with Kairi's help.

"I'm glad that you're okay." Mickey replied with a smile.

"Did you have problems with those things before?" Kairi asked gently.

The girl shook her head, "No. I can honestly say that it's the first time I saw those things, and that's just after I left the Orphanage."

"You're on your own?" Ven asked, already sympathetic to the girl. It didn't take him or the others long to figure it out; this girl was an orphan.

"Well...as far as I know, pretty much. I know this is gonna sound really weird, but I have no idea where I really came from or who my family is or if I have any. I was found wondering around when I was eight years old. That's all I remember, because I don't know anything else apart from wandering in the streets ten years ago." The girl explained.

"Soooooooo, you somehow lost your memories and your family because something happened ten years ago and you were then taken into the Orphange up until now, right?" Myde shrugged, speaking of the logic. Again, he cried out in comical pain when Isa tugged him hard by the ear. Again.

"She just told us that, Captain Obvious." The blue-haired man muttered in exasperation.

"Don't mind them. This happens all the time." Sora shrugged when the girl glanced at them questionly.

"So how come you left the Orphange?" Goofy asked, curiously.

The girl shrugged, "Well, I'm eighteen, so I'm old enough to go to work. So the owner, who is a bit of a hag, no offence, got me a job at the Fish Factory. Like I said, I was on my there when those monsters attacked me for some reason, and I'm flat broke. I don't even have food on me."

"They are very un-sympathetic, luv'." Jack shook his head. "Those things attack anyone in their sight. Like us, for example."

"My name is Anya, not 'love'." The girl, introducing herself as Anya, muttered in annoyance and glaring at the pirate who shrank back, as though expecting her to slap him on the face.

"Apologises. Honest mistake." Jack muttered back, raising his hands up slowly in surrender.

"Is he always like this?" Noctis asked to the other Worldly Travellers.

"Unfortunately, yes." Skuld sighed, slightly exasperated.

Anya caught on and asked to the Prince, "You mean you just met him too?"

The young man nodded, "Yeah, all of them, actually." before introducing himself, "My name's Noctis. My friends call me Noct."

"I'm Sora." Sora said next to Anya.

"I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven." Ven said next.

"My name's Kairi." Kairi added.

"My name's Riku." Riku added.

"I'm Roxas." Roxas added.

"I'm Xion." Xion added.

"My name is Aqua." Aqua added.

"I'm Terra." Terra added.

"And I'm Mickey." Mickey added.

"Donald." Donald introduced himself.

"Name's Goofy." Goofy added.

"I'm Lea. Got it memorized?" Lea introduced himself, saying his usual catch-phrase.

"I'm Isa. And this is Myde." Isa added, while finally letting go of Myde who began to fan his now sore ear with his left hand while waving a hello to Anya with his right hand.

"My name's Skuld. Pleased to meet you." Skuld nodded.

"Jack Sparrow." Jack concluded, adding 'Captain Jack Sparrow' in his mind.

"Nice to meet all of you." Anya said back, before asking, "Just curious, are you all of you going to St. Petersburg?"

"We were considering in doing that. Why?" Lea replied.

Anya shook her head, "It's just...St. Petersburg is the only way to get to Paris."

"Paris?" Donald asked, confused.

"I think that's where I'll find out about my past, because I have a clue that I had around my neck even before I was found." Anya explained, showing the group a small golden necklace with writting all around inside it. It was tiny, but eventually Aqua figured out what it said.

" _'Together in Paris'_." Aqua read aloud, before realising what this meant. As did everyone else.

"I get it. You think your family's there, right?" Sora realised.

"Yup!" Anya nodded, before sighing dramatically, "But me? Going to Paris? What should I do? Go to the Fish Factory and spend the rest of my life as Anya the Orphan or go to Paris to find out who I am? There's gotta be a sign or hint or something!"

"I think she's havin' trouble deciding." Goofy said worriedly to the rest of the group.

Noctis scoffed, "You think?"

Just then, a small grey puppy with long floppy ears popped out of the snow and ran around the surprised group and Anya who suddenly found her scarf tugged by the young dog.

"Hey! H-hey! I don't have time to play around, okay?" Anya said to the dog. "I'm waiting for a sign."

It soon turned into a small game of chase, and even Sora and the others had trouble in getting Anya's scarf back from the puppy as they all fell into the snow after accidently bumping into each other...right into the path towards St. Petersburg.

"Uh...this is gonna sound weird, but I think the dog wants all of us to go to St. Petersburg." Myde muttered.

The group glanced at each other, before glancing at Anya who, as though the answer was right in front of her, muttered, a little nervously but was willing to go along with it, "Okay...I'll take the hint."

"Welp, why don't we all go together and maybe we can help Anya get to Paris and find her family?" Mickey suggested as he and everyone else got up and brushed the snow off them.

"Sounds good to me." Kairi nodded.

"Yeah!" Sora nodded, as did everyone else.

"You guys sure about that?" Anya asked.

"Of course. If you like." Aqua offered.

The younger woman thought about it, then nodded with a smile and said, "Okay! Let's all go the Paris!"

' _I was meant to find Gladio, but I'm sure he and the others can wait a bit longer. Besides, it's not very polite to say no to someone who needs help._ ' Noctis thought to himself.

Even though the group were now joined by Anya on a new quest in this new world, the challenges ahead of them and two others was about to get more challenging and dangerous.

* * *

 **A/N: Anastasia is one of my childhood movies my sister and I used to watch all the time. It's not a Disney movie, but still. The adventures in Romanov Empire(that I named for this world) continues in the next chapter and Noctis as temporarily joined the group! See you soon!**


	29. CH28: The Unknown Pursuit

**Author's Note: Not much, but I'm glad to have made you happy that I've added Noctis into this. FFXV has grown on me(and admittedly, I still find it heaps better than FFXIII-storywise).**

 **Anywhere, here's the new chapter of this adventure!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or Anastasia.**

* * *

 _ **CH28: The Unknown Pursuit.**_

While protecting Anya and fighting Heartless along the pathway, the group passed a small wooden house of a family of four, a mother, a father and two young children who, on their way out to somewhere, briefly played with the puppy Anya had decided to adopt and named Pooka before they moved on, the young woman watched the family leave, with a somewhat saddened and longing look.

This Kairi and Ven caught on, as the former asked Anya, "You really miss your family, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Anya nodded as she and her new companions continued onward. "Sure when I was in the Orphanage, I've been taught, I've fed, and I even had a roof over my head, I've always wanted to how about my family and where I even came from, and even who I am. Even my name, I want to know about it."

"So the people in the Ophanage gave you the name 'Anya' then?" Sora asked, sympathized.

"I think she pretty much told us that, Sora." Lea pointed out.

The teenager, realising the silliness, sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Oh, sorry."

"Other than the necklace I've had for ten years, the other clue I have to made me lose my memories that I probably got hit on the head somehow." Anya continued while accepting Sora's apology.

"Gawrsh, that's strange. 'Cause I get bumped on the head _all_ the time." Goofy thought worriedly, making the other worldly travellers sigh or laugh weakly, or in both Jack and Noct's case, stare at him incrediously.

Kairi shook her head and then said to Anya, "I know what you're going through. When I was five years old, I was taken away from my hometown and ended up in Sora and Riku's hometown and the only thing I could remember for nine years was my name. It was two years ago that I finally remembered where I came from and remembered my grandmother."

"That must have been hard." Anya thought.

"Well, not really. I had an adopted family and I was happy there, and I still am. Plus, I grew up with Sora and Riku." Kairi smiled warmly, while both said boys nodded with smiles of their own.

"Which makes the three of us." Ven added, "I couldn't remember much of my past either except for my name and admittedly, I still don't. But I have great friends like everyone here, especially since Terra and Aqua and even Skuld are my best friends."

Anya, while feeling sorry for both Kairi and Ven, couldn't help but sigh in some relief. "Well, at least I'm not the only one who had that problem."

"Ah, memory loss is not uncommon, but it doesn't happen to everyone either." Lea pointed out with a shrug. "But seriously, I have a feelin' you'll get your memories back. If Kairi got hers back and Ven's slowly remembering too, then there's at least 95% chance you'll get yours back, Anya."

"And that you'll find your family, and we're gonna help all the way!" Sora added optimistically.

The young eighteen year old woman smiled gratefully at the group who most of them nodded in agreement, and she said, "I know we only just met, but you guys are really sweet." before laughing when Sora, Ven, Roxas, Terra, and Lea all blushed deeply, which also most Isa and Noctis snicker, Myde, Donald and Goofy laughing, Mickey, Kairi, Aqua, Skuld and Xion giggle, and Jack smirking.

* * *

Eventually the group of seventeen finally arrived to St. Petersburg which was a bustling city with people going about on their business in the winter of this world before they decided to head straight to getting tickets to Paris when the worldly travellers had no luck in finding the missing Gummi-Block need to at least reach another world to find the second missing piece. Then again, they didn't have to wander around here, so they decided to hope in finding it in Paris.

At the moment, their main priority was helping Anya to find her missing family as well as regaining her lost memory, so when they arrived at the ticket booth at the train station, they decided to divide into three groups; one group had Sora, Kairi, Donald, Goofy and Anya, the second group had Ven, Terra, Aqua, Skuld, Mickey and Riku, and the third had Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Noctis and Jack.

"Seven tickets to Paris, please." Noctis said politedly when he reached the window of the booth.

"Exit Visas." The Ticket man replied.

"Excuse me?" Noctis blinked, turning to the others who shrugged. Even Anya shook her head, having no clue either.

Apparently the man didn't take that kindly, as he then yelled, "No Exit Visas? NO TICKETS!" and slammed the window doors shut at Noct's face, startling him and everyone else

They then grumbled at this.

"What the devil is a 'exit visa'?" Jack asked, dumbfounded, before commenting, "Judging by that man's rudeness, I'm betting that without those, we can't get tickets to Paris."

"You just answered your own question." Terra pointed out, rolling his eyes, only for an old lady who was in line behind the group to 'psst' at them, gesturing them to get closer to her once she had their attention.

"See Dimitri." She whispered to them. "He can help."

Anya, suddenly curious, asked quietly, "Where can we find him?"

"At the old palace." The old woman muttered, before quickly adding, "But all of you didn't hear it from me."

Myde, somehow getting the hint, and despite the old lady giving him the creeps, whispered, "Our lips our sealed."

"Yes. Now go! Go go go!" The old lady muttered while shooing them off.

"Dimitri?" Aqua muttered as she and the others began to walk away, their thoughts on finding this Dimitri person. Surely he could help them get to Paris. Though they had questions in their heads; What did he look like, and where was the Palace?

* * *

Meanwhile, in an old theatre that had been abandoned for many years, Arlene, on an assignment with Shalua and Shelke, stormed up to them after leaving the stage and stood on the side, where to men, one who is a young man with brown hair, white shirt, brown pants, black shoes, and teal vest and about 20 years old, and another man, a portly older man with graying beard, mustache and hair, with a dark red shirt and dark pants with black boots and purple glasses, sitting together.

"Been told that I'm not who they're looking for!" Arlene growled in irritation.

"Neither was I, but I doubt they would allow us to find what we're looking for just by simply accompying them." Shalua pointed out, her arms folded to her chest.

"Perhaps we should approach things differently." Shelke stated in a monotone. "The Master did predict that Sora and his friends would be here."

The blond-haired woman rolled her eyes, "Well, our best shot was asking these two con-artists who are looking for an 'Anastasia' look-a-like, and now that's ruined. I don't care anymore. I'm out of here!" before she stormed off.

The two sisters sighed, before turning their gaze back to the said men who were observing another volunteer on stage.

"Thank you, thank you. Next please." The younger man requested.

Another woman, slightly older, to husky and snobby appeared, before drooping her coat, holding a cigar-stick in one hand, while saying fakely as though she was a model, "Grandma, it's me, Anastasia." and swayed her hips.

The older man, in response, groaned in dismay before dropping his head onto the table and began to whimper, while Shalua and Shelke shared a glance of exasperation before silently walking away to find their comrade to continue their own mission in secret.

"Oh, brother." The younger man groaned in equal disgust and dismay.

While walking down the hallways of the building, the two sisters found and caught up to Arlene who was still fuming, "Ugh! Men and kids! Two of the worst lifeforms in history. I can't stand them!"

"Then how it is you are able to cope with Lamuria?" Shalua pointed out.

"Or Master Aced?" Shelke added.

The former Nobody rolled her eyes, "As much as you two have a point, I'm not in the mood to be lectured. Besides, if those two idiots back there think they can get money from an old lady who's grand-kid is pretty much dead, they're in for a real shock. I've seen old ladies; She might be old, but even she's not that stupid."

"I agree on that. She will easily see through the disguise of the imposter." Shalua muttered.

"If she had a close relationship with her deceased granddaughter, then she will immediately know the truth." Shelke agreed. "Those two men are fools to believe that she won't...especially with that jewelry box that they have."

Arlene snorted, "Well, good luck to them. Not like I care what will happen to them. Let's go to another world and go right back to plan A."

With that, she held out a hand and summoned a corridor of darkness before stepping through, with the two sisters following her...unaware that, as the corridor closed up, a familiar man with purple-ish pink hair had overheard the conversation from around the corner and grinned sinisterly.

* * *

A little while later after asking around, Sora and his friends eventually came to the said old Palace which, while large and possibily amazing, had lost his charm and luster since had been abandoned for possibly around ten years. It was all boarded up, the entrance and windows all blocked off by wood.

"Nice place, even though it's fitting for a guy who has nothing else to do." Noctis commented.

"I'm beginning to have my doubts with this Dimitri lad." Jack muttered as he and the others looked for a possible way to get into the place.

Myde looked around, before turning to the others and asked, "So...we just let ourselves in?"

"Ever heard of knocking?" Lea glared at the younger man who shrunk back a little in fright.

By then, Pooka, curious as the puppy was, found a hole big enough for him to squeeze through the wood and wandered in inside. Anya and Skuld saw what happened and hurried over to try and get their way through. When they and everyone else realised that the only way in was to pull the wood off, Terra, Sora, Anya, Goofy and Donald grabbed hold on one of the planks and pulled hard, successfully yanking it off, but the force of it caused them to fall onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine." Anya nodded, standing up along with the others.

"A little fall like that's nothing." Sora smirked.

Goofy then knocked on the side of the wall and waited along with the others. After a few minutes of waiting, everyone shared a look of confusion before the silliest member of the group thoughtfully said, "Gawrsh, looks like nobody's home."

"Well, I'm going in. I'm worried about Pooka." Anya stated, and without waiting, she eased her way inside, with Sora and everyone else hurrying to follow her.

Clear signs of dust has been apparent to the grand place, with different stair levels and rooms with old abandoned royalty items and such having not been touched in years. They found Pooka and continued to venture inside for any signs of Dimitri. Xion carefully picked up an old but rather beautiful vase and gently blowed the dust off it, which, with Myde standing next to her, the dust got up his nose and caused him to sniffle.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah-Ahchoo!" Myde sneezed, and then coughed. "Geez, I can see why nobody even bothered in living in this place. It's too dusty."

"That's because no one's been here in years." Noctis pointed out, glancing around the apparently dining room they were in. "Though I'm a little curious on what happened to the royal family who used to live here."

"There must've been some kind of attack, but the only evidence I can see were the doors and windows that had been broken." Skuld muttered as she had returned from her own investigation. "And given that no one has been here for years, I'm afraid something tragic happened to the royal family."

Ven folded his arms and nodded, "Yeah. I feel sorry for them."

Sora was about to reply when he and Kairi noticed that Anya had approached a vase on a dresser-table with a mirror, and the way how she was gently touching it, it looked as though...she was familiar with it.

"Anya? What's up?" Sora asked, curiously as he and Kairi approached.

"This place..." Anya began, softly. "It's...It's like a memory from a dream."

This got everyone's attentions, as Mickey asked, "You mean...this place is familiar to you?"

"I'm not sure why, but...I think you're right." Anya muttered thoughtfully.

"Maybe you been here before and you're starting to remember." Roxas suggested.

"Yeah." Lea agreed, "If you feel that this place is familiar, then you must've come here at some point. Maybe even...lived here when you were a kid."

Despite that it sounded crazy, Anya had to admit, with no memories of her past, it was a good point. Plus, given that she did feel like she was here at sometime in her childhood, it adds all up. So, she and the others continued onward through their investigation, eventually finding themselves in a large ball room, with family portraits of, what everyone quickly realised was the royal family.

Needless to say that the worldly travellers were amazed would've been an understatement.

"Wow!" Donald and Goofy said in unison.

"Whoa...this ballroom's huge!" Sora exclaimed in amazement.

Kairi nodded in agreement, "If things had been different, I'd love to dance here."

"With who? Sora?" Noctis asked with a smirk, which caused both Sora and Kairi to blush heavily at this comment and the rest of the companions, except for Aqua and Mickey who both shook their heads, either rolled their eyes, giggled or chuckled.

"Aww! Why is everyone picking on us?" Sora groaned while referring to himself and Kairi who nodded in annoyed agreement.

"Come on, leave them alone. It's not funny!" Anya scolded at the rest of the group who tried to dim their amusement. She then sighed and gazed at the dance floor, admitting, "For some reason...this is more familiar than I thought, and it's crazy."

"Like...how familiar?" Riku asked, carefully.

"Something I can almost remember..." Anya, as though going into her memories. "...In my head, I can see dancing figures...someone holding me...safe and warm...and a song...'Once upon a December'..."

The worldly travellers glanced at each other with a shared confusion and thoughtful expressions, wondering if Anya's memories were suddenly coming back due to being in this place. But before they could ask their thoughts on this, an unfamiliar man's voice suddenly called out from the other side of the room.

"HEY! What are you all doing here?"

Startled, the group looked to see a man, about twenty years old with brown hair, white shirt, brown pants, black shoes, and teal vest as he approached them, calling out before they could make a run for it, "Hold on a minute! Hold on!"

When he reached at the tip of the bottom of the stairs, he asked the group, "How did you all...ge-get in-in...here?" only to trail off as he gazed solely on Anya, with an expression of apparent amazement, much to everyone else's confusion.

Judging by his sudden apparence, Sora betted a guess that this guy was Dimitri. The man was quickly joined by a portly older man with graying beard, mustache and hair, with a dark red shirt and dark pants with black boots and purple glasses.

"Excuse me, people!" The older man, with his glasses on his forehead, called up, only to be interrupted by his companion while Pooka approached and sniffed at the two men as though to investigate them.

"Vlad! Do you see what I see?" The younger man whispered.

"Mm...No." The older man, named Vlad, shrugged, due to not wearing his glasses, much to his friend's slight annoyance. So when he lowered Vlad's glasses back to his eyes, the older man, seeing what the other had seen, gasped in surprise and apparent delight, "Yes! Yes!"

Deciding to get to the point, Anya was the first to ask the younger man who was two years older than her, "Are you Dimitri?" as her dog was picked up by the said man who handed him over to Vlad.

"Perhaps. Depends on who's looking for him." The man, confirmed as Dimitri, answered as he and Vlad approached the group.

"My name's Anya, and these are my friends; Sora, Kairi, Riku, Lea, Isa, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Roxas, Xion, Jack, Myde, Skuld and Noctis, and we need travel papers." Anya introduced herself and the group and explained.

Myde then approached Dimitri and whispered, "They say you're the guy for the job, but whomever told us is top-secret." only to realise that Dimitri was circling around Anya, much to the young woman's sudden annoyance.

"Hey, why are you circling me? Wha-What were you, a vulture in another life?" Anya asked, feeling vaguely insulted. Despite needing help, she instantly began to think this man wasn't whom she thought he was and that she wasn't liking him already.

Sora and the others had the same suspicion.

"I'm sorry, Enya." Dimitri said, while saying Anya's name incorrectly.

"It's Anya." Anya corrected.

"Anya." Dimitri said, holding his hands up apologetically, before commenting, "It's just-It's just that you look an awful lot like-" while glancing up at the portrait, which had Sora, Anya and everyone else in their group look up at the painting of the royal family which they didn't notice.

To the worldly traveller's surprise, the youngest girl in the painting...resembled to Anya.

"Uh, nevermind." Dimitri muttered when they turned to look at him, before asking, "Now, you said something about travel papers?"

"Yeah, all of us want to go to Paris." Sora explained, gesturing at himself, his friends and Anya.

Vlad in the meantime, was quickly loving Pooka as he asked at the adorable puppy, "Who is this fellow?" and when Pooka, quickly liking him, licked him on the face, causing the older man to coo, "Oh! Oh, he likes me!"

"Nice dog." Dimitri, not fond of the dog, said dryly, before saying to Anya, "Now, let me ask you something...Anya, was it? There's a last name that goes with that?"

Anya shook her head, "This is gonna sound crazy, but...I don't know my last name. I know it's strange, but I have very few memories of my past."

"Hm...well that's...perfect." Dimitri deadpanned to himself. Great, a girl who he finally found as a definite look-a-like, and the downside to that is that she doesn't even know her last name or even remember much of her past.

"But I do have one clue, and that is Paris." Anya continued, gesturing at her necklace.

"And we're helping to get to Paris to help her find her family." Kairi added.

"Who could be anywhere in Paris for all we know." Jack couldn't help but add, "None the less, it is this young woman's quest to find who her family is who will remind her who of she is in a place where originally once was. Savvy?"

While Sora and most of the worldly travellers shook their heads with slight groans, Noctis, Anya, Dimitri and Vlad gazed at the Pirate with confused and dumbfounded expressions and quirked eye-brows. Whatever Jack had said...sounded more like gibberish to the four of them.

"Jack, you're one of the most weirdest guys I've ever met." Noctis sighed.

"So um, can you help us, Dimitri?" Mickey asked, pretending to ignore what the pirate had mentioned.

Dimitri, suddenly having an idea, beckoned Vlad to show him something, as the older man pulled out three tickets...which really were actually Circus Tickets, while the younger man explained, "Sure would like to. In fact, oddly enough, we're going to Paris ourselves." and as Vlad handed Dimitri the tickets, the younger man continued, "And I got thre-Uh, well, that one isn't...but I've got three tickets here. Unfortunately, the third one is for her."

"Who?" Lea questioned, suspiciously as he crossed his arms. Something about these two guys set him the wrong way. He caught on how Dimitri and Vlad had been making whispers and that, he knew from experience, was always something to watch out for.

"Anastasia." Dimitri answered while gesturing at the portrait, especially to the youngest girl in the painting. He and Vlad then gathered around Anya and dragged her upstairs with Sora and the others quickly following.

"We are doing to reunite the Grand Duchess Anastasia with her grandmother." Vlad explained.

"You do kind of resemble to her, though." Dimitri admitted to Anya, who by now was starting to get a bit more annoyed, and Sora and his group quickly felt the same.

"The same blue eyes." Vlad added.

"The Romanov eyes."

"Nicholas' smile."

"Alexandra's chin."

"She even has the grandmother's hands."

"She's the same age, the same physical type."

Anya rolled her eyes, and while she was a little flattered, asked skeptically to the two men, "Are you two trying to tell me you think that I am Anastasia?"

"All I know is that I seen thousands of girls all over the country. Not one of them looks as much like the Grand Duchess as you. I mean, look at the portraits!" Dimitri explained.

Not buying it, Anya flat out told them, "I knew you were crazy, but now I think you both and Jack are all mad."

"Why not? He does have a point and you do look like her and she in turn looks like you, luv." Jack pointed, hurriedly correcting himself when Anya glared at him, "Anya." a little scaredly.

"Besides, you don't remember who you were." Noctis added.

"No one knows what happened to her." Vlad added.

"You're looking for family in Paris." Dimitri added.

"And her only family is in Paris." Vlad finished.

"Have you ever considered the possibility?" Dimitri asked.

"That I could be royalty?" Anya questioned in return, and Dimitri and Vlad both nodded.

Sora glanced at the others, asking, "Do you think Anya could be the missing Princess?"

"Well, she does look like her." Riku admitted. "The girl in the paintings, I mean."

"What do you think, Anya?" Skuld inquired.

Anya, after a pause, shrugged, "Well, I don't know. It's hard to think you're a Princess when you're sleeping on a damp floor...but sure...yeah, I think every lonely girl would hope she's a Princess."

' _Not every girl._ ' Jack muttered under his breath, as memories of Elizabeth resurfaced...which unfortunately included the ones when she forced him to go into exile from their own world to avoid Davy Jones and the Kracken. In Elizabeth's case, when she was a girl, and due to growing up in a wealthy household, she wanted to meet Pirates and lole and behold, that woman was now a pirate herself.

Kairi shook her head. In her case, while she wasn't born royal, she was a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade wielder.

"And somewhere, one little girl is." Vlad told Anya, "After all, the name Anastasia means, 'she will rise again'." while in the background, un-noticed by everyone else, Dimitri was checking his watch and sighed in exasperation while his friend rambled on.

"Wish we could help, but the third ticket is for Anastasia." Dimitri apologetically said to Anya who sighed in disappointment.

"Hey, what about us?" Donald asked, annoyed.

"Well, maybe when we find her, you can be her royal escorts or bodyguards." Dimitri shrugged as he pulled Vlad back to where they came from, waving at the group, "Good luck."

The group paused, while Anya continued to gaze at the painting.

 _With Dimitri and Vlad..._

"Why didn't you tell them of our brilliant plan?" Vlad whispered.

"All Anya wants to do is go to Paris and those guys with the girls and kids don't strike me as con artist types..except for that Jack guy, but he gives me the creeps." Dimitri whispered in return as they were nearing the lowest floor. "Why give away a bunch of the reward money?"

"I'm telling you! We're walking away too soon." Vlad scolded.

"Not to worry. I've got it all under control. Walk a little slower." Dimitri smiled.

 _With Sora's group and Anya..._

"So...what do you think?" Terra inquired to the group.

"That Dimitri guy just screams suspicious, if you ask me." Myde said with a frown.

"Yeah...I don't trust him one bit." Donald nodded in agreement.

Aqua, while she was in agreement herself, stated, "Even so, he does have a point. Maybe Anya really is the missing Anastasia."

"Yeah, especially since she said earlier that this place is familiar to her." Xion shrugged.

"And considering how the Princess herself had been missing while her grandmother is in Paris...that might be where we should go to help Anya find out who she is." Isa nodded.

"What do you think, Anya?" Sora asked, turning to the young woman who fingered the painting as she was holding Pooka in one arm.

Now that she thought about it, maybe she was Anastasia, and as Dimitri, Vlad and the others had said, Anya did look just like the young girl, only older than the one in the painting. Plus, the Grandmother was in Paris...

 _Back with Dimitri and Vlad..._

"Three...two...one..." Dimitri counted softly.

"Dimitri!" Anya called out.

"Yes!" Dimitri softly cheered at the perfect timing.

"Ha! Right in the palms of our hands." Vlad muttered cheerfully softly.

"Hey, Dimitri! Hold up!" Sora called out as he and his companions followed Anya back to the lowest floor.

"Did you call?" Dimitri asked, as he and Vlad stopped and turned around.

Anya nodded while she made up her mind, "If I don't remember who I am, then who's to say I'm not a princess or a duchess or a whatever she is...Right?"

"Mm-hm...Go on."

"And if she's not Anastasia, the Empress will certainly know right away... and it's all just an honest mistake." Skuld added.

"Sounds plausible." Dimitri agreed, which, in reality, that was a good point.

Vlad then added to Anya, "But, if you are the Princess, you would finally know who you are and have your family back."

"And whether it's a honest mistake or not, both options are in the same place." Noctis shrugged.

"Yeah, and maybe the Empress might help in locating your family if you're not her granddaughter." Sora concluded, with the rest of the group nodded.

Dimitri nodded as well, "You know, they're right. Either way, it gets you to Paris."

"Right!" Anya said, making the agreement as she held a rather tight grip on Dimitri's hand for a solid shake.

"Ow!" Dimitri grunted as he pulled his hand from the woman's grip. Boy, that woman may be skinny, but she surprisingly had a bit of strength. Ignoring the smirks from the group, he then said grandly, "May I present, Her Royal Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia?"

"Pooka, guys, we are going to Paris!" Anya declared, and the group nodded with smiles and chuckles, and in Myde, Donald, Goofy and Sora's cases, cheered.

"Sora and the others came come, but uh, the dog stays." Dimitri quickly said.

"What do you mean? The dog goes." Anya argued.

"The dog does not go."

"I say he goes."

"I'm allergic to dogs."

"Didn't see or hear you sneeze when you were close up to the little guy." Lea pointed out.

"I don't see what the problem is in having the doggy to come along." Jack shrugged slightly.

Mickey, while patting Pooka, agreed, "I agree. Pooka is a very friendly little fella."

* * *

While the group were having the conversation and Dimitri and Anya arguing over Pooka's behalf, from the ceiling above the group, a small white albino bat was watching them and having heard what was going on. Next to him was a reliquary that had a demon patten on it. Inside the glass was green glowing mist.

"Anastasia?" The bat asked, before saying to the group despite knowing that they wouldn't hear him. "Just one problem there, fellas. Anastasia's dead. All the Romanovs are dead. They're dead! Dead dead dead!"

As he talked, the bat was unaware that the green mist glowed brighter and a demon-like spirit hovered over next to him, before he asked when he vaguely noticed it's pressence. "Am I right, my friend? I mean, how can that be Ana..."

He cut himself off immediately when he realised who was talking to and the demon-like evil expression caused him to scream in fright, "WAAHH!" and jumped and yelped in fear when he noticed more evil spirits appearing and nearly fell off the ledge, but managed to save himself.

Calming down, the bat then sighed as he pulled himself back up, "Oh, come on. Am I supposed to believe that thing woke up after ten years just because some guy claims she's a Romanov?" and flinched when the spirits came on floating around.

Not wanting to see anymore of these ghosts, the bat exclaimed, "Okay, okay! I get the message! Enough already, with the glowing and the smoke-people."

Thankfully, the spirits stopped appearing, but then a thought began to occure to the bat, as he muttered, beginning to believe that whatever it meant about the girl Dimitri was claiming to be Anastasia, "If that thing's come back to life, that means...Anastasia's alive!"

He spun around to get a better look at Anya who made her point that Pooka was going and she, the worldly travellers, Dimitrai and Vlad were preparing to leave to catch the train. Now that the bat got a good looke at Anya, he realised that she did strongly resemble to the Princess, only having grown up into a young woman.

It was her. Anya _**is**_ Anastasia!

Suddenly, the reliquary sprung to life, much to the bat's fright. To make things worse, as it began to float, his foot got caught on the string part and to his dismay, he was suddenly pulled down to the floor after the group had left the ballroom.

"Mayday! Mayday!" The white bat cried out, and was pulled through the floor and into the ground and it didn't stop there. He had no idea where the reliquary was taking him or where it was going, but the ride was quite painful; first he nearly drowned, then nearly buried, then eletrocuted, and then nearly burnt when he was riden over lava, and he wanted it to stop, crying out for help along the way.

He even passed the Realm of Darkness and came close in getting snatched by the Heartless which gave the bat the bigger creeps. He soon found himself in a strange murky-blue water-like realm with floating rock spheres and landed into one with a hard crash, which briefly shook the sphere.

Freed from the reliquary which carefully dropped onto the floor, the bat rubbed his sore face, muttering to himself, "Oh, boy...Ow! I'll tell you what...ow."

He didn't have time to look around the cave-like sphere when the bat suddenly felt that he wasn't alone, and he was right.

"WHO DARES INTRUDE ON MY SOLITUDE?!" A man's voice bellowed, which belonged to an old man with a long black beard and hair with a redish-dark brown robe. He kicked a slab a stone that shattered and demanded the bat, "GET OUT!" and grasped him to crush him.

But the instant he got a very close up look to the bat, the man immediately released him as he recongised who the bat was, the anger he felt switched to relief as he asked nostalgically, "Bartok? Is that you?"

Bartok, relieved to have not been crushed to death, fell off the man's hand and back onto the rock that acted as a table, and when he got a better look of the man, his eyes widened in disbelief for the second time in less than an hour today.

"Master Rasputin? You're alive!?" Bartok asked, never having thought he'd see the man whom he came to know as his master again, especially after ten years. Last he saw him was the man, known for his powerful sorcerery and having cursed the Romanov family to death ten years ago, had drowned when the ice in the frozen river gave way due to his weight.

"Yeah, in a matter of speaking!" Rasputin scoffed as Bartok climbed onto his beard, and when he said 'speaking', his right eye popped out and landed into Bartok's hands.

"Whoa! That fell right out there, sir." Bartok commented, while cringing in disgust at how slimy the eye-ball was. It didn't take him long to realise that, despite looking exactly the same, Rasputin was indeed dead, and obviously falling apart. He was under a curse himself.

"Something's happened." Rasputin muttered as he sensed something, while snatching his eyeball from the bat and put it back into his socket. He felt a familiar sense lurking and because he was a sorcerer, he knew why. Plus, with Bartok suddenly here, it was starting to make sense. "I knew it. I can fell the Darkness stirring."

"I'm not surprised, because I saw her; Anastasia." Bartok explained.

That surprised and angered Rasputin, and as he asked in disbelief, "Anastasia? Alive!?" his lips slid off and stopped halfway on the beard...much to Bartok's discomfort.

"Uh, sir. Your lips, they're, um..." Bartok muttered, awkwardly.

"That Romanvo brat!" Rasputin spat, remembering that day, when he tried to kill the child, she managed to escape while he sank into the ice and drowned.

Bartok nodded in agreement, and while he placed Rasputin's lips back at it's rightful place, he said, "Ain't that a kick in the head? I guess darkness just ain't what it used to be, huh sir?"

"That's why I'm stuck here in limbo and not in the Realm of Darkness!" Rasputin continued to rant, "My curse is unfufilled!"

But as the evil sorcerer strected out his arms strongly, his left hand flew right off his arm, taking Bartok with it as both crashed into the wall before crashing onto the floor with a thud. Quickly seeing what happened, Rasputin gasped in pure horror and dismay, waving his right hand over where his left hand was meant to be and then began to sob dramatically.

"Look at me...I'm falling apart!" Rasputin groaned and sobbed as he collasped onto a rock. "I'M A WRECK!" He declared as he fell flat onto his back on the rock, his head hanging slightly over the edge, sobbing away.

"Actually, considering how long you've been dead, you look pretty good." Bartok pointed out as he heaved and carried his master's hand over to it's owner. Rasputin sadly scoffed while waving him off. "Sir, you do! You do!"

"Really?" The man asked, brightening up a little as it somehow made him feel better already.

"Sir, is this a face of a bat who would lie to you?" Bartok asked, while putting up a cute face. "Come on! For a minute there, you had your old spark back!"

That was a good point. Feeling a little bit better, there was another problem that angered Rasputin, especially since he was powerless to finish off what he started, "If only I hadn't lost that gift from the dark forces...the key to my powers...!"

"What? You mean this reliquary?" Bartok asked, as he also pulled up the said item and Rasputin's hand.

When he looked, Rasputin gasped in disbelief and hope. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, I found it-"

"Give it to me!" Rasputin cut the bat off as he snatched the reliquary while startling Bartok.

"Alright, alright! Don't get so grabby!" Bartok muttered, flinching a little.

While Rasputin then screwed his hand back onto his arm, he held his restored reliquary and powers close, "My old friend, together again." and laughed evilly. This was it; this was his chance he waited for so long.

"Now, my dark purpose will be fulfilled! And the last of the Romanovs will _DIE!_ " Rasputin declared, as a bolt of dark lightning surged under his command and nearly shocked Bartok who was blown off the rock and onto the ground.

"Good thing she doesn't remember who she is." Bartok groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"So she also survived amnesia? Excellent!" Rasputin sneered, before he and Bartok suddenly sensed that they had unexpected company, before the former demanded to his right, "Who goes there!?"

The uninvited visitor walked from around the corner with a smirk as he spoke, "My apologises. Did I interrupt something?"

Unknown to the two, it was Arydn.

"I don't remember this guy!" Bartok muttered nervously as he climbed back onto the rock.

"How dare you intrude!?" Rasputin demanded to Arydn.

"My humble apologises. I came to my own accord and I must say, you and I share comman sense of revenge. Allow me to introduce myself: Ardyn Izunia." Arydn replied.

"Comman sense in revenge, you say?" Rasputin inquired, glaring at the man.

"I couldn't help but over-hear what you said. Well, unfortunately, there's a bit of a flaw in your plot." Arydn continued, "You see, the Princess whom you wish to kill, is among many others; young warriors of special powers of Light; a group of sixteen."

Bartok blinked in confusion as he remembered seeing Sora and his friends. "What? Those kids, and guys that were with Anastasia? What's so special about teenagers, a mouse, a dog, a duck, four guys, one woman and a pirate?"

Arydn shook his head, saying with a serious frown this time, "They will get in the way in defeating the darkness. Especially to keep the Princess alive. Actually, they do are my enemies, especially the one who joined them recently; he too is royalty, and like you, I have been banished long ago."

"Why should I trust you?" Rasputin inquired with suspicion.

"Because one certain boy has brought all those people he is with now back from the darkness; his name is Sora, and he is destined to protect the Light. He and his friends are needed to be exposed and killed. So if I were you, I'd get rid of them as well." Arydn explained.

Despite his distrust in the man, Rasputin had made the mistake of underestimating the Romanovs, especially now that he was aware of Anastasia's survival. And if Arydn was telling the truth about this 'Sora' and his companions, the sorcerer would rather be safe than sorry.

"Fine. But if I discover you have lied, I will destroy you!" Rasputin warned, before chanting at the reliquary while a series of the green spirits came flowing out, "Find Anastasia, Sora and these people, and KILL THEM!"

The Spirits, as commanded, flew out above and into the darkness back into the Realm of Light to the world of Romanov Empire.

* * *

The following morning, the train, with an engine blowing its whistle, and carrying Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Skuld, Myde, Jack, Noctis, Dimitri, Anya, Pooka, and Vladmir, chugs through the beautiful snow covered countryside, leaving the city of St. Petersburg behind. The mighty locomotive is plowing up huge furrows of snow as it steams toward its intended destination; Paris.

In one of the seating-rooms of the carriage that was carrying passengers, Lea stretched out his arms as he yawned as he sat in one of the seats, before placing his hands behind his head. Luckily this time around, he and everyone else all had tickets and were now on way to Paris itself.

"At least the seats are nice and comfy." Lea commented.

"And the scenery's beautiful too, especially in winter." Xion added as she gazed out at the window, watching the snow and trees pass by.

"So, we should be in Paris by tomorrow, right?" Roxas asked.

"It's what Dimitri had said." Isa nodded in agreement. "I still have my doubts on that man, however."

Lea nodded, "Yeah, somethin' about him and Vlad...I'm not too sure. Then again, whatever results that may be, at least it's getting Anya to where she wants to be, right?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Noct and Jack had finished helping Dimitri get their luggage up before the they found their seats. Jack sat on the seat next to Vlad, while Noctis sat next to door on the seat Anya was on. Dimitri tried to sit next to the pirate, only to be growled off by Pooka who had been there first.

"Mutt gets the window seat." Dimitri dryly commented, before taking a seat between Noctis and Anya.

"Once it got there, the dog is never going to move." Jack shook his head.

"Who asked you? You've ever been near dogs before?" Dimitri asked, glaring at him.

"'Course I have. Dogs never been my enemy, and I actually like dogs." Jack nodded, before cringing as memories of a certain rodent came to mind. "It's monkeys and toads that I don't like."

"What's a monkey ever done to you?" Noctis asked, smirking a little as he made himself comfortable.

Jack shuddered, "What hasn't a monkey not do? Especially one that belonged to a man who you don't want to meet. That little flea-bag would steal everything on sight and jump out on you to scare your wits off."

"That's no way to speak to the Princess." Dimitri scolded, before turning to scold Anya who was fiddling with her necklace, "And stop fiddling with that thing, and sit up straight! Remember, you're a Grand Duchess."

Anya glared back while folding her arms, questioning, "How is it that you know what Grand Duchesses do or don't do?"

"I make my businesses, you know."

"You sound just like a friend of mine everytime I refuse to eat my vegetables." Noctis rolled his eyes.

"How appropitate." Anya said, sarcastically.

Dimitri sighed, saying, "Look, Anya. I'm just trying to help, alright?"

Both Jack and Vlad begged to differ, as the two men shared a skeptical look before rolling their eyes while making humming noises that sounded suspiciously like, ' _Riiiiiight_.'

"Dimitri, do you really think I'm royalty?" Anya asked.

"You know I do." The man replied charmingly.

"Then stop bossing me around!" She snapped before turning away, leaving Dimitri with a look of a slightly disgusted and dumbfounded expression of shock, while the other three men laughed.

"Way to fall for that trick." Noctis chuckled with a smug grin.

"She certainly has a mind of her own." Vlad muttered with a grin to Dimirti.

Jack nodded and added, "All women do, and they're all difficult to understand."

Anya sticked out her tongue childishly to the pirate most of the men didn't notice.

"Yeah, I hate that in a woman." Dimitri grumbled, and this time Anya stuck out her tongue at him and turned back before he even noticed.

Vlad continued to smirk as he then secretly wrote in the book he was holding, pulling out a piece of paper over the travel papers, making a mark which had Anya and Dimitri's names on it, revealling lines on who was out-witting who, and at the moment, Anya was already way ahead of Dimirti.

* * *

A few hours passed, Sora and the others were venturing around the carriage out of boredom when the group, and Vlad who had come out with Pooka, heard two familiar voices from one of the seating rooms...and it appeared to be aguring.

"-What?" Came Dimitri's voice from within.

"Oh, just forget it! Urrgh!" Anya's voice growled.

Glancing at each other, Sora, Riku and Vlad slid the door open and entered, with Dimitri having his arms folded to his chest and gazing out at the window, while Anya noticed the three and sighed.

"Oh, thank goodness it's you three. Just please remove him from my sight!" Anya snapped while the group didn't see Dimitri mocking and mimicking her silently.

"What did you do?" Sora demanded to Dimitri.

"Yes, what have you done to her?" Vlad added.

"Surely she's angry 'cause you did something." Riku finished.

"Me?" Dimitri demanded, before pointing at the woman, "It's her!"

"HA!" She scoffed with her arms in the air before storming out, not even acknowlaging the rest of the group who backed up a little.

Sharing looks, Aqua then opened the door and asked, "What was that about?" even though Sora and Riku both silently pointed at Dimitri who didn't even notice.

"Oh, no! An unspoken attraction?" Vlad muttered off-handly while playing with Pooka.

"ATTRACTION!? For THAT skinny little brat? Have you lost your mind!?" Dimitri snapped before storming out now himself, passing the group who split ouf the way to make path.

"He wasn't talking to you!" Sora snapped at the retreating man, but by then, Dimitri was already gone, going into the opposite direction that Anya took.

"Attraction? Ridiculous!" Dimitri muttered madly to himself.

Very annoyed, Sora rolled his eyes and muttered even though he knew Dimitri wouldn't hear him, "Hmph! Whatever!"

* * *

Meanwhile, crashing through brittle limbs, as they navigate their way toward the train and the suspecting travelers, Rasputin's spirits catching up with the train, and as they rocket beneath the train and the engine, Rasputin's green minions leave a wake of flames on the tracks behind them. The spirits, now tiny little green demons, crawl all over the train engine and enters its boiler, and when it starts to overheat, the engine glows red, speeds up, and rattles as if it is about to fall apart.

Unaware of the dangers as it was getting late, while the worldly travellers and Anya were resting and/or sleeping, Vlad was passing by other passengers, all of them showing off their passports.

"The travelling papers were blue, now they're red." One passenger was saying.

When Vlad glanced at his after he heard this, he yelped in horror and panic, before hurrying towards where he knew Dimitri was. When the older man closed the door behind him, he muttered to the younger man, "It's what I hate about this government. Everything's in red."

"Red!?" Dimitri exclaimed softly. Just great; now they were in trouble because their travel papers were outdated.

"I propose we get the others and move to the baggage car, quickly, before the guards come." Vlad muttered worriedly, as Dimitri handed him a baggage.

"I propose we get off this train." Dimitri replied.

In one seating room, Pooka noticed something unusual and began barking at the window, which woke up Jack and Noctis who'd both been sleeping. Groggily, the two men sat up and noticed something green and strange outside.

When the three of them peered out at the window, one of the demon spirits got up to the window and made a wide-scary grin that scared them to the floor.

"WHOA!" Noctis cried out, while Pooka whimpered and hid behind him.

"AAHHH!" Jack shrieked.

"What the hell was that!?" The younger man breathed, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Demon Spirit." Jack muttered, horrified.

By then, Mickey came in running and said worriedly, "I heard screams. What happened?"

"You don't want to know." Noctis and Jack both said in unison.

"Well, Dimitrai and Vlad said we gotta move." The king told the two men who glanced at each other before they and Pooka got up and followed him out, along with Sora and the rest of the group, the worldly travellers and Anya who didn't know what was going on.

"Where are we going?" Skuld asked, confused.

"Anya, you broke my nose!" Dimitri was whining, as apparently Anya had hit him squarely in the face when he tried to wake her up from her sleep.

"You sure screamed loudly like a girl." Noctis couldn't help but comment at Jack who looked insulted.

"I did not." The pirate pouted.

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too, did too!" Noctis grinned.

Anya rolled her eyes, whispering to herself in exasperation, "Men are such babies."

The group were strongly unaware, however, of the dangers that were about to put their lives at risk.

* * *

 **A/N: I know that it's slow in this chapter, but I will try to make fight scenes in the next chapter. In the meantime, Kelsey Grammer, who voiced Vlad in the Anastasia movie, also voiced the Prospector(Stinky Pete) in Toy Story 2.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	30. CH29: A Crazy Adventure

**Author's Note: Not gonna say much, so let's just cut to the chase...or the fighting the bad guys.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or Anastasia.**

* * *

 _ **CH29: A Crazy Adventure.**_

The group of nineteen ventured through to a colder cart of the train, which, given that while Dimitri and Vlad, who wasn't exactly keen on being here as he instantly disliked the cold, were having a private conversation, it didn't take the others long to realise that there were various baggages, and crates, with a manual brake at the other end of the small room.

"What's with the bags and crates?" Myde asked, skeptically.

"A baggage cart?" Sora, Lea, Isa, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Noctis, Donald and Anya all inquired skeptically at Dimitri and Vlad who both turned and smiled sheepishly at them and the rest of the group.

"There wouldn't be anything wrong with our papers, now would there, maestro?" Anya asked with a skeptical smirk.

"Of course not, your grace. It's just that I hate to see you forced to mingle with all those commoners." Dimitri lied, charmingly.

Noctis, still skeptical and still a bit spooked on the mysterious demon spirit thing, turned to Jack and asked softly, "Is he making that up especially since we're in this freezing cart?"

"How am I supposed to know? This is my first train ride." Jack shrugged cluelessly.

"Wait a minute. We're common-AGH!" Myde didn't have the chance to finish what he wanted to say to Dimitri as all of the sudden there was a huge explosion sound that caused almost everyone to fall onto the floor and mostly on top of each other as, unknowingly to everyone, Rasputin's evil Spirits had caused the explosion that had separated the locomotive and the baggage car from the dining car which Vlad was about to enter, but now he was stuck standing at the edge of the destroyed door way.

"What was that!?" Mickey cried out, alarmed, while scrambled on the floor with his friends.

"I don't know!" Vlad replied, before grumbling, "But there goes the dining cart!"

While Pooka, who sensed that something was wrong, was barking at the door which connected to the coal tender and the locomotive, everyone else were trying to get off each other...a bit painfully.

"Get off me!" Anya grunted.

"Get off my leg!" Lea yelled.

"I'm trying!" Dimitri argued.

"Ow! That's my arm!" Noctis groaned.

Goofy tried to get up, but ended up accidently shoving Donald's head to the floor, causing the latter to groan, "Ouch!" which the former then realised and freed him.

"Oops! Sorry, Donald." Goofy sheepishly responded, cringing.

"We're still attached to the train. Something's wrong!" Aqua stated after she and the others finally got off each other as she, Riku, Terra, Sora, Mickey and Kairi sensed darkness...lurking around them.

Vlad, seeing that Pooka was trying to see something, peeked through the front window and peers at the engine and sees sparks raining down from outside, and instantly he knew that Aqua was right. "Uh, Dimitri?"

"What?" Dimitri, rubbing his sore leg, asked.

"I think Aqua's right! Someone has flambéed our engine!" The older man replied, worriedly.

When Sora and everyone else move forward and saw that the engine is blowing smoke and fire, they knew that Vlad was right. On top of that, the engine itself was bright red, and it looked like it was starting to melt and increasing in speed.

"I think you might wanna say that the train is being barbequed!" Roxas cried out.

"Not good." Jack muttered, worriedly.

Dimitri, having a bad feeling about this, told the others, "Wait here! I'll check it out."

"I'll go! I'm faster!" Noctis quickly said, and before anyone could stop him despite Aqua's protests, the young Prince summoned his weapon before climbing onto the coal tender and tossed his sword across to the engine which instantly warped him inside the engine room. To his horror and confusion, it was empty and the entire room was overheated, with sparks of fire flying all over the place.

"Damn!" Noctis hissed, before hurrying warping back to the others.

 _With Sora and the others..._

"Noctis!" Aqua cried out, but was too late as Noct had already wrapped to the locomotive.

"How did he do that!?" Dimitri asked, shocked and confused.

"Haven't known him that long, mate." Jack shook his head, only to be startled when suddenly familiar monsters appeared behind the group, with Anya, Dimitri and Vlad shocked to see them.

"Oh, come on! Not again!" Sora groaned as he and the rest of the worldly travellers summoned their weapons, before he told the trio behind them, "Stay back! We'll handle these guys!"

The fight was quickly in place as Sora tossed his Keyblade at the Russian-Soldier like Heartless, destorying them instantly before being shot by a fire-shot in the shoulder which caused him to then dodge-roll out of the way when another Heartless attempted to attack him again and then spun his Keyblade as he preformed his Motion-Flow despite not having enough room to do so, slashing and hacking at the Heartless who was then destroyed. He then moved on to another.

Riku and Terra heavily clashed at the Heartless while keeping them away from, what they and everyone else soon realised to their horror and worry, crates full of dynamite, and when some of the Heartless that fired fire-shots dangerously too close to them, Myde quickly extinguished them with his water Abilities while also eliminating the Heartless at the same time, and finished off three other Heartless with his sitar.

Xion, not wanting to run the risk of using Fire or Thunder Spells, instead used Blizzaraga as did Skuld, Donald and Aqua, the four of them using as much as they can against the Shadow Heartless before the former Replica upper-sliced three in a single hit. Kairi did the similiar thing while jumping out of the way before she too was hit, and then spun around to attack and oblierate the Heartless that attempted to attack her.

Jack, Goofy and Ven just whacked and smacked at the Heartless they were fighting while also avoiding them at the same time as much as possible, with the former kicking one in the stomach(if the Heartless had any) which allowed Goofy to destroy it with his shield, while Ven blasted Blizzaraga which froze the Heartless into solid ice, allowing him to smash the three Heartless frozen into pieces before they disappeared.

Lea, restraining himself in using his fire abilities, instead used his Chakrams to slash and collide against the Heartless before leaping upward and smashed a Heartless that followed him across the cart, which it flew towards Isa who destroyed it instantly with his Keyblade he decided to use instead of his Claymore. The two then stood back to back before charing at more Heartless in effortless team work, smacking away the Heartless as they went.

Mickey triple-air-somersaulted while attacking the Heartless that came near him before he shot out Orbs of Light while merging them with his own Blizzaraga Spell to turn them into magical Freezing Orbs that hit the Heartless and froze them before they were engulfed by the power of Light and disappeared.

The King then slashed and whacked at the Heartless before being joined by Roxas who, like Sora, tossed his Keyblade at several Heartless before thrusting and slashing at the enemies. The two wielders then joined hands and spun around and around while holding out their Keyblades that destroyed the Heartless that tried and failed to get near them.

While the fight was on, Anya peeked out through the door and cried out worriedly when she noticed the increasing speed of the train, "We're going way too fast!" only to cry out when a Heartless nearly hit her, but was surprised when Dimitri, picking up a wooden pole, quickly smacked the Heartless away and towards Sora who saw what happened and destroyed it with his Keyblade.

Vlad was about to get attacked when all of the sudden, Noct warpped back in and the blade instantly destroyed the Heartless in a single perch through it's head. The younger man then joined in the fight as he slashed and smacked at the Heartless coming towards him and Vlad, half-warpping in the cart as quickly as he could. Anya, feeling useless, picked up the second wooden pole and when a Heartless came at her, she whacked it as hard as she could at it like a club, and repeated the progress five more times while running out of the way to avoid in getting hit.

Once all the Heartless were defeated, no one had time to relax, as Noctis quickly told them, "No one's driving this train! We gotta get outta here fast!"

"There's no one driving this thing!?" Roxas exclaimed.

"AHH! Runaway train!" Myde panicked hysterically, while Donald and Goofy screamed hystericallly and clinged onto each other, panicking.

"Guess we have to jump!" Dimitri quickly said, as he, Terra and Isa opened the side door.

"Did you say _jump!?_ " Anya asked, incrediously. To her and everyone else's dismay, when the three men opened the door, they were crossing a high bridge which below them were rocks and if that wouldn't kill them, the freezing water would. "After you!" She offered sarcastically to Dimitri.

"We gotta uncouple the cart!" Mickey called out seriously.

Little did they know, that Rasputin's Spirits heard this as they were hiding underneath the train and instantly moved to between the carts before fusing the locks by melting them and cooling them off to prevent the carts from seperating before they disappeared. Dimiti, not having seen the cause of this, leaped onto the the melted locks while Vlad handed him a hammer before the former began bashing away to try and break it off.

"We'll need something other than a hammer!" Sora stated.

Jack, quickly remembering the dynamite and seeing how that can easily be effective, had an idea and quickly shoved Lea and Isa out of the way, "Move!" and grabbed hold of one, much to their and everyone else's worry until they realised what he had in mind.

Dimitri in the meantime failed to break the locks as he only suceeded in breaking the hammer which snapped in half, much to his frustration. "Come on! There's gotta be something in there better than this!"

His wish came true as Jack hurried over and handed the younger man the now lit dynamite, much to Dimitri's horror but also relief.

"...That'll work!" He muttered, wide-eyed before setting it in a small hole that was perfect fit so that the dynamite wouldn't fall off. Dimitri and everyone else then quickly hurried behind none-dynamite crates and baggages, crouching down to brace themselves for the explosion.

"Where'd you get _this_ idea from?" Dimitri asked the pirate, dumbfounded.

"From a man who used to run a flower-shop." Jack muttered, referring to Vinny from the world of Atlantis.

One second later, the dynamite on the coupling between the engine's tender and baggage explodes, which also damaged a good section of the cart, which Donald, Kairi, Skuld, and Aqua raced to use blizzard and water magic to extinguish stray flames in a few places.

Unaware to them, the evil Spirits, seeing this, then flew towards the coming Bridge in the very short distance from a very high gap between two ledges.

"The Brakes are out!" Vlad cried out as he tried to turn the brakes, but they were stuck. Lea and Sora moved in to help turn.

"Turn harder!" Sora grunted.

 _ **SNAP!**_

The trio ended up accidently pulling the brake wheel broken.

"Aw, crud." Lea groaned, as the baggage cart, despite it being seperated from the train, was still going really fast.

"Don't worry." Dimitri told them to try and lighten the mood. "We've got plenty of track. We'll just coast to a stop."

All of the sudden, there was another huge tremor that caused everyone to fall down, as unaware to them, the Spirits had formed into a giant one to smash and destroy the bridge before they scattered and vanished as they and Rasputin had now believed that there was no way anyone could escape this death sentence. When Sora and everyone else stood up to see what happened, their eyes widened in horror as they all gasped to see that the bridge coming towards them had been 'blown' up into pieces.

"Uh, oh." Mickey muttered, fearfully.

"You were saying?" Anya muttered to Dimitri.

"This is not our day." Sora groaned in dismay.

Myde whimpered, "We're all gonna die."

Not responding to that, Dimitri then noticed chains in the cargo and grabbed hold of them, calling out to Vlad, "I got an idea Vlad, give me a hand with this." hurrying over to the other side of the cart.

But due to the speed, Vlad yelled out in alarm as he fell backwards into a box and became stuck. Kairi and Skuld hurried to help him while, to everyone else's dismay, more Heartless appeared, forcing most of the worldly travellers to fight them for round 2.

With only Anya left, she hurried to help Dimitri as she quickly realised what his idea was. He edges his way out of the car as the ground whizzes by beneath him while he lowers himself underneath the baggage cart.

"Hand me the chain!" Dimitri called up, reaching out for it, expecting Vlad, only to see Anya who was handing it out to him. "Not _you!_ "

"Everyone's busy at the moment." Anya informed in annoyance.

Despite the annoyance, Dimitri accepted the chains and hooks it onto the undercarriage, but due to the speed, twisted steel from the front of the train flies back at him like shrapnel. With Anya's help he pulls himself up just as the shrapnel whips by, shattering a tree. They land in near embrace, and catch their breath. Their eyes meet, stirring some distant feeling. They then snapped out of it while glancing back to the shattered tree receding it the distance.

"And to think that could've been you." Anya stated as she pulled Dimitri back onto the floor where he stood up.

"If we live through this, remind me to thank you." He replied.

As both the train and the baggage cart were almost at the collision course with the broken bridge, while Sora and the others defeated the last of the Heartless and Vlad recovered, Dimitri and Anya pushed off the rest of the chain which got caught on the tracks by the hook, pulling baggage car around and began to slide on it's side, but not before the worldly travellers defeated the Heartless again. Quickly everyone got to the other side, preparing to jump.

"This is our stop!" Mickey declared.

Instantly the group all jumped off the baggage cart and into the freshly fallen snow which softened their landing while the cart itself, after the Train, plunged off the broken bridge, crash, and ignite into a ball of fire with an enormous explosion when they hit the bottom.

Once recovering, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "That was too close."

"I'll say. I'm never getting on a train again for the rest of my life." Riku panted.

"Me neither." Sora agreed, dusting the snow off his shoulders and clothes.

Dimitri, twice as annoyed at the near death experience, hissed, "I HATE trains! Remind me to _never_ get on the train again."

"Remind me to never ride a vehicle on wheels again." Jack groaned, more than a little shaken.

"Ended up in a car crash too?" Noctis asked, unable to help but tease a little.

The pirate paused, before muttering in exasperation, "You've no idea."

* * *

Through the Spirital Orb Rasputin created so that he, Bartok and Arydn can observe this, to his dismay the group had survived the murder attempt and when the orb fades away the moment after Jack told Noctis, ' _You've no idea_ ', the evil Sorcerer began to have a temper tantrum and hissy fit while grabbing his throat and thinning it while also grabbing his beard hard, shaking about like a crazy person, babbling and screaming about.

"Uh...wow." Bartok stated as he and Ardyn watched the preformance.

"May I suggest you calm down before you lose control and take it easy?" Arydn stated, even though he was a little annoyed that the heroes, including Prince Noctis and Sora, had managed to survive, he was admittedly impressed with the accomplishments, while Rasputin hit his head on the rock table.

Bartok approached the sorcerer while saying in agreement, "Mr. Ardyn's right, sir. You know, you really should watch your blood pressure. My nephew, Izzy, just kneeled over one day, mid-mango."

"How is it that you know?" Arydn asked, curiously.

Rasputin's thumb came off when the man hit his hand on the rock, causing Bartok to pick it up and screw it back on while continuing, "Stress, it's a killer, and he's a fruit bat. No meat. No blood, even."

"How could they let her escape!?" Rasputin growled, "You were right, Arydn. That Sora and his companions are more trouble than they are worth!"

"It is a pity, isn't it?" Arydn replied.

Bartok shrugged in agreement as he approached the reliquary, "Eh, you guys are right. It's really upsetting. Huh, I guess this reliquary's broken." and to Rasputin's horror, the bat heaved it and tossed it into the air.

"YOU IDIOT!" Rasputin shrieked as he managed to catch it by stretching out his hand with the muscles and vains acting as a sling-rope. The reliquary landed in his grasp and the hand retreated back to the rest of his arm while he growled.

"You shouldn't have tossed it." Arydn told Bartok in a sing-song voice.

"Why not?" Bartok asked, shrugging, only for Rasputin to stand up and grabbed him in a tightening grasp.

"I sold my soul for this. My life, my very existance depends on it. And you," He chuckled, before growling angrily at the bat, "Almost destroyed it!" shoving Bartok's face into the glass of the reliquary.

"I get it, I get it!" Bartok quickly replied. "You break it, you bought it!"

"See that you remember, you miserable rodent!" Rasputin replied before tossing Bartok aside and happily made sure the reliquary was alright.

After landing on the floor with a thud, Bartok then mumbled to himself sarcastically, "Oh, sure. Blame the bat. What the heck? We're easy targets."

"What are you mumbling about?" Rasputin grumbled, hearing parts of what the bat was saying, as did Ardyn who rolled his eyes.

Quickly standing up, Bartok lied, "Anastasia, sir! Just wishing I could do the job for you, sir. I'd give her a HA! And a HI-YA! And then a OUU-WA! And I'd kick her, sir." while demostrating karate and kung fu moves.

"I'd personally send out the Heartless to do the job, a most powerful one that none of them can handle." Arydn smirked.

Rasputin on the other hand, had another idea as he said very evilly, "Oooooh! I have something else in mind. Something more _enticing_. Something...really... _cruel_."

* * *

Since the train was out, the group had to walk down the slope and made their way towards their destination on foot. On the bright side, at least it was getting warmer as they were getting out of the colder parts of Romanov Empire.

"So we're walking to Paris." Skuld surmised.

"No, we'll take a boat in Germany." Dimitri replied.

"Oh, so we're walking to Germany." Ven responded.

"Nope. We're taking a bus."

Anya sighed in relief, "A bus...!"

"Great...relaxation and a seat to sleep on." Noctis said, dreamingly.

"Yeah. I say we deserve it." Sora nodded in agreement.

Riku rolled his eyes, saying, "I can't believe you two want to think of nothing but a nap."

"Hey!" Sora pouted.

"Great. Another Gladio." Noctis rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Great. Another Sora." Kairi mimicked while giggling, causing almost everyone else to laugh, knowing that she was right. Sora and Noctis both pouted with embarrassed blushes.

The group came to a stop to rest at the small wooden bridge over a small river, with a roof over the bridge. Myde had collasped on his back, groaning in relief for a much needed break. Vlad on the other hand, had made a flower crown and placed it around his head and began dancing.

"Sophie, my dear. Vlady's on his way!" Vlad said loudly, looking like he was in La-La land.

"Who's Sophie?" Goofy asked, confused.

"Who's Sophie? She's a tender little morsel." Vlad said romantically, despite Dimirti's whispers of warning. "A cup of hot chocolate after a long walk in the snow."

"Vlad. Ixnay on the Ophiesay." Dimitri mouthed, but was ignored.

"Somebody's in love." Myde commented.

"Yeah, I'll say." Noctis smirked, only to be startled when Vlad took hold of him and began to waltz-dance like at a royal ball. "H-Hey!"

Donald began laughing at the sight of Noctis being danced around like a girl.

"She's a decadent pastry filled with whipped cream and laughter." Vlad continued while dipping Noctis low, much to the latter's embarrassment.

"Is this a woman, or a creme puff?" Jack asked, not getting it at all. Neither did Anya or the rest of the worldly travellers.

"No idea." Lea shrugged.

As Noctis let out a yelp after Vlad let him go and the younger man lost his balance before accidently crashing into Sora, Lea, Terra and Dimitri, all five of them crashing onto the ground while Vlad answered, "She is the Empress' ravishing first cousin."

"Wait, what?" Isa asked, blinking in confusion.

"But, I thought we were gonna see the Empress herself." Mickey was also confused, shrugging, "Why are we seeing her cousin?"

Suddenly the worldly travellers and Anya realised something and all slowly turned to Dimitri who tried to walk away un-noticed while humming innocently until he noticed their stern and annoyed glares.

"Dimitri..." Aqua began, sternly.

"Well," Dimiti finally admitted defeat and explained sheepishly, "No one gets near the Dowager Empress without convincing Sophie first."

"And you couldn't have told us before?" Sora asked in annoyance.

"Thanks a lot." Donald said dryly.

"Well, I...uh..." Dimitri stuttered a little.

Anya, very annoyed, shook her head and snapped, "Oh, no. Not me. No, no! Nobody _ever_ told me I had to _PROVE_ I was the Grand Duchess!"

"Look, I-"

"Show up? Yes. Look nice? Fine. But lie?" Anya asked, not liking the idea of having to lie to anyone.

"You don't know it's a lie. What if it's true?" Dimitri pointed out.

"Hate to say it, but he does have a good point." Terra reluctantedly agreed, "Besides, none of us really know yet if you are the Grand Duchess or not. For all we know, what you would say could be the truth."

"Easy for you to say!" Anya pointed out in return while gesturing at her clothes, "I mean, look at me! I'm not exactly Grand Duchess material here!" before storming off to the bridge.

"Aww..." Donald grumbled, feeling sorry for Anya. So did the rest of the worldly travellers and Vlad.

"It's not easy trying to figure out your past." Ven sighed, placing his hands behind his head. He knew what Anya was going through.

"Or try and recover your memories." Skuld nodded in agreement.

Sora nodded as well, saying, "It's even harder when you lost them in the first place and you have no idea what's really going on." and most of the worldly travellers argued with that.

Xion, seeing how Anya was a little depressed, approached her after Vlad went up to her and stood by her right, while the former Replica stood by her left, gazing at the reflection of the small river below them.

"Tell me, child. What do you see?" Vlad asked gently.

Anya gazed at her reflection disappointingly, before answering, "I see a skinny little nobody, with no past, and no future."

"That's not true." Xion told her, saying, "You do have a past and more importantly, you have a heart. Just because you don't remember doesn't mean your memories are gone forever. They're just sleeping in your heart, out of your reach for now. The past is important to remember, but you also have to focus on your future too, and that future is in Paris."

The black-haired girl paused for a second before adding, "That necklace you were given is proof that you have a family. Me and Roxas, well...none of us were given anything except names when we were born and the only memories we have are our times with Lea, and everyone else...especially knowing Sora all too well." the last part, she was refering to that of being Sora's replica based on his memories of Kairi.

"So how did you move on?" Anya asked.

"By being with those we care about so much. Family isn't just about relatives, it's also seeing your friends as family too." Xion replied.

"She's right." Vlad nodded in agreement, "And what I see is an engaging and fiery young woman, who, on occasion, has shown a regal command equal to any royal in the world. And I have known my share of royalty."

He then looked back and forth once before adding to the two young woman, "You see, I was a member of the Imperial Court."

This did seem to make Anya feel a bit better. They were right. Soon, the rest of the worldly travellers joined up with them without getting crowded.

"Feeling better?" Noctis asked to Anya as he stood next to Xion. The young woman nodded, and he continued, "Everyone has their own problems with their lives, even minor ones."

"Don't worry too much about happened, Anya." Mickey added comfortingly. "Why, I'm searchin' for someone who taught me a lot for a long time and I'm worried sick about 'im. But I'm sure I can find him with the help of my friends. I just know you'll find your family and get your memories back, too."

"Yeah, Anya. We've all been there." Aqua added warmly. "It took Terra, Ven and I twelve years to get back together."

Jack wanted to join him and make comments about the Black Pearl, but restrained himself because he knew that not only it would break the World Order, but also that his said ship was now gone forever and he was still on exile from his own world. So instead, he nodded in agreement.

"Guess we all had our own problems." Anya stated.

"Yup. Took me, Donald and Goofy a year to find Riku, Kairi and Mickey." Sora nodded in agreement. "A lotta people would want to go out finding someone or something and it takes them years, but they eventually found it. So don't give up just yet. We've got your back."

That made Anya feel even more better...it's too bad Dimitri had to go and ruin it as he joined up and stood with the group, asking the eighteen year old woman, "So, are you ready to become the Grand Duchess Anastasia?"

Vlad and most of the worldly travellers gave Dimitri looks while Anya, Aqua, Kairi and Skuld rolled their eyes and walked off, and Jack, Riku, Isa shook their heads.

"Nice going, Einstein." Myde commented dryly.

"What?" Dimitri asked, shrugging cluelessly.

"There's nothing left for you back there, my dear." Vlad stated to Anya, gesturing at the path they all came from. "Everything, as Xion said, is in Paris."

She thought about it, and given that the only thing waiting for her where she came from was the Fish Factory, nothing else. Plus, Anya came this far and even if she may not be the Grand Duchess, at least she had the lessons in how to be a proper lady and she would be in Paris to continue her search.

Nodding, Anya turned around with a beaming smile and told both Dimitri and Vlad, "Gentlemen, start your teaching."

"I remember it well." Vlad replied.

"And we'll help along the way." Sora added, with his companions nodding in agreement.

* * *

Along the way to the Bus Stop to Germany, Anya was being taught of etiquette and how to act like the Grand Duchess as well as memorizing the names of the Royalty which, while she had a bit of difficulty, she suddenly remembered one of them having a yellow cat, much to everyone else's surprise.

Other than Heartless appearing which was nothing Sora and the worldly travellers couldn't handle, they had other rides along the way, from truck, to horse-back...which while most of them had a knack to it, Dimitri, Sora, Myde, Goofy, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Noctis and Donald, when they tried to get their horses to leap over a log like everyone else did, instead ended up being catapaulted off when their horses skid to a stop, causing them to fall face-first into a small puddle of mud.

Eventually, the bus they waited for finally took the group to Germany where they then boarded the boat which would take most of the day to Paris as they would be arriving at their destination the next morning. They all settled into their cabins before reaching the deck to relax. Dimitri had given Anya a dress earlier to try on to give her an appearence of a well-dressed young lady.

Jack was standing by the railing as the sun began to set, feeling at real peace for the first time since being forced on exile. Unlike the military ship at Atlantis, this boat was much smaller, though still not the same as the Black Pearl or other ships he rode on growing up, but it was better than nothing. He truly missed the feeling of the waves beneath the vessel. He could finally feel his sea-legs starting to return. A motion which he wished to feel again.

"As soon as the boat lands, it's only one carriage away to meet Sophie and the Empress, right?" Sora asked, leaning back against railing at the other side of the deck while careful not to fall off.

"Yeah, but problem is how to handle this without causing hostile." Noctis nodded. He was admittedly worried how the Empress would take in meeting them. Something told him that it was going to be a lot harder than articipated. If ten years had keeped her away from her granddaughter, then he had a feeling that, with no other family, the queen wouldn't be quite so happy.

"You worried about somethin'?" Lea asked, noticing Noctis' worried look.

The young Prince shrugged, "It's just...losing family or your friends or even someone you love, or losing all of them can will make a person a complete wreck. Especially after a long time. I mean, who's to say that Empress might not want to even consider the fact that her granddaughter is still alive and wouldn't even want to even think about it?"

The rest of the worldy travellers glanced at one another with sudden realizations and concern. Noctis did have a good point. What if the Empress didn't even want to see Anya? If the ruler had become strict and embittered after ten years, she might not even want to help and that would leave Anya depressed and devastated. None of them even considered that.

"...Well, only way to find out is to see tomorrow. There's no sense in worrying about it now, right?" Roxas shrugged, though he couldn't completely hide the tone of uncertainty.

None of them had the chance to continue the conversation as they heard Anya clear her throat. When they and everyon else turned to see, their eyes widened as she was wearing the dress Dimitri gave her. It was a simple blue dress with short sleeves and a white collar. She also let her hair loose and had tied a blue matching ribbon in it. Needless to say that it suited her.

Lea lets out an impressed whistle and smirked, "That dress suits you, Anya."

"You look beautiful!" Kairi said beamingly. Aqua, and Xion both nodded in agreement.

"I agree." Skuld added.

"Wonderful! Marvellous!" Vlad said in agreement as he and everyone else, including Jack who also had to admit that Anya looked simply beautiful in a simple dress, approached the bashful but smiling Anya who was proud at her own accomplishments of having fashioned herself rather nicely. "And now you are dressed for a ball. And you will learn to dance for one as well."

Vlad then pulled a reluctanted Dimitri over to teach Anya how to dance and after a few small mistakes, Anya began to dance perfectly along with Dimitri, while everyone else watched on. Though seeing this and beginning to realise that love could interfere since Dimitri and Anya were slowly becoming close, Vlad began to regret in letting them dance and get worried.

"For a guy who can't dance, he's doing pretty well." Riku commented at Dimitri who had said that he wasn't really good at it.

"Anya's doing pretty well too." Skuld nodded. "I think she will be fine."

"The next thing she will be learning is the tango." Jack said, earning skeptical looks from his companions, causing the pirate to shrug cluelessly, "What? I have romanced a woman or two."

"Before you dumped them, you mean?" Isa deadpanned.

"All right, so I am not one for romance, but I at least have a bit of a go." Jack admitted, before adding, "As a general rule, it's not very nice to harm women...even if most of them tend to harm men."

While most of them just continued to look at the pirate skeptically, Sora and Kairi, unknowingly to each other, continued to watch Anya and Dimitri dance, and at the same time in the two teenagers' minds, they pictured themselves dacing with one another happily, and in Sora's case, the same way he pictured himself dancing with a younger Kairi at Halloween Town, only this time, he saw Kairi in her true age.

"Lovely..." Sora and Kairi both whispered in unison, only to quickly snap out of it when they heard each other say that and shared a glance of sudden shock, confusion and embarrassment, before they both turned away slightly as their faces turned pink and red and hoped that none of their friends had heard or seen them do this.

' _That was...ugh, man! I'm getting butterflies here!_ ' Sora thought to himself. Sure he liked Kairi...he really did. He had no idea what was wrong with him lately, but...ugh, everything about Kairi just made him feel very warm and...and almost as light as a feather.

" _I'm getting nauseous here._ " Vanitas appeared briefly as he groaned in disgust, before disappearing quickly before Sora could say anything in his head.

Sora mentally sighed as the memories of fighting Ven's former darkness in that nightmare at Atlantis made him really worried, reinforcing the terrified thought of Vanitas getting stronger. If that happened and Sora lost control...he had no idea what to do. Did he make some kind of mistake when he and Riku returned Ven's heart into it's original body that caused Vanitas to extract himself from Ven into Sora's heart and mind?

He desperately wished he could talk to Yen Sid. The Sorcerer would know what to do in this situation. The hard reality was that he was in Aced's clutches and Sora was stuck handling this on his own. As much as he desperately wanted to tell his friends, he didn't want to worry them. He knew, as he realised now, he would have to tell them sooner or later...

Before it was too late.

* * *

Later that night after Anya and Dimitri finished dancing, everyone retired into their cabins for the night, though before most of them went to sleep, Kairi decided to visit Anya, Vlad and Dimitri, though the latter was snuggled up on the floor wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by the baggages and sleeping soundly.

Vlad on the other hand, looked rather nauseous due to the motions of the waves the boat was making. To make matters worse, they were in for a storm so those who had slight or major problems with motion sickness were in for a rough night.

"Are you alright?" Anya asked softly, concerned.

"You don't look good." Kairi whispered in agreement as she sat on her knees.

"I'm fine." Vlad said dismissively, before glaring a little jealously at Dimitri's direction, and admitted, "Just riddled with envy. Look at him. He can sleep through anything."

Pooka, having sensed something, snuffled into one of the bags which, due to the puppy leaning, it toppled over and fell, with both him and something else falling out. When both Kairi and Anya looked at it, they both realised that it was a a hand-sized golden oval box with little leg stands like a tea table. It also had Emerald jewels on it as well.

"What a beautiful jewellery box." Kairi said, admiring the item as Anya picked it up and examined it carefully.

"Jewellery box...are you sure that's what it is?" Anya asked, almost absently as she felt another powerful familiarity from it. She could somehow hear music in her mind, and people dancing as well.

"What else could it be?" Vlad inquired.

"Something else. Something special. Something to do with a secret." Anya said, still absently, before laughing when Pooka tickled her.

"Maybe this is another clue to your memories." Kairi said encouragingly.

"You think so?"

"Could be." Vlad spoke this time as he began to climb up the top of the bunker bed. "You taught Dimitri how to waltz, didn't you?"

Anya decided to agree, and when Kairi bid a good night to the two of them and Pooka, she retreated to her own room while Anya crawled into the lower bed of the bunker and snuggled up with the puppy.

Watching all of them sleep were Rasputin, Bartok and Arydn, the two men smiling evilly while the bat had some compassion towards Anya and the worldly travellers as the trio were gazing more on them through the Spirital Orb.

"There she is, master. Sound asleep in her little bed." Bartok said, smiling.

"And so are Sora and his friends, especially miss Kairi and Noctis..." Arydn said, grinning evilly.

Rasputin waved his hands over the orb as he said vemonously with an evil grin, "And pleasent dreams to you, Princess, and vicious nightmares to your friends Sora and many others...I'll get inside your minds, where you can't escape me."

* * *

While everyone slept, green mists of Rasputin's Spirits appeared, one covering Anya and turning into butterflies where she began to have a pleasent dream, the rest entered the other cabins where the worldly travellers slept in groups...and the results were quite terrifying that it was making all of them twitch, toss, turn, moan and whimper as nightmares were taking a hold on them.

* * *

 _Sora's Nightmare..._

 _Sora had no idea what was happening or how it was happening. One thing he was certain of, though, he was experiencing the horrors that was his worst nightmares. Everywhere he looked, he was terrified...not just for himself, but mainly..._

 _For those he cared about._

 _All around him, Sora didn't want to believe it, but was as though his worst fears had come true;_

 _Terra being overtaken by a revived Master Xehanort who held the X-Blade high up in the Keyblade Graveyard, where a beam of Light and Darkness shot up towards the familiar floating Heart-shaped Moon of Kingdom Hearts, hitting it squarely in the middle, causing a massive explosion through out the entire area and engulfing the Realm of Light, causing Sora to scream._

 _Then he saw Aqua still trapped in the Realm of Darkness, losing Master Eraqus' Keyblade and captured by a Darkside Heartless and swallowing her up whole where her strangled screams faded into darkness._

 _Ventus remaining comatose before his body fades into nothing and his heart also faded as well, gone forever._

 _Lea and Isa forced to kill each other while the latter had still been possessed by Master Xehanort and the latter failing to save him, Roxas, Xion and Namine who were still trapped within Sora and Kairi, not having been made humans._

 _Myde being engulfed by the Heartless and then killed by a blond-haired women wearing the Organization XIII coat with powers of electricity and multiple knifes as weapons._

 _Mickey mourning the loss of Master Yen Sid who, along with Angeal and Genesis, had been struck down by Aced who then slaughters Riku who's body and heart were then over taken by Xehanort's Heartless "Ansem" who then sends Donald and Goofy into the darkness where they disappeared._

 _All of Sora's friends and their worlds engulfed by the darkness and destruction of Xehanort's powers and success in creating the Second Keyblade War._

 _Jack engulfed by the Kracken as he futilessly attempted to kill it from the inside and had not been able to gain his Keyblade after Elizabeth had chained him to be left behind to give herself and everyone else the chance to escape._

 _Skuld struck down along with Ephemer and Strelitzia by two unknown attackers, one of them somehow resembling to Lamuria and another with dark hair and a hat._

 _Even Noctis whom Sora hasn't known for along, engulfed by some kind of Crystal as Ardyn watched evilly, then suddenly, Noctis, ten years older, is perched through the chest by the swords of many spirits before he, along with others and a woman use massive powers of light to destroy Ardyn in a spirital Realm._

 _Serah even, dropping dead by the blade of Caius who glared hatedly at her when her body faded away, and another woman, almost identical to Serah but about three years older, taller and a bit like Cloud, but with strawberry blonde-hair, mourning for the fallen Serah until she too is struck down by Caius._

 _Cloud and Zack falling to their deaths by Sephiroth who then destroys one world with a giant Meteor Spell._

 _Finally, Sora saw Kairi, holding the dead body of...himself, covered in blood, and her crying, distraughted. Sora wanted to reach her, to get her to see him, thinking that he has died all of the sudden. But then bright light shined down and both Sora and Kairi looked up to see a huge figure in light, with Master Xehanort, Chaos, Caius, Arydn and all of the villians Sora faced standing there. With them, were the Titans from Olympus Coliseum._

 _Just then, to Sora's horror, the figure of Vanitas, but with Sora's head, stood over Kairi and Sora suddenly felt frozen, unable to reach her. Tears began to form in his eyes as Sora struggled to free himself from the invisible binds that were holding him back, only able to watch as what he quickly realised, to his horror, was Vanitas having possessed Sora rise the Dark-Geared Keyblade and..._

 _"KAIRI!" Sora screamed out, reaching out with one hand as he didn't realise that the light in his heart flared up and glowed, causing everything except for Kairi to quickly disappear before she was killed by his possessed-self. The light then lit up the darkness all around them, and Kairi, as though realising that what she'd seen had been an illusion, stood up slowly before turning around and, as the binds faded, the sudden relief filled her expression._

 _"SORA!" Kairi cried out in relief, running towards him as Sora ran towards her, in relief as well..._

* * *

"Sora! Sora!"

Even though the voice was distant, Sora immediately recongised it, especially since he felt hands on his shoulders. He awoke, panting heavily as slight disorientation took hold before he remembered where he was. Over him was a rather tearful but quickly relieved Kairi who looked as though she'd just woken up from a nightmare herself.

"Kairi!" Sora jolted up, and before he realized what he was doing, he pulled Kairi into a tight hug and shuddered as he tried not to cry, very relieved that this was real. "Y-You're okay...!" He choaked, his throat unusually thick with tears.

While she had been startled, Kairi's emotions got the better of her and she returned the embrace, crying on Sora's shoulder as she muttered, "I saw you...dying in my arms in my nightmare, Sora...! Everyone was gone...including you...!"

Sora's heart froze and ached at the same time when he heard those words, but he tried not to break down completely. It was more important that Kairi needed his comfort despite the traumatizing nightmare which one of them had been one of them being his worst fears, combining with his other worst fears.

Suddenly, both were drawn out of their emotions when they suddenly heard Dimitri shouting out Anya's name, which caused Sora and Kairi to glance at each other before both hurried out of the cabin to see what was going on. Yanking the door open as the boat was rocking more violently than earlier, and water spilling out from the deck above and saw just in time that Dimitri disappeared onto the deck.

The rest of their companions, who all also looked like they had just awoken from nightmares themselves since they looked rather pale and sweaty like Sora and Kairi had, join them in concern.

"Something's wrong!" Mickey cried out, "If Anya's out there, that means...!"

"No time for talking! C'mon!" Noctis quickly told them, and after having everyone gather around him, the young Prince summoned his weapon before thrusting it to outside, causing him and everyone else to suddenly wrap onto the deck which they soon realised was the storm brewing, as they all, while a bit shaken form the sudden wrapping, were quickly getting wet from the mixture of rain and rough waves from the ocean.

"Don't do that again!" Jack requested, already shaken enough as he had a terrible nightmare of a possibility of what would've happened if Elizabeth had chosen to chain him onto the Black Pearl rather than sending him on exile.

"Where's Dimitri?" Ven cried out, worriedly.

"Look! There he is!" Goofy cried out, pointing to the left of the deck.

"And Anya too!" Donald added.

True to their words, Dimitri was making his way towards Anya who was standing on the railing of the boat, preparing to jump. To make matters worse, her eyes were closed, which meant that she was sleep-walking. On top of that, a giant Shark-like Heartless suddenly appeared from the water and was about to engulf Anya had Dimitri not pull her back even though, still sleep-walking, was struggling against him.

"Back off!" Sora shouted at the Heartless, summoning his Keyblade before tossing it at it's head, causing it massive pain, while Kairi, Xion, Roxas and Goofy hurried to help Dimitri to pull the still struggling Anya to safety.

The Shark Heartless then opened it's jaws and shot out a huge water-jet at the group who leaped out of the way as it hit the deck, flooding the ship a bit more. Realising that the only way to solve this crisis is Lightning Spells. So the group focused on both that and their combat skills. Sora, Riku, Aqua, Donald, Mickey, and Skuld focused on their Thunderaga Spells to zap at the Heartless who shrieked in pain due to being weak by electricity.

The others clashed against it with their weapons as hard as they and the others could against it, leaping up and avoiding it's dangerous attacks like the sharp-toothed drills it suddenly used with it's arms, though it hit them and knocked all of them back onto the deck, some of them were bleeding. Quickly using Curaga Spells and Potions as well as exilirs to regain their Magic Manas before leaping out of the way before they could get hit again.

Mickey then used Stopza to freeze the Heartless in it's tracks which allowed him and the others to attack it while it was briefly frozen in time. Sora then used Strike Raid at the Heartless' chest while Aqua used Ghost-Drive to weaken it further. Lea summoned up Fire-Balls and sent them towards it before he was knocked back by the Heartless surprise attack when the Stopza spell wore off, causing him to crash into the wet deck.

Noctis wrapped at the monster's head and summoned a spear that was modern design before stabbing it right into the Heartless' skull and grunted as he tried to hold on without losing his grip. Riku used Dark Raid as did Terra, both of them blocking the Heartless's attacks by slashing at it's arms before it even had the chance and Skuld used a Barrier Spell to block it's Hydro attack to protect herself and everyone else. Donald then used his Fire-Works Spell with the aid of Sora and Goofy(who along with Kairi, Roxas, and Xion arrived to help) who all used their special Trinity to blast at the Heartless who couldn't escape this attack.

Isa used the Gust Ability to force back the Heartless Hydro Attack, reflecting it backwards before he and Myde rushed over and whacked and slashed at it with both Isa's Claymore and Myde's Sitar, giving Jack the chance to slash at it's small legs before ducking to avoid it's massive jaws that nearly bit his head off.

Ven tossed his Keyblade at the Heartless' head before following up with a Thunderaga Spell once more and then clashed at it with his Keyblade which allowed Lea to toss his Chakrams to quickly add up the attack, catching the weapons when they returned him before he switched out to slash at it with his Keyblade.

Kairi held up her Keyblade and summoned her Pink Orb Magic Spell, thrusting it out at the Heartless after training at Radiant Garden with Aqua and Merlin, before she then summoned a slightly more powerful Blizzard Spell to give it much more than a painful frost-bite.

Roxas and Xion both joined together as they took turns in using both Keyblades in two hands, attacking the Heartless with slashes and slices as well as Strike Raids, sending it backwards onto the deck. Goofy spun around using his Goofy-Nado attack, hitting it though he and everyone else were again struck back when the Heartless' drills thrusted out and even knocked Noctis back onto the deck.

After quickly recovering, Sora then switched into his Valor Form before rushing over and thrusted at the Heartless with the two Keyblades in hand as quickly as he could before he did something he never even thought of before.

Leaping and somehow hovering in the air, Sora's two Keyblades then turned into Star-Like pistols which, while he was amazed by this new sudden development, held out the weapons which shot out multiple lasers of Light which increased the damage on the Heartless before he held them both up and it quickly turned into a driller which he then launched himself towards the Heartless and gave it the taste of it's own medicine.

This gave Riku and Aqua the chance to use their Motion Flow as they glowed in light before sliding on the railing and then leaped up before thrusting their Keyblades down at the Heartless' head while Kairi used a Fira Spell and Mickey used Orbs of Light before whacking at the Heartless while triple-air-somersaulting in the process. Skuld then spun her Keyblade above her and then leaped up into the air before thrusting it down and spun her Keyblade right at it's face as she did so.

Sora, with his Keyblades returning to normal as his Valor Form wore off, rendering him back to just the Kingdom Key, he then thrusted the finishing blow at the Heartless' chest before leaping back and once again tossing his Keyblade at it which hit it twice before the weapon returned to him. As Sora and his friends stood together, the Heartless gave a final roar before falling backwards and fell into the ocean, where a large heart floated up before vanishing along with the defeated monster.

Relaxing and putting away their weapons, the group then hurried over to Dimitri who finally awoke Anya who snapped her eyes open. She then panted and looked absolutely frightened.

"What happened?" Skuld asked, worriedly.

"T-The Romanov curse!" Anya cried out.

"The Romanov what?" Sora asked, confused and worried.

"Curse!"

"What are you talking about!?" Dimitri cried out, confused. He was then startled when Anya buried her face into his chest and began to cry.

"I keep seeing faces; so many faces!" Anya sobbed, hugging him tightly. This only concerned the worldly travellers even more as they all shared worried glances, none of them, not even Anya or Dimitri caring about being soaked as the storm had finally passed and the sea began to calm.

So, in his attempt to calm her down while relieved that Anya was safe, Dimitri returned the embrace, saying calmly, "It was a nightmare. It's all right now. You're safe now."

' _Even Anya had a nightmare..._ ' Sora thought to himself, before realising, remembering how his companions had all looked like they'd woken from nightmares before the Heartless appeared, they all had nightmares too. Including Kairi and himself...

Something wasn't right.

* * *

He couldn't believe it! Anastasia and those meddling Keyblade wielders and their allies had escaped again! Worse still, the light in Sora's heart freed him and his friends from Rasputin's Nightmare Spell and due to them destroying the Heartless, allowed Dimitri to save the Princess and wake her up as well!

He finally lost it.

"Nooooooo!" Rasputin yelled insanely in rage before pulled his face while his neck stretched up right up to the ceiling, before he began to strangle himself as well as smashing his head twice against the ceiling.

"Easy, master. Wow!" Bartok winched as he flew up to Rasputin's head.

"Calm down, before you fully become enraged." Arydn called up as he watched the rather slightly embarrassing development. Though he had to admit, he was very annoyed himself that Sora was much more powerful than he articipated. The light in his heart and his close relationship with Kairi was astonishing...just like Noctis and a certain woman he loves.

"He's right, sir." Bartok agreed, "This is no time to lose your head."

By then, Rasputin, calming down, breathed in and out while his head slowly returned to the rest of his body, before saying to try and keep his cool, "You're right. I am calm. I am...Heartless. I have no feelings whatsoever." only to have his head go into his chest cavity.

"Sir?" Bartok asked, before going into the chest to join the head.

Rasputin on other hand, suddenly realised there was only one way to settle this once and for all. "I feel a sudden onset of clarity, Bartok. I'll have to kill her myself...in person."

"What? You mean...physically?" Bartok asked, incrediously.

"Well, you know what they say." Arydn said in agreement, while making sure Rasputin didn't end up crashing into the wall since the latter's head was literally in his chest. "If you want something done right..."

Bartok climbed out of the chest while pulling Rasputin's head back out while pointing out to Ardyn, "But that means, goin' topside."

"Exactly!" Rasputin said, saying delightfully, "I have so many fond memories of Paris. And killing the last of the Romanovs and also Sora and his friends with my own hands will be so _delicious!_ "

He then pulled up a very medivel King's red cape over his shoulders as though he was going out to a ball or something and said charmingly while spraying prefume onto himself to make himself more presentable, "Time to go."

"But you're dead!" Bartok pointed out, worriedly. "You're falling apart, sir. How do you expect to get to Paris in one piece?"

"I thought we'd take the train." Rasputin shrugged.

"I have a better idea. It'll save you from having the trouble of showing your exit visa and travel papers." Arydn suggested, before turning and held out a hand with an evil grin as a Corridor of Darkness appeared.

Slightly suspicious, Rasputin, being familiar with darkness, shrugged and decided to follow Arydn into the portal, Bartok gulped nervously while clinging on for dear life to enter the scary portal to who knows where...

Thankfully, it was right to Paris.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this chapter was shorter than the last one, but I had done my best with the battle scenes. See you all in the next chapter!**


	31. CH30: Truth and Inner Change

**Author's Note: With any luck, this chapter is the second last of the Romanov Empire world before we move on to the next world...which by the way I'm kinda stuck on which one to pick next before returning to Olympus Coliseum.**

 **The options I have in my mind so far are Agrabah, the Jungle Book, the Great Mouse Detective and Tangled. Think I'll be able to make up my mind by the end of this chapter, but which do you guys think should I do-Other than Tangled, of course-?**

 **Only way to find out is at the end of this, so in the meantime, let's continue on.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or Anastasia.**

* * *

 _ **CH30: Truth and Inner Change.**_

The rest of the night went, sort of, better once the group went back to their cabins after drying off. The worldly travellers still couldn't figure out what had gone wrong or what Anya meant on this 'Romanov curse', though both Jack and Skuld suspected that it had something to do with her past. Sora on the other hand, suspected that someone in this world with a dark heart was causing not only the nightmares, but also possibly the train crash that nearly costed them their lives.

Either way, there was no sense in worrying about that now. Once the boat docked early the next morning, the group boarded a double decker bus that would take them to Sophie's house where Anya would try and prove that she was the Grand-duchess. At the moment, though, the young woman was getting increasingly nervous.

"Where's Uncle Boris from?" Dimitri asked.

Instead of answering, Anya asked, getting paranoid, "What if Sophie doesn't recognise me?"

"She will. You're Anastasia!"

Anya sighed, stating, "It's just that three days ago, I didn't have any past at all and now I'm trying to remember an entire lifetime."

"That's why you've got Dimitri and us." Noctis encouraged, then repeated Dimitri's question, "So, where's Uncle Boris from?"

"Moscow?" Anya guessed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a large house that Vlad lead everyone to as he was at the front door, knocking on the door. It opened to reveal a maid who responded kindly in french, only for a blond-haired woman, upon seeing Vlad, squeal happily before shoving her maid back and blocked the door while eying him happily.

"Sophie Stanislovskievna Somorkov-Smirnoff!" Vlad cooed, while happily and romantically kissing the woman, obviously Sophie, on the arm which she enjoyed as she greeted him back, while the others shared glances...

"Vladimir Vanya Voinitsky Vasilovich!" Sophie replied. "Well, this is unexpected."

She then noticed the rest of the group, except for Myde and Jack who lingered back for too long, and Sophie apologetically but still happily continued, "But look at me. Where are my manners? Come in, everyone."

While Sora and the rest of the group followed the two 'lovebirds', Myde and Jack, who noticed too late as they looked at the front yard, and Pooka, who'd gotten stuck in the gate before getting himself out, all hurried over to try and catch up. Too late, the door closed on their faces so hard that the impact caused the two men to fall backwards, holding their now sore noses.

Jack's once again was a bit out of shape as he shifted it back painfully, before he muttered, "Obviously none of them even noticed."

"Too bad they're not gonna let us in, that's for sure." Myde grumbled sourly after his knocking went unanswered. Or if they heard it, they ignored him. So the next best thing he, the pirate and the dog had to do was head over to the nearest window and peek through it, which is what they did while inside, everyone gathered.

"May I present Her lmperial Highness the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolayevna?" Vlad stated as he and Dimitri brought Anya forward while Sora and the rest of the group watched on, slightly anxiously.

"Oh, my." Sophie blinked, rather surprised as she circled around the young woman in her blue dress. "She certainly does look like Anastasia. But so did many of the others."

Once they all took seats, Sophie almost immediately inquired to Anya, "Where were you born?"

"At the Peterhoff Palace." Anya replied.

"Correct." Sophie improved. "And how does Anastasia like her tea?"

"I don't like tea. Just hot water and lemon."

Sora and the others shared glances once again, shrugging as they realised that this was possibly the test to see if Anya was the real Anastasia or not. Otherwise why else borther with the quiz?

Outside, Myde groaned before turning around and slumped slowly to the ground, leaning against the wall. "Great...Pop-Quiz. I hated those things."

"One must know a patience, mate." Jack pointed out as he sat on the ground next to his companion, even though he had no idea what this 'pop-quiz' word meant, but if it had anything to do with Sophie's questions, it's a new way of pronouncing the test.

Surely it shouldn't take too long. Right?

 _One hour later..._

As the sundial now read about 2PM, Jack decided he underestimated the timing. He'd never been so bored in his life, just sitting around waiting, and there wasn't even an ocean view and no movement either. Pooka paced back and forth out of boredom in the flower bed, and Myde had fallen asleep, snoring his head off due to waiting.

The pirate himself in the meantime, once again turned his attention to his Compass which, as usual, spun around all over the place. Much to his frustration.

"Finally," Sophie's voice alerted both Jack and Pooka as the two turned their attention back to the window.

Inside, Sophie continued with the (finally) last question, "You'll most likely find this an impertinent question, but indulge me. How did you escape during the siege of the palace?"

Vlad looked a bit horrified and dismayed, while Dimitri mentally groaned as he turned away and shook his head in dismay. None of them even thought this was coming. Sora and the others looked at each other, now worriedly.

"Uh oh." Lea whispered softly. Well, that went right out of the window. No where Anya would know about that!

Or maybe she did, because the young woman was deep in thought. In her mind, she saw herself, as an familiar eight year old girl, with an old woman, in a large bedroom filled with toys and something else...and she also saw a figure of a boy as a door opened in a wall...

"There was a boy. A boy who worked in the palace. He opened a wall..." Anya answered, before trailing off and chuckled at her own silliness, shaking her head as she apologised, "I'm sorry. That's crazy. Walls opening."

Upon hearing this answer, Dimitri slowly gazed at Anya's back, eyes wide with an expression of now shock, realization and disbelief dawning. As memories came into his own mind, and that he never mentioned anything about his own childhood at all, it matched with what Anya had told Sophie.

Which also explained why Anya resembled so much of Anastasia...because Anya truly is Anastasia. She had escaped after all and survived...only to have rendered amnesia as nothing else came to the young woman's mind.

Everyone else held curious looks, oblivious to Dimitri's expression.

"So, is she a Romanov?" Noctis asked after a moment of silence.

"Well, she answered every question." Sophie replied, which made almost everyone smile in relief.

"You hear that, child? You did it!" Vlad cheered and Anya leaped up happily as the two shared a hug, with the worldly travellers cheering or just smiling in relief.

"Well, well. She really did come through." Isa muttered with a proud smile.

"You did it!" Roxas cheered happily.

"Oh boy!" Donald jumped up and down happily.

"Hooray!" Goofy cheered.

Kairi clapped happily before asking Sophie, "So when do we get to see the Empress?"

"I'm afraid you don't." Sophie replied, sadly. The cheering went silent as she continued, "The Empress simply won't allow it."

"You mean...?" Riku muttered.

"No way." Sora muttered, now disappointed. Coming all this way and the Empress won't let them, or anyone else for that matter, see her at all?

"Aw, gee." Mickey muttered, sadly.

Vlad on the other hand, requestly inquired to Sophie, "Now, Sophie, my bright diamond, surely you can think of some way to arrange a brief interview with the Dowager? Please?"

After thinking about it while playfully avoiding Vlad, an idea quickly occured to Sophie as she turned to Anya and asked, "Do you like the Russian Ballet?" and when Anya nodded a yes, the older woman continued, "I believe they're performing in Paris tonight. The Dowager Empress and I love the Russian Ballet. We never miss it." and winked at Vlad who, at first didn't get it, but when he heard the rest of the woman's sentence, he suddely realised what she was on to.

As did everyone else.

* * *

"We did it!" Vlad cheered after a few minutes later, rushing outside to meet Dimitri who had retreated to think about what he'd just learned from Anya, and Jack, and Myde, who'd woken up and heard what happened, rushed in with Pooka to congratulate Anya.

Vlad then pulled Dimitri into a hug and spun him around before putting him down while saying, "We're going to see the lmperial Highness tonight. We're going to get the 10 million roubles."

"Vlad, Vlad...she is the Princess." Dimitri pointed out, now that the money was the last thing on his mind. In fact, the more he thought about this, the more he began to realise who wrong this entire thing had been. Now that he was fully aware of Anya's idenity, the only thing that mattered to him was having her reunite with her grandmother...

Which meant that, given how, as much as it irked him to admit it, he'd fallen in love with her, he would have to leave her side. Too bad Vlad was too happy to hear him.

"Anya was extraordinary! I almost believed her. And Sophie..." Vlad continued on, making Dimitri gaze him with a shocked and dumbfounded expression. The older man actually thought Anya made up the Door in the wall part?

By then, Anya and the girls in the worldly travellers group rushed out in excitement, the forming saying happily, "Sophie wants to take us shopping for the ballet. Shopping in Paris. Can you believe it?"

* * *

Later in the early evening, everyone went to the streets of Paris to many stores, even though the worldly travellers decided to decline in going to the ballet, especially since only Anya, Dimitri and Vlad managed to get tickets for the show along with Sophie(who along with the Empress) always got a discount.

At least there weren't any Heartless around...for now.

By the time Anya rejoined the worldly travellers as they prepared to head out to the theatre, the group were quite stunned at her gorgeus deep navy blue dress with a couple of sashes attatched to the back which were transparent. Both also sparked like stars in a night sky and her white long gloves matched as well. She also had a false-fur coat around her which also made her look perfect.

"You look really beautiful, Anya." Aqua admired.

"Really suits you." Lea added after giving out another very impressed whistle. The others nodded in agreement, even though most of the boys in the group were speechless.

"You think so?" Anya asked, blushing a little.

Mickey nodded, "Of course! I don't think anybody would disagree."

Sora on the other hand, couldn't help but suddenly imagine Kairi in a similiar dress, only that in his mind, the dress Kairi wore was a light pink similiar to her outfit she was wearing now in reality, long and elegent, sparkly and without gloves, and glittering silver hair-clip in her hair.

It wasn't until the real Kairi's hand waved in front of his face that snapped Sora back to reality as he blinked, realising that he zoned out a little.

"You okay, Sora?" Kairi asked.

"Uh...Y-yeah!" Sora nodded, blushing a little in embarrassment. It didn't take long before Riku, Terra, Ven, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Goofy and Donald snickered in amusment at Sora's reaction. They knew what he'd been thinking about.

"I have to admit, I'm really nervous." Anya spoke up once again, fidgeting a little.

"Ah, you'll be fine." Myde said with a smirk. "Worst thing that'll happen the Empress'll not recongise you at first, but when she does, boy is she gonna be really shocked."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, think about it. You were eight years old the last time she saw ya', right? Now you've grown up, and she'll be like, 'She's grown up so quickly!', or something like that."

Isa in response whacked Myde on the back of the head, causing the younger man to whine, "Ow!"

"What Myde was _trying_ to say is," Lea began while giving the mullet-haired man a small glare before smiling at Anya, continuing, "We get that you're a little nervous, as most reunions after so long tend to be, but in the end, we're pretty confident that you'll do just fine."

"And if anything goes wrong, we'll be here for you if you still need some help." Skuld added kindly.

Anya smiled warmly when the others nodding in agreement once again, before she replied, "Thank you, everyone. For everything."

As much as she was nervous and somewhat excited to finally be able to return to where she came from, Anya had to admit, she was going to miss Sora and the others as they had stated that once she was settled in, they would be leaving to continue their own adventure.

"Well then, your grace." Jack spoke, gesturing for Anya to go first while bowing slightly, gentlemen like.

* * *

Waiting outside of the Opera house, Dimitri sat on the first step after coming to a conclusion after having thought about it all day, while Vlad, still oblivious, paced back and forth nervously, a little paranoid that something might go wrong.

"We don't have anything to be nervous about." Dimitri told his friend who finally sat down next to him, while he continued, in a tone of sadness, "She's the princess."

"I know, I know, But..." Vlad rambled.

"No, no, you don't know." Dimitri sighed, standing up before finally revealing the truth he hasn't told anyone, even his best friend, about. "I was the boy in the palace. The one who opened the wall. She's the real thing, Vlad."

After a moment of silence, Vlad finally came to the actual same conclusion, and amazement dawned onto him.

"That means, our Anya has found her family." He muttered, before standing up. Like Dimitri, a sudden change inside him emerged and real happiness, not for himself or Dimitri, but also for Anya, dawned. "We have found the heir to the Russian throne. And you..."

"Will walk out of her life forever." Dimitri concluded, much to his friend's shock. "I mean, Princesses don't marry kitchen boys."

Vlad on the other hand, knew that now was the time to no longer play along, as he told Dimitri sternly, "You've got to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Anya asked as she and the others made their appearence, only having caught on what Vlad just said. When the two men turned, they were stunned at her appearence.

"Uh...how..." Dimitri stammered, before regaining his composure as he answered, "How beautiful you look."

"Well, thank you." Anya replied.

Nodding and waving at the worldly travellers a goodbye for now, Anya walked into the building with Dimitri, arm in arm, as Vlad bowed to Sophie who also approached and the two did the same, while Sora and the others stood outside, believing that this would be the last time they'd ever see Anya now that she was going to meet with her grandmother.

"Wonder if she'll be okay." Kairi muttered, thoughtfully.

"She'll be fine." Sora ensured her. "I'm sure of it."

"So...now that Anya and the others are at the ballet...what do we do?" Myde asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, don't we still have to find the gummi-block piece or something?" Noctis added, holding his hands behind his head.

As though remembering something, Goofy suddenly pulled something from his pocket and held it out to show to his friends while saying, "Gawrsh, I almost forgot to show ya's."

When they looked, their eyes widened as a small orange and blue cube was shown and most of the group recongised it.

"Where did you get that?" Jack asked, stunned.

"I found it outside of that diner-bar before we entered. Ya' know, the one where all the ladies were dancin' on stage and Vlad had to rescue Sophie's shoe after she accidently flinged it off?" Goofy replied, thinking back on how Vlad had to run onto the stage and made a bit of an embarrassing but also amusing attempt to avoid in colliding in with the girls who were doing some kind of dance.

"Well, that's one other less thing to worry about." Lea commented, impressed.

"Great! Good work, Goofy." Mickey praised happily. "Looks like things turned out just fine after all."

However, it appeared the King spoke too soon, because all of the sudden, Heartless appeared surrounding the group who were startled in alarm of the monsters appearing again. While mentally groaning, they all summoned their weapons to fight yet again.

Sora, Roxas and Ven tossed their Keyblades boomarang style as the three weapons spun and destroyed fifteen Heartless in total before they retrieved them and then clashed and slashed at the monsters. The trio then used Ultima Spells to throttle their opponents.

Aqua spun her Keyblade mid-air while glowing in white light, preforming her Dream Weaver ability while facing a French-Styled Heartless before she cartwheeld out of the way and then moved to help Kairi who casted her Pink Orb Magic at three other Heartless and the two then held hands before spinning around elegently to create a wind made out of light which caught five other Heartless before the monsters were vanquished.

Mickey and Riku joined hands before they spun around in mid-air, holding out their Keyblades as Light from their weapons shot out, destroying the Heartless who made the futile attempts to attack them and were destroyed as they were hit by the powerful attacks. Lea tossed his Chakrams at the two Neo-Heartless before retrieving them and then blasted out a huge wall of Fire, sending out to the two Heartless as well as the smaller Shadow Heartless.

Terra and Isa slammed their weapons downward at the those annoying fat Heartless which can only rechieve damage on their backs and were knocked into the other fat Heartless, bouncing until the two men managed to destroy them. Skuld leaped high into the air before slashing and whacking at the flying Heartless that attempted to attack her but were destroyed in the process befroe she decended back onto the ground safely and continued the battle.

Xion and Donald held up their weapons which touched at the tips which created a Firaga-Blizzaraga Spell combined which rained down at the Electric Type Heartless who got wet and had electroduced themselves into oblivion due to this before the two seperated and continued to fight the Heartless on their own. Goofy spun around while hitting the Heartless with his shield, knocking them down while Myde created water pillars to engulf the monsters, drowning them before he moved on to whack them with his Sitar.

Jack fought one Heartless with his Keyblade swordsman style before managing to slice it's head off before he ducked just in time before another could slice his head off. Fortunately for the pirate, he was saved when Noctis suddenly appeared via warpping and slashed, and clashed against the Heartless with his own sword, slicing it down-side-ward and destroying it. After Jack thanked the younger man who nodded back, the two continued fighting the Heartless along with their companions.

But this time, the numbers were getting to them as one Heartless manage to catch Sora, Ven and Roxas by surprise, smacking them back where they landed in the middle and accidently crashing into Lea, Terra and Isa, while the rest of their friends were also knocked back, and all of them crashing onto one another into a small pile. The remaining 20 Heartless crept closer to them as they fumbled to get up quickly, knowing that, panickly, they were in serious trouble this time.

Before any of them had the chance or even the Heartless had the chance, the latter were somehow instantly destroyed when a single huge slice destroyed the monsters with perfect ease, eliminating them instantly. By the time Sora and his friends got off each other and stood up slowly, stunned at what just happened, the real shock kicked in as a figure in a familiar black coat, but the zipper desgined differently to resemble a heart, stood calmly.

In his hand was a strikingly and horribly familiar weapon in his grasp. And not just any weapon...a Keyblade, and not just any Keyblade either, but...

"Wh-But how!?" Sora stuttered, horrified as he instantly recongised that very Keyblade; the evil blue Eye on the blade, the gothic design...

"It can't be!" Mickey gasped, horrified, as where most of the worldly travellers. The only ones who weren't as shocked at the Keyblade were Myde, Jack, Skuld and Noctis.

"If that's true then, that means..." Goofy muttered, scaredly.

"Xehanort!?" Ven exclaimed, before standing in defense as did the rest of the group, even though those who didn't recongise Xehanort or his Keyblade were still confused.

Lea shook his head, grunting, "I thought you died when Sora and Riku destroyed you that damn thing!"

"This is Xehanort and that's his Keyblade?" Jack asked, dumbfounded. He then shuddered, "His is the most creepiest of them all."

To the group's surprise, the figure just gazed at the keyblade while asking, in a completely different voice than what they were expecting, "Oh, you think that I'm Xehanort because of this? Nah, not even close but good guessing."

"He doesn't seem like Xehanort. I can't sense his heart or darkness." Aqua reluctantly admitted.

"Doesn't even sound like Xemnas either. His voice is a bit too high." Myde shrugged, cluelessly.

"Are you saying that I sound girly?" The figure asked, with somewhat challenge in his tone.

The mullet-haired man shrank back a little, saying, "Uh, no. What I meant is that your voice isn't low and deep like, uh...like a bear or a stomach growling."

"Where did you get that Keyblade?" Terra demanded, ignoring Myde's comment.

The figure shrugged while dismissing it, "Where I got it? It happened after Xehanort died. His heart had been too connected to it that when those two there temporarely destroyed it. I guess you could say, it wasn't always his to begin with."

"What?" Sora asked, dumbfounded. "How does that make sense?"

"Man, you got a lot to learn, don't you?" The figure shook his head with a shrug. "I guess I can give you a bit of a hint; Where I came from is a long story, but let's just say, by eliminating the successor, it allowed the original owner to return and reclaim what had been his to begin with."

"Are you giving us a riddle?" Noctis grunted, not in the mood for mind games.

"So what you're saying is that you returned the moment Xehanort was destroyed." Skuld asked, suspiciously. "You didn't happen to have...disappeared, did you?"

"Disappear?" Ven asked, blinking.

"Faded, vanished, gone without a trace...caught on, didn't you? I mean, you and Ventus wouldn't have been made the second generation of the Foretellers if you didn't figure it out, right?"

"How did you know about me and Skuld and the Foretellers!?" Ven demanded, almost angrily.

That's when something came back into Skuld's mind as shock, realization and somewhat horror filled her expression, and she asked, "You...you're the Master of Masters, aren't?"

The figure then suddenly cheered and clapped childishly like, "I knew you get it! Congratulations, Master Skuld!"

When the question and the answer finally registered in the minds of almost everyone else, Sora, Roxas, Xion, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Kairi, Ven and Lea all exclaimed in shock and disbelief, "WHAAAAAT!?"

Jack and Noctis both shared a puzzled and shocked expressions, while Isa and Aqua shared a horrified and disbelieved expression, and Terra's jaw dropped slightly. Myde blinked, dumbfounded at this new revelation.

"You gotta be kidding!" Lea protested, wide-eyed. "YOU'RE the guy Skuld briefly told us about!?"

"Okay, what am I missing?" Noctis asked, more lost than he was a few minutes ago.

"How did you return and why are you possessing the Keyblade that's meant to be destroyed?" Aqua demanded.

The Master of Masters chuckled, explaining, "Simple. My body is connected to all of my power, and while I'm not supposed to reveal much, I can at least tell you that the destruction of the Keyblade's current owner not only restored in restoring itself, but also restoring me. Through the Gazing Eye of the weapon; My eye, in fact."

"You...pulled out your eye and placed into your keyblade?" Goofy scaredly guessed, which made the group have different disgusted reactions.

"Ewwww." Myde groaned, feeling sick.

"Oh, so that's how you guys react, huh? That it's completely gross!" The Master of Masters mocked.

"Well, it is a icky and painful thing to do." Roxas pointed out.

"Never mind that." Skuld shook her head, before taking a few steps closer to the man who was the Master of the Foretellers. "You knew about the original Keyblade War. Do you have any idea what Master Aced is doing?"

A tensed moment of pause.

"I can tell you that what Aced has in mind is what he believes is for the sake of the worlds. Though, I have to admit, it's not really a good thing. My eye told me that, even when wasn't even around. Though given how it also gave other wielders the power to foresee the future and the past, that's how your friends here had a little bit of trouble when it came to Xehanort." The Master of Masters explained.

"You mean...you can see the future?" Mickey asked, before muttering in realization, "Gosh...that explains how Xehanort knew about Sora and Riku's mark of mastery."

"No wonder he was always one step ahead of us." Lea grunted, angrily. "Because you and your sick joke in causin' all of this to begin it!"

"Hey, I'm not exactly proud in all of this." The Master of Master shrugged, before stating to the redhead, "Though, thanks to you and Roxas, you changed the future when it was originally not possible. Which also lead to this moment."

Before the worldly travellers could ask whatever else they wanted to say, the Master of Masters then noticed or rather sensed something and backed away, saying, "Hey, I'd love to stay and chat, but your friend is about to come meet you guys and you still have other things to solve on your own. I mean, where's the fun in revealing all of it right now?"

"Wait!" Sora cried out, racing to catch the man, but was too late as the Master of Masters vanished in a corridor of Light of Darkness, causing Sora to slow his pace until he came to a stop. The teenager grunted angrily, kicking the ground once, "He's gone!"

"Strangely mannered, that one." Jack commented.

"He knew about everything...right from the beginng and just let it all happen?" Skuld muttered, shaking her head in disbelief, her heart aching at the sudden truth. "All of the foretellers...having fought each other that created the Keyblade War...and the Master of Masters just let it all happen...!?"

"Skuld..." Ven muttered, feeling sorry for his friend, and feeling utterly guilty at the same time. Such a truth hurt more than anything else, and it made it worse when he couldn't remember much about it at all either.

"So...everyone even the past were all used?" Sora muttered, lowering his head. Most of the group shared uncertain glances, and while some information did help a little, they were left with more questions; what was the Master of Masters' intentions? Why didn't he reveal any of this and just let it all happen? Did he actually want all of it to happen? And Xehanort's Keyblade...originally came from the man they just confronted?

"Oh! An'!" Myde suddenly cried out as he turned around and saw...a rather fuming Anya storm out from the building, which got everyone else's attention. Seeing this, they all rushed over which, upon seeing them, she slowed down to a stop but looked away, angrily.

"What's wrong? Where's Dimitri and the Empress?" Xion asked, worriedly.

"He lied." Anya replied, furious.

"What you mean?" Lea asked, blinking. The conversation with the Master of Masters was instantly shoved back into his mind.

"Dimitri only used me to con the Empress to get her money! He lied from the very beginning and...Ugh!" Anya grunted, still fuming.

"What?!" Sora and the rest of the group exclaimed, shocked and horrified.

"The Empress heard about him before we even got here..." Anya explained.

"Why that little...!" Donald grunted angrily, and was about storm into the buildling to give Dimitri a piece of his mind, only for Mickey, Sora and Goofy to hold him back before he did anything reckless or stupid.

"So he lied to us." Riku grunted, now angry at Dimitri as well.

Lea angrily ran his fingers through his head, sighing while trying to keep his temper in check, "I knew there was somethin' suspicious about him."

"Con artists are never honest, and doing what he attempted to do with you and the Empress is not something to be forgiven." Jack sighed, angry himself.

Anya, sighing, then once again stormed off, which surprised the others who, including Donald who calmed down but still bitterly thinking about smacking Dimitri to next Tuesday, hurried to follow her.

"Anya? Where you going?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"To Sophie's. I'm leaving Paris and going back to St. Petersburg. I should've just worked at the Fish Factory!" Anya answered, and she could feel the beginning of tears forming in her eyes.

"You're not serious, are you!?" Sora cried out, shocked. "I mean, sure what Dimitri did was wrong, but you're just giving up now, even when you came all this way?"

"Yeah. So you're not the Empress' grand-daughter after all. Why not just stick around for a little while longer to find your real family while you're still here? You can't at least give up on that, right?" Myde agreed.

Anya paused, shaking her head. "If I did have a family here, someone would've noticed, or at least I would've noticed someone to look similiar to me. Besides, I can't just randomly ask people if they lost a daughter or granddaughter or niece ten years ago. For all I know...maybe I had a family who planned on moving here as a gift for me or something...and they all died and I have no one left..."

"I hate to say it but...she does have a bit of a point. Just knocking randomly isn't such a good idea." Noctis hesitatedly agreed.

The rest of the worldly travellers all sighed. Here they had hoped that Anya would find something...and yet coming here now...was a waste of time and all for nothing.

"Comrade Phlegmenkoff was right." Anya muttered, shaking her head again. "I was right; I'm just a nameless, skinny, no-account, nobody, with no past and no future. All I have is the necklace given to me by someone who is dead."

"That's not true." Mickey pointed out as he approached the distraughted young woman, as his heart ached in sympathy. "You have us, because we're your friends."

"Still..." Anya muttered, and while she did appreciate the worldly travellers, who she at least knew, with their honesty, were her real friends, not Dimitri, she also knew, with an aching heart, they couldn't stay and she couldn't go with them. "Can I...ask all of you at least to help me get back to Russia? I mean, you don't have you and I don't want to be anymore of a pest than I already was from the start..."

"Who says you're a pest? Of course we'll help! It's the least we can do. Right?" Sora replied, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement, while Kairi went over and gave Anya a comforting hug in an attempt to cheer her up.

Which did...a little.

* * *

A little while later, while Anya had left with the worldly travellers to Sophie's house as they'd been invited to stay for a little bit, Dimitri, having failed to get Anya to know the truth while feeling guilty for his actions, had drove a car he'd stolen and parked up right in front of Sophie's house, with the angered and not impressed Empress in the back seat, having brought here against her will.

Dimitri then walked out of the car front seat before opening the back seat, saying to the old woman firmly, "You _have_ to talk to her. Just look at her. _**Please.**_ "

"I won't be badgered by you a moment longer." The Empress informed him stubbornly.

Holding back the urge to sigh in exasperation, Dimitri knelt down low as he pulled out the beautiful box he carried with him since St. Petersburg, asking, "Do you recongise this?"

Gazing at the box, the Empress gently plucked it from the young man, and indeed she recongised it, asking softly, "Where did you get this?"

Instead of answering, Dimitri told her, softer this time, "I know you've been hurt, but it's just possible she's been as lost and alone as you."

A moment of pause, and then the Empress, seeing how she wasn't going to get out of this, sighed in exasperation, "You'll stop at nothing, will you?"

"I'm probably about as stubborn as you are." He replied.

* * *

Upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms, Sora and the others sighed while Anya was packing up her clothing in her suit before noticing a rose which Dimitri gave her earlier and glared at it before throwing it into a trash box when the door knocked.

"Go away, Dimitri!" Anya snapped, not borthering to look.

"Maybe it's Sophie?" Skuld suggested.

"I'll get it." Mickey volunteered, before opening the door carefully. His eyes widen in shock and surprise when the person standing there wasn't either Dimitri or Sophie. It was an old woman in evening clothing, with a staff used as a cane. She wore a crown on her head. Sora and the rest of the group also saw and they all immediately stood up.

"Oh! Um...H-hello, ma'am." Mickey stuttered, nervously before bowing and allowing her to enter. Sora and the others, even Jack and Noctis who caught on a second later than his friends, and Myde whom Lea elbowed in the ribs to follow along, did the same.

When Any heared what Mickey said and turned, shock and embarrassment dawned onto her, as she recongised the woman as the Empress whom she saw through the telescope, having been sitting with Sophie.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I... I thought you were..." Anya quickly apologuised.

"I know very well who you thought I was, as did your friends." The Empress replied, before she asked the young woman and the group, "Who are you?"

"I'm Sora, Your Highness." Sora, introducing himself and then the rest of the worldly travellers, before introducing Anya, a little awkwardly, "And this is...well, she calls herself Anya, as do the rest of us-well, we call her Anya too."

"Anya was hoping you can help her, your majesty." Kairi added, gently.

The Empress, while mentally admitting that these people were nice and a bit more honest, sighed as she approached the small balcony, saying, "My dears, I'm old, and I'm tired of being conned and tricked."

"We really don't want to trick you." Aqua replied.

"And I suppose the money doesn't interest you either?"

"Nope. We only wanted to help Anya get her memory back." Lea replied, with the rest of the group nodding to confirm it.

"I lost my memory ten years ago, so I just want to know who I am." Anya added truthfully, "Whether or not I belong to a family, your family."

The Empress turned, and despite their kindness, she had to admit, she almost fell for their claims. "You're very good actors and actresses. The best yet, in fact. But I've had enough."

The group lowered their heads in disappointment. After being conned and tricked for so long, it's apparent that the Empress has too heart-broken to even tell who was lying and who was telling the truth, and as far as this went, they might as well face the facts that Anastasia was dead and so were Anya's family. Plus, there was no point in risking an argument with the Empress herself.

But as the Empress turned to leave, Anya caught a scent which was familiar and inquired, "Peppermint?"

"An oil for my hands." The Empress answered, pausing as she was still suspicious.

"Yes..." Anya muttered, as suddenly she could see more and more memories appear in her mind, and she then she spoke, as though she was experiencing her past, "I spilled a bottle. The carpet was soaked and it forever smelled of peppermint. Like you."

Sora and his companions gazed at their friend in surprise, before sharing a glance of slight confusion and realization. Did this mean Anya's memory was finally coming back for real? Even the Empress was admittedly stunned, taking a few steps back into the room.

"Uh, maybe we should leave these two alone for a little bit." Noctis suggested, seeing how this might not be a good time in staying around in a slightly crowded room.

Despite the hesitation, the group nodded in agreement, before bowing their respects to the Empress who nodded, and they all left the room to head downstairs and wait, while Anya was still memorizing what she was seeing in her mind.

"I used to lie there on that rug and, oh, how I missed you when you went away... When you came here, to Paris." Anya finished in sudden realising, and froze. It was more than just seeing it in her mind...she could somehow feel that her heart was showing her the truth and placed a hand to her head, overwhelmed.

Seeing how overwhelming it was for the young woman, the Empress sat down on a stool and gestured Anya to join her, which she did. Perhaps this young strikingly familiar woman and her friends were telling the truth about her amnesia, especially since the expression Anya held was definitely real. She then noticed something around Anya's neck which again looked familiar.

"What is that?" The Empress asked, gently.

"This?" Anya replied, gesturing at her necklace, before answering, "Well, I've always had it, ever since before I can remember."

"May I?" The older woman requested, and Anya took it off before handing over to the Empress who gazed at it. Emotion dawning as she recongised it as well. "It was our secret. My Anastasia's and mine."

Truth dawning onto them, the Empress pulled out the golden box Dimitri gave her, which Anya recongised as the same one she saw on the ferry and remembering the secret, more and more memories returned to her.

It wasn't a Jewerly Box.

"The Music Box." Anya whispered, carefully taking it from the Empress, muttering, "To sing me to sleep when you were in Paris." before she began humming and used the necklace to wind it up, and a beautiful music came with it when it opened up it's lid, revealing two miniture statues of a man and a woman dancing to it, which she began to sing the song, and the Empress instantly joined in.

Once the song finished, Anya's memory finally returned and her eyes watered with great emotion, as did the Empress'...her grandmother's. Both of them now knew the full truth, and they couldn't be any happier.

"Oh, Anastasia...My Anastasia!" The Empress' muttered, her voice full of tears of happiness, and Anya, now fully identifed as Anastasia, threw her arms around her as the older woman did the same, sharing a longing hug.

They were finally reunited.

While Kairi, having hidden herself behind the door, tried not to cry in happiness at the heart-warming reunion, before she walked off silently to rejoin the others and inform them of what she saw. Outside of the house, Dimitri stood on the street, gazing up at the window while blowing a kiss before he walked away in sadness.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the top of a clock tower unnoticed by anyone, Rasputin, Bartok and Arydn took residence there and it was a day after Anastasia had finally reunited with her grandmother, much to the sorcerer's chargin. But he decided not to let that stop him.

"Bartok, get me a comb. Find some cologne. I want to look my best." Rasputin told the bat.

"That might take some work, sir." Bartok pointed out.

"We don't have much time to dwaddle, because we're attending a party." Arydn said smoothly while placing a newspaper flat on the table wher Bartok stood.

"A party in Paris?" Bartok asked, excitedly.

"Exactly."

Quickly looking forward to a party after reading the newspaper, which the headlines said, _**"Royal Party planned, Romanov Princess Found!"**_ , Bartok then began to dance while while demostrating dance-moves to the two men, "Oh, boy! I could teach you the latest dance step. It starts with a woo! And then you get really crazy with the hips, sir. It's fun!"

"We'll let the Grand Duchess, Anastasia have her moment!" Rasputin informed his companions, his back to them and not having listened to what Bartok had said.

"Who cares?" Bartok replied, still dancing.

Ardyn chuckled, before finishing for Rasputin, "That is when we kill her along with Sora and his friends."

"Right, and then..." Bartok trailed off, realising what the plan was, stopped dancing while asking in shock. "Kill her and those guys? But what happened to the party idea?"

Rasputin approached the table, while answering, "That's where we'll kill her." before grabbing the newspaper and shred it into pieces, growling, "CRUSH her at the height of her glory!"

"And we're back to the crushing." Bartok muttered in exasperation, before saying pleadingly to Rasputin, "Sir, I am begging you, please, PLEASE, forget the girl and her friends and get a life!"

"Oh, I'll get a life, Bartok..." Rasputin replied, before grunting evilly, "Hers!" before laughing manically.

Things were looking from up to down here.

* * *

To say that Sora and the rest of the group had been shocked and relieved that Anya really was Anastasia would've been an understatement. But after realising that it all made sense, they were just happy that their friend had returned to her only family who was just as happy to have her granddaughter back.

The worldly travellers were now walking through the large chamber room of the Palace as they'd been summoned by the Empress who wanted to speak to them. Sora and his friends paused in their steps as they saw their friend, the very Princess they helped, stand there. Anastasia now wore a crystal tiara with a golden sparkly dress with a blue sash across her chest and sleeves that just hung on her arms.

The Princess saw them and smiled as she approached. "Sora, everyone..." She greeted.

The group nodded, before they bowed to respect their friend now as royalty, with Terra greeting back with a well mannered, "Your Highness."

"Really, it's not necessary." Anya smiled.

"Of course it is, your highnie." Jack replied. "Not to mention it is something you must get used to."

"Not to mention it would be disrespectful for us not to." Riku added, smiling warmly. "We're glad that you found your family and got your memory back."

"I never could've done it without either of you." Anya replied, before muttering a bit sourly, "And as much as I hate to admit it...I couldn't have done it without Dimitri, either."

None of them could blame her for being bitter. Dimitri was still on Anastasia's bad list and while she had cooled down, it had hurt her knowing that all he cared about was the money. Sora and the others aren't too happy with him either.

"Speaking of the Con-Artist..." Myde grumbled as a familiar figure caught his sight. When everyone else turned to see, annoyed expressions filled up their faces as, a little surprisingly, a not-smiling Dimitri came down from the stairs, apparently having been called in by the Empress as well. Most likely to get the 10 Million Rubbles.

"Hello, Dimitri." Anya greeted.

"Hey, Dimitri." Sora greeted, in a none-too-pleasent voice, folding his arms against his chest.

"Hello." Dimitri greeted.

"Did you get your reward?" The Princess asked, indifferently.

"My business is complete." He replied in a matching tone.

Noctis rolled his eyes, while sarcastically saying to Dimitri, "Congratulations."

"Young man," An elderly butler approached, saying to Dimitri, "Like these people, you will bow, and address the Princess as 'Your Highness'."

"No, it's not-"

"Please," Dimitri kindly held up a hand, bowing to Anastasia, before continuing, wanting to make this conversation short. "Your Highness. I'm glad you found

what you were looking for."

Seeing how Dimitri was leaving, Anya replied, "Yes, I'm glad you did, too."

After a slight pause, Dimitri bowed for the final time, saying, "Well, then. Goodbye, Your Highness." before walking past her and waving a farewell to Sora's group, muttering a soft, "So long, guys." and then walked through the hallway.

"Uh...see ya." Sora waved back, a bit awkwardly.

"Her Majesty awaits you." The butler said to the worldly travellers, gesturing them to upstairs.

The group nodded, before bowing their respects to Anya again and then walked up the stairs to meet with the Empress herself.

Anya watched her friends leave, before gazing back to where Dimitri disappeared, and while she knew he couldn't hear her, she whispered, "Goodbye."

Yet, none of them knew that they weren't out of the woods just yet, as the final trial of the Romanov Empire world was just around the corner...waiting for them.

* * *

 **A/N: This was originally gonna be the final chapter of the Romanov Empire, but after struggling on how to fill up the timing between the Ballet and Anya's reunion with the Empress, it ended up like this. So half of the next chapter will definitely end the adventures of this world and the second half will lead on to the next.**

 **Which I still haven't decided which one I want to do next. See you all in the next chapter!**


	32. CH31: How to Choose

**Author's Note: In case no one else has saw on the weekend, but two new KH3 trailers had been released, and, while I'm not a fan of the movie, Monsters Inc World rumor is confirmed as true, and we got to see Riku and King Mickey's new outfits, with Riku getting a new Keyblade...though, just to give a heads up, the new Keyblade isn't that impressive.**

 **In the meantime, I'm also considering of adding a Brave world into this story. But first, let's continue on.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or Anastasia.**

* * *

 _ **CH31: How to Choose.**_

It wasn't long before Sora and his companions arrived in the small office room where the Duchess herself was waiting. The worldly travellers bowed their respects to the woman they only just met briefly the other night before.

"You summoned us, your majesty?" Aqua inquired.

The elder woman gestured at the case full of bills, saying, "10 million roubles, as promised, with my gratitude."

Donald's eyes lit up, but it was the stern looks from both Mickey and Sora that made him slump back, mentally grumbling. As much as he respected Mickey as his king as well as one of his childhood best friends, and Sora had also become one of his best friends as well, sometimes Donald hated it when they would point black just give him a look that translated 'No'. Despite slight differences, Sora and Mickey were very much alike.

"We appreciate it, ma'am, but none of us wanted the money to begin with." Sora respectfully told the Empress. "We only wanted to help Anya-I mean, Princess Anastasia to find her family, to find you. It's never been about rewards."

The rest of the group-including the slightly grumpy Donald-all nodded in agreement.

"Wait a minute." Xion spoke up, suddenly realising something. "If the money's here...that means Dimitri didn't take it?"

Suddenly catching on, the group shared surprised glances before gazing back at the Empress who shook her head slightly.

"He did not want the reward; not anymore, he told me." The Empress explained.

"So, um, don't mean to ask, your Majesty, but, why's that?" Noctis asked, puzzled.

"He told me, it was more a change of heart, rather than the mind." The Empress answered, before continuing, "In fact, he actually once worked at the Palace in St. Petersburg long ago. It was during the siege that he got Anastasia and I out to safety. He saved her life, and mine, and with your help, restored her to me."

"So...Dimitri was the boy that she remembered?" Kairi asked, surprised, remembering how Anya mentioned that info back at Sophie's house during the quiz and before the ballet.

"Gosh...That's why he seemed really different before he left." Mickey realised, now feeling a little bit guilty for being angry, and while he was still a little mad at him, the fact that Dimitri went out of his way after having figured out the truth of Anya's past even before she fully remembered had made him come to regret his actions and rather than continuing with the con, instead fully intended on reuniting her with the Empress...because Dimitri felt guilty for having used her.

"He was doing what his heart just told him and he's still following it." Terra nodded in agreement.

More than that, the group were coming to the facts that, since Anastasia was the Princess, Dimitri, throughout the journey, must've fallen in love with her and because of that, he knew, once he figured out the truth, he would have to walk out of her life forever. It was really sad, but otherwise not much of a choice. The group now felt sorry for him. To Sora, it reminded him how close Aladdin got in losing Princess Jasmine.

"Now then, is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?" The Empress asked.

"Well...maybe just one thing." Sora began, hesitatedly. "Have you seen anybody supicious before we got here? A guy in a bear mask and shade-yellow coat?"

"Or a boy with white hair and red scarf?" Skuld piped up.

"Or maybe one of my friends?" Noctis spoke up, "A guy with blond hair named Prompto or another guy with glasses named Ignis?"

The Empress thought about the questions, before apologetically shook her head, "I'm afraid not. I am sorry."

Even though the group were disappointed, it wasn't the Empress's fault.

"Would you all like to stay for the party, at least?"

"No, thank you. We, have a lot of things to do." Sora answered.

"Very well. You're welcome to come here to visit any time." The Empress nodded her understanding.

"Thank you, your majesty. We better get going." Riku spoke up, as he and the rest of the group bowed before leaving the room.

The Empress watched the young people with a middle-aged man leave, before smiling softly to herself. "And here I thought I was giving away the money."

* * *

"It'll take a while to put this piece of the Gummi Block into the Gummi-Ship." Mickey informed the group as they walked through out the lesser populated parts of Paris.

"Define a while, your highnie?" Jack asked, hesitatedly.

"Don't worry. We'll be off again by early tonight. Ay-yhuck!" Goofy replied.

"If Cid was here, it'd probably take much less time, right? He is the mechanic." Lea shrugged.

Suddenly that made Myde nervous, as he glanced at Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, asking, "...You can at least fix it, right?"

"Aw, don't worry. Fixing up the Gummiship is half-easy once you know the basics. I did help with inventing it." Mickey explained, before sheepishly admitting, "Not like before I even heard of the Keyblade."

"Like how, Mickey?" Ven asked, suddenly curious.

"...I uh...kinda once tried to build a boat and an air-plane...both times without the instructions and both times, was a disaster. The boat sank and the plane was just a model." The King sheepishly answered.

"Really?" Sora asked, incrediously. Who would've thought that King Mickey would've done that a long time ago?

Mickey shrugged, as though answering Sora's unasked question, "I was kind of a lot different back then. Master Yen Sid taught me to think more carefully than to rush things."

"Do me a favor and don't ask me to build anything." Myde shuddered.

"Duly noted." Isa muttered sarcastically.

* * *

 _Several hours later..._

Mickey, Donald and Goofy, without the aid of Chip and Dale due to the Wall Aced created still blocking them from returning home, were doing their best to refit the piece of the Gummi-Block into the Gummi-Ship, while everyone else were waiting, having wandered around Paris, taking out the Heartless and Aqua, Terra, Skuld, Isa and Riku were trying to find the source of the problems for the last few days. So far, still no clue.

Sora yawned in boredom as he and the rest of the group wondered how much longer this would take, when something caught Noctis' eye, while the rest of his friends sensed something...something wrong and familiar. The young prince turned sharply to his right and his eyes widened...as a man, very familiar, casually walked by, seemingly unaware, vanishing around the corner of a building, seeming following a green light to somewhere.

Noctis knew that man...and not a friendly man either.

"No way!" Noctis cried out, and without even telling the others what was going on, he immediately ran off to give chase, alarming the rest of the group.

"Noctis?" Skuld called out, worriedly.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Jack called out.

"Noct! Wait up!" Sora cried out, hurrying to follow Noctis, with the others following two seconds later in great worry.

But as Sora followed Noctis through a hedge that wasn't even there before, the moment he went through, a new growth of hedge suddenly appeared, blocking Kairi and the rest of the group who skid to a stop and gasped.

"Sora! Noctis!" Kairi cried out, summoning her Keyblade and slashed at the hedge wall that blocked her and the others. It did make a difference, but Sora and Noctis were already too far ahead and seemingly vanished. In front of them was a huge maze.

"I can feel darkness...someone or something's leading Sora and Noctis somewhere dangerous." Aqua informed them, worriedly.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Lea told them urgently, "We have to find them!"

* * *

Noctis slowed to a stop as he now found himself a bit lost in a huge maze that was unfamiliar. Where could've that man gone? Had he been hallucinating?

"Noct!" Sora called up as he finally caught up with him. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I thought I saw someone...some guy that I recongise, and sadly, not a friend." Noctis answered.

"Pooka? Here boy." A familiar voice called out, as suddenly light caught the two boys attention from their right.

"Anya?" Sora and Noctis asked, sharing a concerned and confused glance before hurrying over to see if they heard right. They followed the voice as well as the familiar barking, and to their surprise, even as their entrance suddenly closed up, there they saw, crouched down as she reunited with her puppy, was Anya, still in her dress that they and the others saw her wearing.

"Anastasia?" Sora called out, as he and Noctis approached the surprised Princess.

"Sora? Noctis? I thought you guys left." Anya blinked, just as surprised to see two of her friends.

But before either one could answer her, all three of them heard a sinister voice, speak hauntingly, " _ **Anastasia...**_ "

The trio looked around, before they were all forced forward as they realised there was no way back to where they came from. Sora and Noctis both summoned their weapons to try and block the sudden moving thorny vines that attempted to attack them, but they, Anastasia and Pooka were forced out into finally the opening and landed on the ground. When they all stood up, their eyes widened as the maze suddenly disappeared and they found themselves on a bridge somewhere in Paris, where on the other side was a huge statue of a Pegasus.

"How did...?" Sora began before trailing off, unable to figure out what just happened.

"Anastasia..." The same haunting sinister voice spoke, this time closer and less echo-y. The group turned to see a tall man in a dark robe, long black hair and beard, skin turning grey, and from the bad feeling Sora and Noctis were getting from this guy, they weren't taking any chances. They stood in defence while having Anya behind them to keep her safe, and Pooka growled at the man, instantly not liking him.

It was Rasputin.

"Your lmperial Highness. Look what ten years has done to us. You, a beautiful young flower." He began, before grumbling as he added, "And me, a rotting corpse!"

"That face..." Anastasia whispered, eyes widening as more memories dawned into her mind. "A curse..."

"Who're you!?" Sora demanded to the unfamiliar but nasty man.

"Someone who has bad guy written all over him." Noctis answered, glaring at Rasputin.

Rasputin smirked dangerously, answering to the two younger men, "You two and your friends have gotten on my bad side, because you kept on saving the Princess! Now you are to die as well, along with them once I'm done with all three of you...Sora, Noctis."

"What?!" Noctis asked, shocked.

That's when Anastasia finally spoke out the man, with slight fear but more anger, now remembering how she ended up losing her memories and most of her family in the first place. "Rasputin!"

"Huh?" Sora and Noctis both asked, looking back and forth between Anastasia and Rasputin, wondering if the two knew each other.

"Rasputin! Heh-heh-heh!" Rasputin mocked girlishly. He then growled angrily, "Destroyed by your insufferable family!"

Sora, shocked as well, realised the truth and turned to glare at the evil man, yelling accusingly, "You're the one who was causing all the troubles for the past few days, aren't you!? You somehow made the train crash which nearly took our lives, and then you gave us those nightmares and sent the Heartless!"

"And considering you have that weird looking bottle that glows, you can use darkness which explains that whacked-out maze!" Noctis growled, before demanding, "Just one thing...why did you kill Anastasia's family and want to kill her!?"

"Perhaps you should ask them, once you all join them...in DEATH!" Rasputin growled.

Watching this from another statue nearby, Bartok had just landed and finally had enough of Rasputin's evil ways.

"You and Mr. Ardyn are on your own, sir! This could only end in tears!" He called out while hugging himself, shuddering at the very thought of being teared into pieces by his former master's smoke-people.

"Forget it!" Sora yelled at Rasputin as he and Noctis stood in fighting positions to keep Anastasia safe. "Not in a million years!"

"I'm not afraid of you!" Anastasia yelled at Rasputin, glaring at the man who ruined her life a decade a go.

"I can fix that!" Rasputin said, sinisterly. "You three care for a little swim...Under the Ice!?" as he used his powers to freeze the river and the bridge, before thrusting out magic to break apart the bridge. "Say your prayers!"

"Not a chance!" Noctis growled, telling Sora and Anya to quickly hold on as he tossed his sword which re-acted in having all three of them teleported to safety onto the none-crumbling part of the bridge, only to be blocked off by a dark shield that sent them flying backwards. While Sora and Noctis landed near the debries, Anastasia rolled and was unfortunately back onto the broken part of the bridge that was slowly falling into the river as she was forced to hold on for dear life.

"Ah, ah, ah. No preventing death." A familiar voice mockingly tsked, and when Sora and Noctis looked up, their eyes widened as Arydn stood there on the other side, grinning evilly.

"YOU!?" Sora cried out, alarmed. He'd first seen Arydn back at Twilight Town.

"I knew it...! Ardyn, you son of a Ifrit!" Noctis cursed angrily.

"Now, no one can save any of you!" Rasputin laughed evilly.

"Wanna bet!?" A voice yelled, when Dimitri suddenly rushed over and slugged the undead man right in the jaw, knocking him over before rushing over to help Anastasia, leaping onto the broken platform and grabbed her arms to pull her back up.

"Dimtiri!" Anya sighed, very relieved and deciding to ask who the man she'd been angry with earlier until her grandmother told her that he didn't take the money, and instead said, "If we live through this, remind me to thank-"

"You can thank me later!" Dimitri cut her off, not stopping in pulling her back up to safety.

Arydn wasn't impressed, and instead focused on unleashing a blast of dark energy at Sora and Noctis who, hoping that Dimitri can get Anya to safety without Rasputin doing anything, stood in defences, summoning their weapons once more, only for Arydn to be interrupted when he suddenly turned and blocked another unfamiliar man's attack of ice-blades when he yelled out, before being shoved back towards where Sora and Noctis were, much to their confusion and surprise.

He was a young man, a bit older than Noctis and Dimitri, with brown-ish blonde hair that sticked up, a fine culture outfit of black and white, wearing thin glasses.

"You...how did you survive!?" Arydn growled as he and Noctis recongised the new-commer.

"It will take more than separation to kill me." The man replied, in a deep-ish and gentlemen like voice.

"Ignis!" Noctis cried out, relieved.

"You're Ignis?" Sora muttered, surprised that one of Noct's friends had been here and none of them even noticed.

"I think introductions are saved later. It's good to see you are safe, Noct." The man, named Ignis, pointed out, before glaring at Arydn, while Rasputin in the background stared, dumbfounded at the new commer.

Seeing how things were about to turn out, Arydn just snorted before taking his leave, even without a wave.

"Hey, get back here!" Sora yelled out, only for him and Noctis to be blocked by Ignis who shook his head.

"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have trusted that man..." Rasputin growled, which had the trio to turn around to glare at him. He then shook his head, "Fine! I'll deal with the five of you myself!" holding up the reliquary as his powers pulled Dimitri back, forcing him towards the giant Pegasus statue which, under Rasputin's command, instantly came to life when, by the darkness in his heart, turned black before transforming into a Heartless.

"Things just got quite complicated." Ignis stated, stunned and shocked.

"You got that right, specs." Noctis grumbled in agreement.

"We'll handle this!" Sora declared boldly, and the other two didn't disagree.

Rasputin laughed evilly before unleashing his powers where the Spirits appeared, forcing Sora, Noctis and Ignis to fight against them while avoiding the evil man's blast of energy aimed at them. Sora rolled out of the way before slashing and hacking at three Spirits with his Keyblade before tossing it at other Spirits which were destroyed by contact. He then chanted Thunderaga at Rasputin who attempted to block it, but was hit by an Ice spell by Ignis who slid on the ground before smacking his materialized weapons at him, followed by Noctis warping at him and smacked him a few feet away across the bridge with his swords.

The three of them then rolled out of the way when the Heartless landed the bridge with a powerful tremor, causing Dimitri to fall over before he tried to join in the bridge as he grabbed broken parts of the bridge to block the giant Heartless. Sora then leaped onto the bridge and, using his Motionflow powers, glowed in blue light before leaping up onto the Heartless's body while hitting it with his Keyblade as it went while trying to hold on as the Heartless stood on it's hind-legs and attempted to crush his friends down below. Sora reached the head and smashed it's head several times which allowed Noctis, Ignis and Dimitri to leap out of the way to avoid in getting crushed or hit badly.

Sora then saw Rasputin approach Anastasia to stop her from climbing up to safety. Thankfully, Dimitri, at Noctis' urging, rushed over and threw himself onto the evil Sorcerer, forcing him down onto the ground before being blasted away once again, hitting the ground hard on the back of his head, rendered on unconscious, much to Anya, Sora, and Noctis' dismay. The Heartless used this distraction to throw Sora off, causing him to scream as he crashed into Noctis and Ignis who all fell to the ground hard, but thankfully not unconscious. Rasputin laughed evilly as he attempted to kill all four of them, when he yelled out in pain as Pooka was now biting his leg to stop him from killing Anastasia and her friends.

Furious, Rasputin blasted at the dog, sending one Spirit to fight Pooka who tried to fight it off him. This distraction had Sora toss his Keyblade at Rasputin twice who yelled out by the surprise attack, while Noctis wrapped himself onto the Heartless' head, stabbing his sword through the head, causing it to yell out in agony. Ignis summoned a staff and stabbed it through the chest when he slid underneath it to help his friend. Sora in the meantime chanted Firaga at more Spirits that Rasputin summoned to stop him from reaching and saving Anastasia. The teenager then leaped out of the way before he held up his Keyblade, and just like on the boat earlier with the giant Heartless, his Keyblade turned into the two Key-Blade guns which allowed him to blast light at the shocked Sorcerer, sending him backwards once again.

Just then Sora heard yells as both Noctis and Ignis were knocked back by the Heartless, and he quickly shot out with the Keyblade-Guns, firing at it's head and causing it to real back. Though his Keyblade returned to normal, Sora didn't stop there, as, after using Curaga on Noctis, Ignis and the still unconscious Dimitri, rushed over towards the Heartless before leaping up onto it's head just before it could squash him when it head-butted onto the ground, creating another huge tremor that shook the bridge, and making things a bit more difficult for Anastasia to climb up to safety without falling to her death. Sora then aimed carefully at the Heartless' head and focused, chanting Blue Orb Light Spells that he briefly learned from Mickey and Kairi, weakining the enemy even further, though the impact did cause him to fall towards the ground, but he air-flipped and landed safely before he could hurt himself.

Sora then quickly chanted a Barrier spell on himself, Noctis and Ignis to block a furious Rasputin's blast of energy, which reflected and pushed him back slightly, but once the barrier wore off, the trio were surrounded by more Spirits, forcing them to slash and attack them while blocking them at the same time. Sora then slide-zipped around the Spirits to attack them from behind and then chanted Blizzaraga to freeze the enemies which made things easier for Noctis and Ignis, though the surprise attack from the giant Heartless knocked them over to the ground once again at the powerful tremor that knocked the wind out of them. Leaping himself up to recover, Sora pulled out a potion and exiliar to heal himself and restore his Mana which was getting really low again before turning his attention to the Heartless, dodging it as did Noctis and Ignis who both fought Rasputin to keep him away from Anastasia.

Sora then used his Mark of Mastery skills to slide along the bridge's stone railing before leaping up and landed onto the Heartless back when it flew up into the air for another attack while attempting to shake him off before he could cause more damage. Despite the wobbily balance, Sora successfully reached it's head and once again attacked it full on, and leaped up before tossing his Keyblade at the back of the head once again before landing back onto it. The Heartless landed onto the ground, dazed, which allowed Sora to continue the assault while fending off more Spirits that appeared surrounding him, while on the ground, Noctis warpped himself and Ignis out of the way before Rasputin could blast them again, and was hit several times when they attacked him and the Spirits that lingered around to try and stop them from harming their master and also in their attempt to kill Anya.

Just as Rasputin knocked the duo back, and the Heartless knocked down Sora, Anya, having made it back up to safety, to everyone's surprise, tackled Rasputin down onto the ground and struggled against him for the reliquary as she realised that it was the source of his powers. Sora and the others recovered while rolling out of the way and, seeing the Heartless weakening, nodded to Noctis and Ignis who both nodded, and while Ignis blasted another ice spell, Noctis warpped himself and Sora back onto the Heartless' head and with combined swordsman skills, the two of them thrusted their weapons right into the head, causing the Heartless to yell out in agony as light began cracking along it's body. Just as the two of them and Ignis backed away, the Heartless somewhat exploded into nothing, the heart disappearing, and the Pegasus statue back in it's place with glowing green eyes.

Rasputin knocked the brunnette girl off him and was about to attack while the statue was about to attack the shocked trio, when Pooka, having defeated the Spirit, leaped up and grabbed the reliquary from the evil man's hands while using his ears as wings, flapping towards Anya before landing on the ground. The reliquary rolled right towards the Princess who saw her chance, and stomped her foot onto it. It began to crack and turn from glowing green to glowing angry red.

This also caused the statue to also explode and Sora quickly used barrier to block the broken debries from falling onto himself, Noctis, Ignis and the unconscious Dimitri who hadn't woken up during the entire fight, much to Anya's dismay and anger.

"This is for Dimitri!" Anya grunted, continuing to stomp and crush the reliquary under her foot, dragging it away from Rasputin who, horrified, tried to retrieve it.

"Give it back!" He pleaded.

"This is for my friends and my family!" Anya continued.

"I'll tear you into pieces!" Rasputin growled, though everyone could hear that the fear was attempting to overpower his threats.

"And this-this is for you!" Anya concluded. With a final stomp, the reliquary was smashed and it exploded, separating her from Rasputin who was also knocked back and a huge cyclone of Spirits began circling around the sorcerer who screamed in horror.

Sora, Noctis and Ignis hurried over to Anya, pulling her and Dimitri over to shield them while bracing themselves. Neither had to worry for their safeties, because the Spirits of the destroyed Reliquary focused on Rasputin, hitting and electrocuing him while he screamed in agony before becoming liquifed, turning into a skeletion that shook violently before disintigrating into dust, which blew away and vanished into a small gust of wind. When Sora and the others looked, there wasn't a single trace of Rasputin whatsoever.

"Sora! Noct!" Riku's voice called out from nowhere, causing all four of them to turn to see Riku himself along with the rest of the worldly travellers, including Mickey, Donald and Goofy who, after returning from the semi-fixed Gummi-Ship, were told of what happened, hurrying over towards the group.

"Hey, you're okay!" Donald exclaimed in relief.

"Yeah." Noctis simply said.

"New friends of yours, Noct?" Ignis inquired, before teasingly asking, "Should I be jealous?"

"Oh, shut up." The young Prince chuckled.

Before Sora could say anything, Kairi nearly glomped him when she threw her arms around him in huge relief, tears visible in her eyes.

"Ow! Kairi! Easy! I'm okay." Sora cried out, startled and wincing a little.

"I was so worried!" Kairi half-sobbed.

Anya sighed, only for a groan behind her get her and everyone else's attentions and to their relief, Dimitri sat up groggily, holding his head as he had a splitting headache. Whipping around, Anya accidently and unknowingly slapped him on the face.

"Dimitri! Oh!" Anya cried out in relief, throwing her arms around Dimitri who winched.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Let go. Let go." Dimitri pleaded, which Anya released him, and the rest of the worldly travellers wondered what in the world just happened.

"Sorry." Anya grimiced.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. All men are babies." Dimitri replied, while groaning again. The rest of the men looked offended, but shrug it off.

"What happened?" Aqua asked, concerned.

"Just fought a bad guy who was the cause of the incidents with the train and nightmares, and who is also the one who caused Anya to lose most of her family and render her with amnesia, managed to kill him with the help of one of my best friends and the bad guy just...well, disintigrated about a minute or two before you guys arrived. Long story." Noctis answered simply.

"That was what that green light-show was about?" Myde asked, blinking. "That explains everything...except that Dimtiri is here."

While the worldly travellers were talking and Kairi still fretting over Sora, Anya knelt along with Dimitri, before she was saying, "I thought you were going to St. Pete-"

"I was." Dimitri cut her off gently.

"You didn't take the-"

"I...couldn't."

"Why?" Anya asked, her previous anger now all but gone. Now she could no longer deny it. Despite his misleads, he had a complete change of heart and the fact that he came back to try and save her, as he did several times along with the others through out the journey, it was because of him that she had made it this far...

She loved him. And she realised, despite not getting the answer, he loved her.

"Because...I..." Dimitri began, only for Anya to silently and gently shush him. The two looked at each other in the eyes, and slowly leaned for a kiss, but was interrupted when Pooka barked. They and everyone else turned their attention to the dog who was grinning while having Anya's crown which had fallen off during the battle between his teeth.

Everyone stood as Sora, Kairi, Noctis, Ignis, Anya and Dimitri stood up while the latter took the crown.

"They're waiting for you." Dimitri told Anya who gently took it. She stared at it before staring at Dimitri in return.

She made her decision.

* * *

An hour later, Sora, his group and Ignis were seeing Anya and Dimitri off as they were about take the boat back to St. Petersburg, with Anya having decided, although she had found what she was looking for, she decided to follow her heart and join the man she loved, and she knew, her Grandmama would understand, because it was her encouragement that, whatever Anastasia chose, they would always be together in their hearts.

She had already sent the crown back to the Empress, along with a letter to let her know that she was fine and that they would be together again soon.

"You sure you wanna leave?" Goofy asked.

"Yep. I sure do. Besides, I'm thinking, with Dimitri's help, we could, you know, try and rebuilt the Palace." Anya replied.

"Sounds good to me." Dimitri replied, while knowing that Vlad had decided to stay, to be with Sophie.

"I'm just really sorry to get you guys involved." Anya continued.

Sora grinned happily, "Nah, it's okay. We're glad to have helped, and besides, if we hadn't, I don't think Noct would've found out that one of his friends was here."

"Yeah. I should be thanking you." Noctis added with a smile. He then turned to Ignis and said, "And Iggy, thanks for saving our butts back there."

"Always my pleasure. It is my job to keep you in line, as a friend, and a brother, Noct." Ignis replied, before adding sternly, "And also to make you eat your vegatables."

The young prince groaned at that, "Aw, c'mon!" which made almost everyone else laugh.

"But it is good for you, you know." Aqua said in her best motherly tone.

Lea shook his head with a smirk, whispering to Isa, Roxas, and Xion, "She's soundin' just like my mother."

Before anyone else could say anything, to the group's surprise, the Effel Tower began to glow and glitter in light, which was triggered by Sora's Kingdom Key which materialized. Realising what this meant, he held it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Effel Tower. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"What was that?" Dimitri asked, stunned. Anya and Ignis were both amazed as well.

"Everything will be okay here, now." Kairi replied, before adding, "And it's time for us to get going too." with the others nodding in agreement.

"I hope we'll see each other again soon." Anya responded, a little sad to have to say goodbye.

"Don't worry. We'll see each other again." Mickey promised.

The others nodded in agreement, as Anya and Dimitri gave their final goodbyes to the group before they and Pooka boarded the ferry. Sora and the rest of the group waved at them as the boat sailed away towards under the bridge. They, now joined by Ignis who agreed to come along to rejoin Gladio at Olympus Coliseum, then secretly left the Romanov Empire behind to continue their adventure, to find a world to locate the second and final piece of the Gummi-Ship to continue travelling through other worlds safely.

* * *

Back at the palace, after retrieving the crown, the Dowger Empress read the letter left by her granddaughter and smiled in relief and understanding. She knew Anastasia would make that decision, and it was fine with her.

She can live a happy life and be with the man she loved, the honorable man who found the music box and had kept her safe.

 _"Dear Grandmamma, wish me luck. We'll be together in Paris again soon."_

When she handed the letter to a worried Sophie, the latter's expression turned to relief, and emotional with happiness.

"They've eloped. Isn't it romantic?" Sophie smiled happily, wiping away her tears. "It's a perfect ending."

"No." The Empress corrected with a smile. "It's a perfect beginning." and blew a soft kiss to farewell her granddaughter, this time, this separation was peaceful.

 _ **{ROMANOV EMPIRE}**_

* * *

Meanwhile, Ardyn had returned to the secret domain of Chaos who had awaited him, and the latter wasn't happy at all because of the man's failure to kill the worldly travellers.

" **You disappoint me, Arydn Izunia. But not as much as that foolish Sorcerer who had fallen to the hands of those pititful mortals, especially the Princess who has no powers within her!** " Chaos growled angrily, as his body flared up slightly in fiery anger.

"But his death was quite useful, my lord." Arydn pointed out, while still angry himself due to Ignis' sudden arrival at the Romanov Empire. "The more those who become inner Heartless die, the more it makes things easier to anger the Gods who lothe those who have hearts."

" **What are you quiring?** "

The man chuckled, taking two steps closer as he explained, "Your goal, of course. You want to start the war and have one of those Keyblade wielders to call upon Light and Darkness to summon what you seek to destroy everything, do you not?"

Chaos perched it's gaze at the man, before turning away slightly while muttering, " **The Heart of all worlds of the pitiful Light Realm; Kingdom Hearts. I must have it...I must...DESTROY IT.** "

He clutched his hand tight.

* * *

In the secret base, Aced was facing his three prisoners which he had assembled into a single room to interrogate them. Yen Sid, and the battered up Angeal and Genesis, were all chained with heavy magical chains that prevents them from escaping, up against the wall where they glared at the Keyblade Master from the Ancient Past the first Keyblade War.

"I will ask again; Why did you choose those young people? They are incapable of protecting the Realm of Light!" Aced questioned, glaring heatedly at them.

"It was not a choice either one of us made." Yen Sid informed him, glaring back at the foolish Keyblade wielder in return. "The Keyblade choose their masters. It is because their hearts it made them follow their path."

"It doesn't answer my question!"

"That's in reverse." Angeal pointed out. "Look, it's not our fault Xehanort decided to go against the Realm of Light or that Chaos was connected to him once it was freed from Vincent's body. Neither it is for Sora or anyone else. Don't take it out on them, especially since they've been risking their lives to save the worlds."

Aced turned away, growling, "They're not doing it the right way. The world must be returned to it's former glory, and I will make sure to set everyone at the right course, of strength and power."

"It is the same mistake Xehanort once attempted, only that curiosity of the Keyblade War made him fall into the Seeker's Life." Yen Sid shook his head.

No one even flinched when Aced aimed his Keyblade right at Yen Sid's throat, threatening to kill him on the spot.

"You know nothing of the Keyblade War." Aced hissed.

"I know only that it split the world into what is known today, and the destruction is can cause. That is why it was only when Xehanort sought to recreate it and summon Kingdom Hearts that things went out of hand. The safety of the worlds and all of the inhabits was our true concern, as we knew that learning of it's secrets was forbidden." Yen Sid calmly replied.

"So, did someone tell you what would happen in the future too?" Aced grunted angrily.

"He was only implying that not much is known for years, to prevent history from repeating itself.' Genesis spoke up, calmly. "Yet, Xehanort was far too curious for his own. Looking for the answers of something that should never have been discovered."

"And so Sora and his friends successfully stopped him, but in doing so, freed Chaos." Aced pointed out, though he did lower his Keyblade, seemingly a bit more calm. "What do they intend to do in order to eliminate this threat?"

"Whichever way they can without the cost of the Realm of Light." Yen Sid responded again this time, closing his eyes. "Though I hope it would not cost them their own lives, their own safeties are not their main priority."

"Even if one of them has a much stronger light than most." Aced shook his head, before turning as he began to walk out of the room to leave the trio chained. "We will talk again soon." closing the door and locking it behind him.

It was several moments before Angeal finally spoke to his fellow prisoners.

"Well...that went well." He muttered sarcastically.

"The Princesses of Heart are now in grave danger." Yen Sid muttered gravely. "I can sense the Stars giving me a warning; Chaos will no doubt be going after them...especially Kairi. Sora and the others must make haste and proceed with great caution."

He really hoped that they would be alright.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another new world, Cloud and Zack, in their search for Sora and the others, were fighting off against Heartless on their way, and had just finished up in defeating Gothlic-like Bear Heartless with a final slice as they slashed the monster instantly, while it disappeared for the time being. Though both of them knew that only Keyblade wielders can permamently destroy the Heartless and the hearts of those that were lost will return to their rightful owners.

"I think that's the last of them for now." Cloud announced once he and Zack couldn't sense anymore and both men relaxed their postures while sheathing their swords.

"Hope so. This place really gives me the creeps." Zack nodded, gesturing at the huge towering stones that were formed in a circle, near the edge of a thick forest, which, given Cloud's experience of sensing darkness, felt a chill down his spine that somewhere in the forest, was something he wouldn't like at all.

Definitely not where they'd find the worldly travellers. At the moment, at least.

"Yeah. Let's get going." Cloud suggested, taking the lead towards east, with Zack quickly following a couple of steps.

The two friends walked side by side, poundering over the situation so far.

"Y'know, I never really thought we'd actually travel together. You know, just you and me. Not that I don't like it." Zack spoke up, as he turned and walked backwards, placing his hands behind his head.

"I know what you mean." Cloud admitted, with a small smile. "I've travelled on my own for so long, having you want is...a little overwhelming."

Zack just laughed, then mockingly pouted, "Aw, c'mon! That's hurtful, man." which made Cloud chuckle even though he tried to hide it. "That sort of reminds me. How'd you meet Sora anyway?"

"Well...we met at Olympus Coliseum, though not in a good way." Cloud shrugged awkwardly.

"Let me guess; Hades, right?" Zack guessed, and at Cloud's a bit surprised but confirmed nod, the older-ish man sighed, "That guy likes to Con people none-stop just to get what he wants. I'm still smacking myself for having fallen to his stupid plots."

"Tell me about it." Cloud nodded in agreement. "Kind of hard to believe that the kid managed to forgive me for attacking him, Donald and Goofy during the games, but then again, he reminded me a lot of you, Zack."

"Oh, really?" Zack asked, before teasingly inquiring, "Should I be jealous?"

This caused the two friends to share a laugh at the joke, which was startlingly interrupted when an unfamiliar voice, that sounded like an elderly woman's voice, speak rather too closely to the men's taste. "Jealousy can lead to one's fate. But you boys look like you already accepted your fate."

Cloud and Zack spun into the same direction towards the right, near the forest and were greeted by a short diminutive old woman with a beehive of wild white hair and ears that looked too big for her head. She wore a brown-ish medivel dress and looked like a woodcutter or something. They both had the sudden chill crawling down their spines.

She wasn't to be trusted.

"Uh...excuse us?" Zack asked, nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, dearie." The old woman chuckled. "There's nothing to worry about. As far as I can see, you both already went through obstecles that lead you both to your fates, and I gotta say, it's much better compared to Mor'du."

"Mor'du?" Cloud asked, suspiciously as he shared an uncertain glance with Zack. What in the Realm of Light was this lady talking about.?

"First time here, eh? Well, let me tell you of the legend." The old woman stated, before beginning, almost omniously, "Not far from here, there was a prosperous,

flourishing kingdom."

Suddenly, a black bird appeared which startled the two young men for the second time as it hovered, squawking as it said in human language, surprising them for the third time in not even a second, "The prince! Ancient kingdom! Ancient!"

"Would you let me tell it?" The old woman grumbled at the bird in annoyance. Once the bird shut up, and Cloud and Zack shared another uncertain glance, she continued, "It was ruled by a king whose wisdom was equaled by the love of his people. The King had four sons, each gifted in his own way. The youngest was wise. The third was compassionate. The second son was just. And the King's eldest son was strong, but he mistook great strength for character. One dark autumn, the King grew ill. On his deathbed, he proclaimed the crown would not pass to the eldest, but that he would divide the rule. That the combined gifts of the brothers would make an even greater kingdom. But the eldest son felt disgraced. Believing that he alone should be the sole heir, a seed of selfishness grew in him like a poison. To his brothers he declared his claim, and demanded their obedience, shattering the bonds of their brotherhood."

' _So the selfishness caused darkness to take over his heart. Not to mention greed_.' Cloud thought grimly to himself.

"Ouch." Zack commented.

The old woman nodded, before continuing, "Words turned to war. Brother fought brother, and the fate of this great kingdom was forever changed. The prince commanded a powerful army, but the battle remained a bitter stalemate. Starving for a victory, the prince cursed his fate. He stalked the woods, coming to rest within an ancient ring of stones."

Both young men gasped, as they turned to the direction where they came from. An ancient ring of stones...and those stones they were nearby looked decidingly old. If that was true, then no wonder it gave them the creeps. They turned back to the old woman, letting her continue even though they could feel and hear their instinces telling them that they needed to leave, and fast. But for some reason, they were somehow glued to the ground, far too enchanted into the story as they could practically picture the events that happened in the past in their minds.

"The will-O'-the-wisps appeared, drawing him, guiding him, to the edge of a dark loch and a tiny cottage far from the shore. There, lived a rare creature, a beautiful conjurer, an enchantress of elegance and grace, a ravishing vision of magnificent loveliness; A witch!" The old woman continued.

' _...Yeah, I'm not liking this one bit._ ' Zack thought to himself, nervously.

"He demanded she create a spell that would change his fate. The strength of ten he desired, and he offered his signet ring to persuade her. The Witch could see the wounded soul behind his bluster and so she made him a spell that offered him a choice, to fulfill his dark wish or heal the family bonds he had broken. Baiting his brothers with a false truce, the prince claimed his kingdom. To the brothers' protests, he stood before them and drank the spell." The old woman continued.

"And things went bad to worse, right?" Cloud interrupted, unable to stop himself from nervously swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, his mouth gone all dry.

"Unfortunately, yes." The old woman nodded, continuing the story, "At that moment the spell took effect, giving him strength tenfold, but, to his surprise, in the form of a great black bear. Still there was the spell breaker she had given him, if he would only choose to mend the bond torn by pride. Instead, he accepted the shape of the monster. And defeated his brothers. He returned to command his army, but they saw only the beast."

"Well, who wouldn't? I mean, it did change his appearence. Who would've recongised him if no one else saw what happened?" Zack nervously pointed out despite Cloud's look that told him to keep silent.

"Very true indeed." The old woman agreed. "They took arms against him. He slew a great many, and the rest fled the kingdom in terror. With the armies of the brothers fractured, the kingdom collapsed into darkness, and the blight of the Great Black, Mor'du, fell across his domain. Desiring power over the bonds of family, Mor'du has wandered endlessly, his soul forever buried inside the scarred and tormented shell. A grim fate." She concluded.

So this world really did have darkness...a powerful darkness.

"Uh...t-thank you. For sharing us with that story." Cloud muttered, somewhat shakily. "We...should be on our way."

"Yeah, uh...sorry for interrupting your time, ma'am." Zack muttered, also somewhat shakily.

The two young men bowed slightly to the old woman before turning and tried not to run as they quickly made their leave to get out of this creepy dark world that seemed to scare them more than the Heartless or Sephiroth ever did. Though admittedly, it wasn't as scary as seeing Chaos.

"Nice chatting with you two! Take care of yourselves, sweeties!" The old woman called out as her voice was fading the further away Cloud and Zack walked.

"Man! Doesn't that old woman give you the heebie jeebies?" Zack shuddered once he was certain that the old lady couldn't hear him and his friend.

"Considering the those stones in a circle, the fact she appeared out of nowhere, telling us about fate and telling us a story that'll give me nightmares...I think she's the witch in the story she was just talking about." Cloud muttered, trying and failing to surpress the shudder that crawled into his skin. "I'm just glad we didn't even borther asking for directions or anything."

"Me too. I wouldn't wanna rely on her for help, that's for sure." Zack nodded in agreement.

"Just hope Sora and the others haven't met her." Cloud said, now getting increasingly worried. Not that Sora would be stupid enough to talk to the crazy old lady about that, and he was certain that Riku and Aqua would've sensed something off with her anyway. Myde'd probably would've freaked out and run off half-way through the story.

For now, the sooner Cloud and Zack got off this world and continue their search for the group to warn them about the mysterious but rather dangerous man in the black coat, the better.

* * *

Even though the Gummi-Ship was getting a bit crowded, the group continued onward towards the nearest world where they would hopefully find the second Gummi-Block to head back to Olympus to have Noctis and now Ignis to reunite with Gladio.

The group had explained to their briefly new companion of what was happening, especially since Ignis was also aware of other worlds due to having been in Romanov Empire for quite sometime, no thanks to Ardyn.

Right now, though, some of them had fallen asleep. Especially Noctis and Myde, with the latter snoring his head off.

"It appears I have met another Noctis." Ignis commented about Myde.

"Only with sleep, mate." Jack pointed out, before turning his attention back to his compass, repeatedly mumbling to himself, "I know what I want, I know what I want, I know what I want, I, know, what, I, want!" and opened it, only for groan when it still spun around and around in circles before slamming it shut and gave it a violent shake and tried again.

Seeing the pirate's frustration over the compass, Ignis couldn't help but inquire to the rest of the worldly travellers, "Is there anything special about that compass?"

"Well, it points to what you want most." Lea shrugged, "If I remember correctly, he got it off from a creepy voodoo lady a long time ago, and at the moment, I don't think he even knows what he wants right now."

"If his brains were any more scrambled due to rum, I'd faint from shock." Isa commented sarcastically.

"I heard that!" Jack pouted.

"Gee, I wonder why Ardyn joined up with Ras-twotion, uh, Rasphoey, um, Raspberry...you know, the sorcerer who tried to hurt Anastasia." Goofy thought aloud worriedly, while unable to pronounce Rasputin's name.

"Maybe Ardyn wants to cause trouble to everyone." Sora shrugged, cluelessly. "I mean, he did knock me, Noct and Anya over when we tried to warp to safety."

"The question is...other than hurting Noct and his friends, why try to manipulate us too?" Riku thought with a deep frown. "All I can think of is that he's dangerous."

"And it's doubtful that he and Caius would ally themselves with Master Aced." Skuld nodded in firm agreement.

"Yeah, those guys can use the power of darkness, and Aced doesn't like darkness." Ven added, his arms folded to his chest.

"He does have Lamuria on his side, though. And that guy as Marluxia was one of the experts of darkness and manipulation." Lea pointed out with a serious expression. "But then again, you're right. Those two guys are really dangerous."

"Ardyn did nearly had us off-guard when we first met him in Twilight Town. We gotta be a lot more careful from now on." Mickey nodded, with a firm but very worried expression, shuddering at the memories of that horrible meeting. If it weren't for Serah and Strelitzia, who knew what would've happened.

"Maybe he's with Chaos?" Kairi asked, worriedly. "I mean, who else can be more dangerous than Chaos to be that evil?"

A tensed and hesitated silence.

"That's a good point." Sora nodded in agreement. "If there's one bad guy that we still haven't figure out how to stop yet other than Aced, it's Chaos. Plus, I don't think Maleficent would even consider Ardyn either, not with what Xehanort did with her."

" _Yeah, that old hag is a mistress of manipulation, but even she was manipulated. Plus, she's too busy looking for that stupid book_." Vanitas surprisingly agreed in Sora's mind, even though the teenager, while deciding not to talk to him, had to admit that he had a good point.

"You know, call me crazy, but Ardyn kind of reminds me of how Cloud warned about Sephiroth." Roxas commented, which, as most of the group shared glances, realised that the former nobody was right. Cloud did warn Sora, Donald and Goofy that Sephiroth had the dangerous ability to manipulate people.

"I got a really bad feeling about this." Terra muttered, frowning deepily. Suddenly this was the case of Xehanort twelve years ago all over again.

"Mickey's right. We have to be more careful now." Aqua nodded in agreement.

"I just hope there aren't any more bad people out there like Xehanort or Chaos." Xion shuddered, and no one argued with her.

Just then, the alarm went off, which jarred Myde and Noctis from their peaceful slumber.

"Hey, we're at another world!" Donald called out, since he was the one at the controls this time.

"That was fast." Noctis muttered, failing to hide a yawn.

Myde on the other hand just slumped back into his seat, sleepily mutterring, "Five more minutes."

Everyone else rolled their eyes, as Lea stood up and snapped his fingers in front of the mullet-haired younger man, rudely awakening him fully awake.

"C'mon, Sleeping Beauty. Time to wake up." The redhead told him.

While they had to be careful since the radar isn't working until they retrieved the other piece of the Gummi-Ship, at least it can still alert them that they were close, and they had to land now anyway since the ride had been getting rather bumpy.

So, the worldly travellers disembarked.

* * *

 **A/N: Just thought I'd give Brave a sneak preview, even though it's not the next world now. So, I'm down by three choices:**

 **Agrabah.**

 **Kingdom of Coronia.**

 **The Jungle Book.**

 **I'm edging more closer to the first of the list, but who can say. Due to adding Ignis, the Great Mouse Detective World will have to wait until after the second visit to Olympus Coliseum. See you in the next chapter as soon as possible!**


	33. CH32: Another Arabian Trouble

**Author's Note: After struggling in deciding which world to do next, Agrabah finally won and it will be set after the wedding of Aladdin and Jasmine, while this new story content's based on...well, let's just say, some of you might be familiar with the Disney Villianess Genie named Bizarrah. I know it's childish, but she's an oppotunity that I can't avoid and I promise that the Agrabah chapters will not be baby-like, I swear!**

 **Anyway, let's continue on.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH32: Another Arabian Trouble.**_

 _ **{AGRABAH}**_

Slightly off shores of the continant of Agrabah, was a huge floating Temple not to far from another island of the same world which inhabited dragons. The temple itself was shaped like a Pyramid. Within the very deep carven at the final chamber of the floating fortress, stood a small stone that acted like a table or statue top of a very unusually designed black and green Lamp. A hissing sound was heard and with it, came a Cobra Snake who had wondered onto the fortress when it was carried by a bird earlier. The Snake, curious of it's new surroundings, slithered all over the place until it came across the Lamp.

Rubbing it's body by slithering, the Snake suddenly heard an unusual sound it never heard of before and realised it was coming from the Lamp. To it's confusion and shock, red smoke billowed out with a sound of a female deepish voice groaning.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" As soon as the smoke cleared, a red female Genie emerged, wearing a purple top, golden chains, and her hair done in a high-ponytail. She then spoke to her supposedly master, "How may I serve you Mas-"

But she cut herself off when she saw the now freaked out reptile who's eyes were widened in fear.

"A snake?" The Female-Genie asked, dumbfounded. She then groaned, "Only a human can become my master!"

She then realised something; as law, only a human can become her master. But the downside to that was that if an animal rubs her Lamp, it would only release her from her 2000 year prison. She then grinned evilly as triumpth held onto her dark heart.

"Which means...I am free!" She declared, laughing manically which scared the Snake off. "Now, I shall spread my darkness through out the world! Maybe even beyond."

She then gazed at her Lamp and thought carefully. If she ended up 'accidently' back into her lamp, she could end up imprisoned once more. She had to get rid of it to prevent that happening. But before the Female-Genie could begin, a sudden light from the only window of her prison caught her sight. Curious, she hovered over and saw, in a far distance, and with her magical powers, she saw the grand Kingdom of Agrabah, and from the sky out of nowhere, seventeen pillars of light rained down, and with her great sight, she could make out several figures; people-fourteen humans-one in his mid thirties, the rest either teenagers or young adults in their twenties, and three highly anthropomorphic animals-a mouse, a duck and a dog-while within the palace, a handsome young man, a girl whom the Genie quickly figured as the Princess...

She even caught sight of a blue, good Genie who was seemingly entertaining a stumpy short old but friendly man, obviously the Sultan, a small Monkey, a magic Carpet, and not too far from the shores of the coast, an older man who resembled to the one in the Palace and a red Parrot, both riding on a horse.

Her eyes narrowed as she eyed both the group of seventeen and the young man in the Palace; they had the powers to stop her, because if they knew of her existance and her past, they could very well trap her, the same way she'd been years ago.

"I cannot let anyone get in my way. They must be stopped!" The Female-Genie grunted.

She knew what she had to do in order to gain her goals.

* * *

Meanwhile, just at the front gates of the Kingdom, the worldly travellers had just teleported from the Gummi-Ship and landed in what most of them realised was a very familiar world as they then began walking through the marketplace, passing by every-day people who didn't seem to have noticed their unexpected arrival.

"Where are we?" Noctis asked, not recongising the place, as did Terra, Ventus, Aqua, Ignis, Kairi and Jack.

"It's Agrabah!" Sora exclaimed, happily. Finally, a world that he and the others recongised after Radiant Garden.

"Have you been here before, Sora?" Ignis inquired, curiously.

"Sure have! Me, Donald and Goofy came here lots of times in our previous adventures together." The sixteen year old answered.

"I came here a few times too...but, not in a good way." Riku admitted, mentally cringing at the idea of being here again, especially after what he did to Princess Jasmine two years ago.

"Hey, didn't you guys and Namine come here earlier too?" Kairi suddenly asked to Lea, Isa, Roxas and Xion, remembering them mention about Aladdin and Jasmine's wedding.

"Yeah. Got a last-minute invite to the royal wedding, which had to be post-poned due to the Forty Thieves." Lea replied, confirming it. "Wasn't that long ago, actually."

"Not to mention Braig too." Roxas nodded in agreement, while trying to avoid in remembering the time when, while fighting Sa'luk's Heartless, Lea briefly turned into a solid gold statue.

"Do you think Aladdin and the others might know where the Gummi-Block piece is?" Xion asked, thoughtfully.

"Welp, only one way to find out." Mickey suggested.

"And if not, then maybe it landed in the Cave of Wonders." Sora added.

"Or somewhere around here." Goofy nodded.

"Royal Wedding? Cave of Wonders?" Jack asked, puzzled.

"Long story," Sora began, before quickly saying firmly, "And no, no one's allowed to touch anything in the Cave of Wonders. Otherwise, the whole place will collaspe, unless you pass this trial."

"There's always a catch in everything, huh?" Terra teasingly asked.

"What about this wedding?" Ignis inquired. "You have me quite curious."

"Yeah, I didn't know you guys intended a wedding." Noctis added.

"Aladdin was to marry Princess Jasmine when we arrived before Xehanort was defeated." Isa explained.

"Not Prince Aladdin?" Jack asked.

"Well, the story is, and this is a bit of a back story, Al's Dad named Cassim who used to be the leader of the Forty Thieves left him and his Mom to look for this dangerous and powerful artifact to make gold to make a better life. Sad thing is, his Mom died and his Dad couldn't find them and assumed both of them were gone." Lea explained.

Sora blinked, as he and everyone else paused, before he asked, shocked, "So that's how Al' ended up living in the streets with only Abu until two years ago?"

"Oh, so that's the wedding you were talking about a while back." Jack realised with a grin, remembering that brief conversation on the Black Pearl back in his world. "I have to guess; the lad was an urchin, so to speak and did something heroic along with Sora, Donald and Goofy that made him rescue and so win the Royal Lady's heart."

"How did you guess?" Donald deadpanned.

"That's so sweet. Aladdin certainly is lucky to have done that. I'd like to meet him." Aqua said, thoughtfully.

"Me too." Ven and Skuld both said in unison, before sharing a surprised glance before looking away, awkwardly.

"Isn't this the same place where you guys met that weird Genie guy?" Myde asked, raising an eye-brow.

But before anyone could answer that, all of the sudden they all tensed when a shadow overloomed them and, to their confusion and shock, all over the city. Looking around and wondering what was going on, Goofy noticed something and alarmed his friends while pointing up. Everyone looked up to see, not black or purple clouds like most of the Keyblade wielders were expecting, but a dark red thick layer of smoke-like cloud over their heads, crackling with dark magic and lightning.

"What's going on!?" Sora exclaimed, as he and his friends stood in defense. They all then cried out when the smoke suddenly formed different kinds of pillars, which left the worldly travellers no time in reacting as they were quickly engulfed, crying out in alarm. The pillars didn't stop there, as several more spread towards the Palace, while two more spread towards into the Desert, claiming more victums.

Shortly afterwards, the cloud vanished...as did the group. Or perhaps not completely disappearing, but taken to different parts of Agrabah.

* * *

 _When Sora regained consciousness, he found himself laying on the pebble ground before slowly pushing himself up. But when he did, he gasped as he instantly recongised the place he found himself in. It was Agrabah; But the ruins of the town he saw earlier back at Atlantis._

 _Standing up and whirling around to get his bearings, Sora was stunned and confused._

 _"I'm...not awake, am I?" He wondered, aloud._

 _"You really couldn't tell the difference, could you?" A familiar voice spoke directly behind him, causing Sora to spin around and grunted as Vanitas stood there, his arms crossed against his chest as the raven-haired embodiment continued with a roll of his eyes, "Man, you really ARE slow."_

 _"Get real! It's not my fault that bad things always happen." Sora protested, before asking suspiciously and mentally worriedly, "Are you the one who caused that red smoke to appear out of nowhere?"_

 _Vanitas gave another roll of his eyes, "It wasn't me who did that, idiot. Though I have to admit, I don't think it was that Ardyn guy or Chaos who did that either. I'm not a psychic, but I think it's something else; a darkness that was born in that world you like so much."_

 _"But we already beated Jafar twice, and the Forty Thieves are defeated too. Who else would be in Agrabah to cause problems?" Sora wondered, while hating to admit that Vanitas had a good point, but he didn't want to make the guy thing he was accepting him. Sora would never allow Vanitas to take over his body-even in a million years._

 _"What am I, a Fortune Teller?" Vanitas asked sarcastically._

 _"That reminds me." Sora quickly remembered and changing the subject, "You were pulled out from Ven's heart, right? Since you were with Xehanort, how much do you know about the Keyblade that came from the Master of Masters?"_

 _Vanitas snorted, before answering, "You're full of questions today, aren't you, Sora? I can at least say that it gave him the ability to see into the future, but not everything. It also has the power to transfere one's heart into that of another dark vessel and be reclaimed by it's owner's heart in a new body."_

 _"And it can also split the heart into pieces too to take over other people's bodies." Sora realised, shocked. "No wonder Xehanort had so many ideas and always found a way to cause trouble. All to try and get the X-Blade and start a second Keyblade War. But, if anyone else wielded it..."_

 _"It can most likely slowly cause them to question the past and seek a Seekers life." Vanitas finished, "Guess the old saying 'Curiousity Killed the Cat' thing is true."_

 _"Not sure if I can believe you, but I'm not gonna let history repeat itself. If I have to, I'll stop the Master of Masters from doing anything." Sora declared, before adding, "But first, I gotta figure out what that red smoke was."_

 _"If you wanna figure the latter out, then why not wake up?" Vanitas smirked, before slowly approaching Sora who, backed off as he realised what was about to happen._

 _Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade only for it to shine in bright light, nearly blinding him and Vanitas who cried out in alarm and agony due to still being weak against the light..._

* * *

Snapping his eyes open with a soft gasp, Sora groaned as he pushed himself up from the lying position as he soon found out, hopefully for real this time, that he was lying on a dirty ground in a dark room with some light coming from above. After standing up, Sora looked around his surroundings, and his brows furrowed in worry.

He was in a brick and empty, but not welcoming chamber like room, chains attatched and hanging from the walls with shackles ready to trap someone from escaping, windows that had bars that were too small to fit through-unless you were Abu-and a single wooden door up the stairs on another level which no doubt was locked and could only be opened by a key. It didn't take long for Sora to realise that he was somehow locked up in a Dungeon.

Possibly in the Palace. The question was, why did the smoke lock him up in here?

Suddenly gasping, Sora quickly remembered his friends and looked around, hoping to see them. To his dismay, there wasn't a single trace of any of them...Not even Kairi.

Or, so he thought.

"WAAAK!"

"YA-HOO-HOOEEE!"

Looking up suddenly, Sora cried out as a flash of deja vu hit, and before he could get out of the way, both Donald and Goofy, who had both been clinging onto the wooden beams high above on near the ceiling, lost their grip and had fallen, crashing right on top of Sora who collasped onto the ground.

"Ouch!" Donald grunted, while he and Goofy were both seeing stars, they and Sora dazed from the unexpected crash landing.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed, both in relief and worriedly, as they both got off their friend before helping him up.

"Just like old times, huh?" Sora half-joked.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to land on top of ya'." Goofy apologised, with Donald nodding in agreement.

Sora shook his head with a smile, "It's okay." before asking as he looked up, realising what happened, "But um...why were you guys guys up there?"

"We just appeared up there and couldn't get down safely quick enough." Donald shrugged, before grumbling as a temper tantrum began to flare up, "I'm gonna get whoever's behind this!"

"Well, it can't be Jafar. He died when his Lamp melted." Sora pointed out, folding his arms in deep thought. "And we gotta find the others too."

"I wonder how this happened?" Goofy thought, puzzled and worried.

Just then, to their dismay, Heartless appeared and surrounded the trio who saw this and quickly summoned their weapons, ready to fight. Sora quickly raised his Keyblade to block a Shadow Heartless that leaped to attack him before he slashed at it and destroyed it instantly. He then whacked and sliced at several more that came towards him before he and his two friends leaped out of the way when the Tubby Heartless appeared, leaping and crashing onto the ground to create damaging shock waves that knocked Sora, Donald and Goofy over, grunting in pain at the injuries.

After Donald and Sora both casted Curaga, the latter then tossed his Keyblade towards the Tubby Heartless's back as it's always the weak spot, hitting it twice before casting Firaga, destroying one before going after another. Donald in the meantime casted Thunderaga at the Water Heartless that appeared and then casted Blizzaga to freeze five of them. He finished them off with another Thunderaga before chanting his Fire-works Spell to eliminate several Heartless that surrounded him.

Goofy spun around and around while using his Shield to knock away the Heartless and eliminating them at the same time, though once he stopped, it left him dazed before he recovered his bearings and charged forward while hiding behind his small but very useful Shield. He was about to get attacked by another Heartless that plotted to attack him from behind, but Sora saved him by whacking the Heartless and destroying it while saving Goofy who thanked him.

The three friends then formed in a circle and then held up their weapons in the air-Musketeer style-which summoned their special Trinity Power that absorbed the Heartless that were then trapped in a ball of Light and Magic before vanishing after the trio finished their attack. But they didn't catch a break as three more Heartless appeared, shaped like Bandits with swords, ready to attack.

"Why can't the Heartless just go away!?" Donald exclaimed, irritated.

Before the Heartless could attack, though, they were immediately destroyed by three fireshots, surprising the travelling trio who stood there, before turning to their right to see where those shots came from, half-expecting Jack. Instead, it was man, about Noct's age, messy and spiky blond hair with a thin build, black vest with a black sleeveless shirt underneath, black pants and boots, black fingerless gloves with a band around his right wist, and in his hand was a hand-gun, closer to a moden day pistol. He had blue eyes as well.

"Phew! Sorry for not helping out sooner." The young man spoke up, desummoning his weapon the same way of the weapons most of the worldly travellers could do before he approached the trio who did the same, not sensing any danger from him.

"That's okay. Thanks for helping us out." Sora replied.

"Happy to help!" The man grinned, before asking, "Hey, are you guys travellers? Never seen you before."

"Uh...yeah?" Sora answered, blinking in confusion, while turning to Donald and Goofy who both shrugged before turning back to the newcommer.

"I knew it!" The young man said. "It's pretty much the same with me, 'cept I got seperated from my friends and, not sure how I ended up here in this place, but I've been stuck here and none of the Guards outside would let me out, no matter what I said."

"I guess that makes the four of us. We got seperated from our friends too, except it was some red cloud that did it." Sora responded.

"Thought I saw a weird cloud covering." The young man said, thoughtfully. He then remembered something and sheepishly said, "Oh, sorry! Forgot my manners. I'm Prompto."

"Prompto..." Sora repeated. The name was familiar. He, Donald and Goofy then all remembered and the teenager said, "Oh! So you're Noct, Gladio and Ignis' friend, right?"

Prompto's eyes widened in disbelief and somewhat hope, asking, "Wait! You know them?"

"We met Gladio in another place, and Noct and Igas, uh, um, Iggy?-those two fellers were travellin' with us so they can go meet up with 'im." Goofy answered.

"We don't know where they or our other friends are, but they should be here in the Kingdom." Donald added.

"Well, at least they're okay. I've been worried sick." Prompto sighed in relief. He then hesitatedly asked, "Um, is it okay if I go with you guys to find them and help to find your friends?"

"Sure, no problem." Sora smiled, holding out a hand, which Prompto sighed in relief for a second time and accepted Sora's hand, the two of them shaking hands.

"But how do we get outta here?" Donald asked, looking around.

"Easy. I'll just use the Keyblade." Sora responded.

Just then, something hit Sora in the chest and clinged onto his shirt and short jacket, startling him and the others before they saw that it was a familiar red Parrot who was shaking in fear.

"SORA! DONALD! GOOFY! Great timing! I thought we'd never get out!" The parrot exclaimed hysterically.

"Iago?" Sora asked, surprised to see the Parrot in the dungeon with him and the others. More importantly, where'd Iago even come from? And what did he mean by 'we'?

"Oh, not him." Donald grumbled. Despite the last time, he still didn't fully trust the annoying and noisy bird.

"Whoa...that bird just talked!" Prompto breathed, amazed.

"Gawrsh, Iago. Are you okay?" Goofy asked, worriedly.

"Do I look okay to you?" Iago replied sarcastically, before asking as he pointed at Prompto skeptically, "And who's this new kid?"

"I'm Prompto." Prompto replied instead.

"Yeah, hi, nice to meetcha." Iago quickly greeted before turning back to three of the worldly travellers, "You guys just gotta free Genie! Whatever that red smoke came from, it spread through out the area desert and Agrabah!"

"And you have nothing to do with it?" Sora asked, skeptically. He wasn't about to take any chances on getting fooled again, especially with Iago possibly about to misbehave.

"I swear, it's not me and you and I both know that Jafar disappeared! Ask the blue lout! He'll tell ya'!" Iago replied, flying over to a small stone against the wall, which the four others followed. True to Iago's word, Genie was trapped inside a small bottle, having been shrunk down unexpectedly. The bottle itself had a lock on it with a Keyhole that had a little bit of darkness covering it. "Before you ask, yes, he can't get out on his own whenever he's stuck in a bottle, yes even I tried to get him out, but this stupid lock isn't budging, and no, we haven't been in here for long."

"So it did spread out through Agrabah." Sora realised, before summoning his Keyblade and aimed it towards the lock, "Don't worry, Genie. I'll get you out."

A beam of light emerged from the Keyblade and hit the lock that trapped Genie, unlocking it before the lock disappeared without a trace. With that done, and with Prompto making a sound of awe, Sora approached the bottle before pulling the cork out. Immediately, Genie came out and returned to his normal size, stretching out in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought I'd be stuck in there forever! I was getting such a leg cramp. It's a relief to be out again!" Genie sighed in relief, before happily zooming around the area, and then he appeared behind the travelling trio and hugged them and Iago tightly, cheering, "And it's all thanks to the amazing travelling best buddies who came back at the nick of time!" though he was unknowingly making it difficult for the four of them to breathe.

Thankfully, he released them before turning into a cheerleader, with pom-poms and cheered on, "Who's the best trio with Cream? It the Sora, Donald and Goofy Team!"

Genie then turned into a Soldier Lieutenant while appearing in front of the group this time, saluting, "Awaiting your orders, sirs!" while Iago facepalmed himself in sheer annoyance and dismay. Not even back in Agrabah for more than half an hour tops and already the blue Genie was getting on his nerves. Iago didn't miss this.

Sora, Donald and Goofy couldn't help but laugh, while even Prompto grinned.

"I like this guy already." The young man commented to the trio.

Finally noticing the unfamiliar young man, Genie returned to normal and asked, "Hm? And this fun looking guy is...?"

"Oh, this is Prompto. We just met him and he's a friend to two new friends of ours that are travelling with us and our other friends." Sora answered, before adding, "Which reminds me, that red cloud seperated us and that's how me, Donald and Goofy ended up here like you and Iago."

Realising what this means while shivering in realization and worry, Genie muttered worriedly, "Then that means, considering how everyone got seperated by the red smoke, my sources tell me that Bizarrah is behind this!"

"Bizarrah?" Donald asked, skeptically.

"Who's Bizarrah?" Sora inquired, confused. Though if Genie was worried, then this Bizarrah person was really bad if he or she managed to seperate everyone with her dark powers.

"Bizarrah is an evil Genie; the meanest of all Genies! I don't know much of the story, but legend says that she always tricked her masters into doing her evil deeds. They say that her last master managed to imprison her for thousands of years." Genie replied, before shrugging cluelessly, "Though, how she escaped, I have no idea."

"So Bizarrah's the one behind all of this." Sora realised, worriedly. It makes things worse that all genies are uneffected if they're in a Lamp or set free unless the lamp is destroyed before the said genies are set free. He then asked, "Is there any way to get her back into the lamp?"

"If the lamp isn't doesn't after she was set free, then absolutely! The downside to that is if Bizarrah returns to her lamp that is unharmed, she will become trapped once more." Genie replied.

"Then let's go do that and find her Lamp!" Sora declared, before adding, "But first, we need to find our friends to make sure that they're okay."

"Reality check, Sora. First we need to get outta here!" Iago reminded while gesturing around the dungeon they were all trapped in.

"Yeah, I have to agree with him on that one." Prompto admitted.

"Not to worry! Finding a way out is a piece of cake!" Genie ensured, before turning to a wall behind the group and zoomed towards it, before magically turning himself into a construction worker, with a ground driller appearing in his hand. He then used it against the wall which crumbled instantly into a newly made hole, revealing the side of the Palace with the wall right there, but thankfully towardst he courtyard where the entrance is.

"Whoa!" Sora and Prompto exclaimed, awed.

"Wow!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed, also in awe.

"Man, if only the guys could've seen that." Prompto muttered, wishing that Noctis, Ignis and Gladio would've been here.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fantasic." Iago waved it off before flying outside, saying, "Can we just get this over with so that I can go back to travelling the world with Cassim, please?"

"What?" Sora asked, as he and the others followed the bird. "You mean you're not living here anymore?"

Iago shook his head, "With the newly weds? It's too lovey-dovey!"

Deciding to question Iago about that later, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Genie, the bird and Prompto ventured out of the dungeon before making their way towards the Streets of Agrabah to locate their friends and find a way to put a stop to Bizarrah's evil scheme.

* * *

The group ventured through the Marketplace while Sora, Donald, Goofy and Prompto fought off the Heartless that appeared while saving other people who somehow got trapped in their own houses or ended up stuck on roofs, no doubt by the power of Bizarrah's evil Magic. Eventually they arrived at a mosaic artist's shop where, to their shock, held arts of five familiar young women; Kairi, Aqua, Xion, Skuld, and Princess Jasmine, who, horrifyingly, were all now mosaic arts but movement could be seen. From within, the four Keyblade wielders tried and failed several times to use their Keyblades to escape.

Observing them, was a familar tall white female duck with black hair that went down to her shoulders, a long black dress and black high-heeled shoes, and she seemed to be enjoying the five human women's futile attempts to escape.

"These lovely mosaics are very lovely. Which one should I buy?" The female duck laughed evilly.

"They're not for sale!" An unfamiliar young man's voice snarled.

Slightly startled, the female duck turned around while saying, "Who goes there?" but as she turned around and saw Sora's group, her eyes widened as she spotted both Donald and Goofy. "You two!"

"Magica!?" Donald and Goofy exclaimed, shocked.

"King Mickey Mouse's Magican; Donald Duck! Seeing you here today is rotten luck!" The female duck, identified as Magica, snarled angrily.

"You're the one who's the rotten luck!" Donald snarled back angrily.

"Uh, who?" Prompto asked, turning to Genie and Iago who both shrugged, having no idea either.

"Let me guess; You know her, right?" Sora asked to Goofy while pointing at Magica.

Goofy nodded, "Yep. Magica is a bad Sorcereress who caused more trouble than even Pete. The King and Donald both locked her up in another dimension a long time ago before Pete was banished. But I don't know how she escaped, though."

This only made Magica laugh evilly, before she responded, "You think I will tell you how I escaped? You are still just as clueless as the last time we met. Did you think the spell would last forever? Nothing holds Magic De Spell for long!" and then laughed once again.

"Then I guess it's up to me to make a peace and take her out." Genie decided, cracking his knuckles, before adding, "And I'm not talking about dinner either."

"Mind if we join in?" Sora asked while summoning his Keyblade, while Donald, Goofy and Prompto summoned their weapons, all of them stood in fighting positions, while Iago, scared, hid behind a crate.

"What? You have a Keyblade just like the King?" Magica exclaimed after seeing Sora's Keyblade materialize. She then growled before summoning her magic, "Then I will crush you as well!"

She unleashed a powerful dark purple energy at the group who leaped out of the way and dodged before Genie zapped light at Magica who blocked it with a magical barrier, only for Donald and Sora to sneak up on her by casting Thunderaga and Blizzaraga, catching her off guard. Sora then attacked her with his Keyblade with hacking and slashing at her before she poofed and briefly disappeared before reappearing above the group, laughing evilly before casting her own Thunderaga at the group, zapping all of them who cried out and twitched, a little paralyzed.

Casting cure quickly, Sora then used his Motionflow and leaped from one building to the next to reach Magica who hovered out of the way using dark magic, but Prompto fired at her, but she managed to block his attack. So he then switched out for Ice Shots in his Gun before firing again, this time hitting her hand which briefly encasted it in ice, allowing Sora to catch her again and hit her several times which caused her to fall and crash onto the ground. But as he landed safely on the ground, she instantly recovered only to be hit and knocked on the head by Goofy who spun around and around, using his Shield.

But Magica teleported again and then raised her arms to the sky where it then began raining Black Snakes that began to slither their way towards the group who quickly had to take them down with the mixture of Sora's skills as Keyblade wielder, Donald's magic, Goofy's shield, Prompto's handgun and Genie's magic. Iago screamed before flying high to avoid in getting eaten by one of the black Snakes. Then he noticed that Magica was busy and distracted in using her magic since she was looking up to concentrate.

So Iago quickly noticed a small rock on the ground and grabbed it with his talon before flying up while making sure Magica was busy on her magic since Sora and the others were busy taking out the seemingly never ending Snakes. It was quite difficult since Iago had to avoid the falling Snakes the higher he flew before finally he tossed the rock which hit Magica on the back of the head, causing her to grunt in pain and made her lose focus of her magic which stopped and all of the Snakes vanished completely. Despite the surprise, and as Magica turned to glare at Iago who gulped nervously, Sora and the others quickly teamed up, with Genie giving Sora a boost by flinging up up into the air.

By the time Magica noticed, Sora smacked her into the stomach with his Keyblade, sending her crashing onto the ground once more and leaving Donald to quickly use his Fire-Works Spell to hit the evil Sorceress multiple times before Goofy, Prompto and Sora either attacked her, blocked her attempts or dodging her moves as she recovered, though she was beginning to quickly become exhausted due the battle of one against five who the latter was beginning to win, with a distraction done by an annoying Parrot who's only skill was speaking normal English but with an intelligent mind.

Sora then focused on using his Wisdom Form which turned his clothes blue and he then began sliding like on a surf board or something, firing multiple Water and Ice Spell at Magica who tried to counter it, but with Donald using magic of his own, it was wearing her down even further, allowing Prompto to then use some skills of martial arts of knocking her towards Goofy who whacked her with his Shield like a club, sending her towards Sora who then whacked her with his Keyblade and Donald doing the same with his Staff, and this process repeated almost like a pin-ball game until she was knocked into the air before using her magic to levitate to soften her landing, but slumped onto one knee, panting, getting more and more tired but refusing to surrender easily.

Genie then used his Magic to create a bucket with...cement and poured it down onto Magica who attempted to block this by vanishing, only for Sora to toss his Keyblade which hit her twice and distracted her enough to get completely covered in the wet cement which dried out completely in the matter of seconds due to the heat of the sun of this world. Donald quickly added a Blizzard attack to keep her stuck for the time being and then Genie created a magical Safe with a lock, trapping Magica inside.

"Well...that's one way to do it." Prompto admitted.

"Let me out, miserable rif-rafs!" Magica, trapped in many ways than one, muffled in her prison.

Goofy, despite being relieved that Magica was defeated for the time being, asked worriedly, "Gawrsh, don't you think she'll free herself?"

"Not to worry. Dark Magic Proof Safe." Genie replied, tapping the top of the metal box. "Only way to free her is to smash from the outside."

"I guess we'll have to come back to her later." Sora muttered, shaking his head. He then had an idea and turned to Genie, asking, "Hey, do you think you can lock her up in the Dungeon?"

"Swell idea, Sora!" Genie saluted, before using his magic at the safe with Magica trapped inside, before she was teleported right into one of the Palace Dungeons that didn't have a hole in it. "That should keep her busy for a little while." He said, while dusting his hands off.

"Hey, thanks for helping us out." Prompto said to Iago who landed on the perch of an abandoned shop. "We would've been done for if you hadn't distracted Magica."

"Yeah, we owe you one, Iago." Sora added as he and everyone turned to the bird who whistled, embarrassed.

"I just kinda noticed she was too busy with her spell to pay attention to anything else and I knew that you guys had to stop her somehow." Iago shrugged, waving it off.

"It was a great idea, though." Donald pointed out, smiling.

Goofy noticed this and then snickered, "Gee, Donald. I'm really glad that you and Iago are startin' to become friends now." much to the sudden embarrassment of the two birds who flinched, before sharing a shocked and slightly horrified glances before scowling at each other before turning away and folded their arms, stubborningly refusing to look at one another.

Shaking his head and deciding to worry about this later, Sora turned his attention back to the mosaic art shop that had Kairi, Aqua, Skuld, Xion and Jasmine trapped inside the artworks and approached it in hopes of finding a way to free them. To his surprise, a Keyhole rested just above their artworks that the five girls were trapped in. Thinking of an idea, he held up his Keyblade which got everyone else's attentions and just as he hoped, a beam of light shot out and into the Keyhole which then disappeared. The five mosaic art works then glowed in light and forcing Sora, Donald, Goofy, Prompto, Genie and Iago to shield their eyes before the light dimmed.

When they lowered their arms, they were greatly relieved as Kairi, Aqua, Skuld, Xion and Princess Jasmine were right there, back to normal as the five of them looked around before they realised, to their relief, that they were back in the real world.

"It worked! Sora, you did it!" Xion cried out in relief as she and the others approached.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked hurriedly, only to be caught by surprise when Kairi threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. Only in relief that she was okay, he returned the embrace and hugged her tightly.

Too bad the moment was ruined when Iago groaned in disgust while grumbling, "Ugh, great. Now Sora's having a mushy moment with his own new girlfriend."

This made both Sora and Kairi blush heavily before they let go of each other and looked away, completely embarrassed. They blushed even harder when Donald and Goofy snickered.

"Oh! Sora having fallen in love? He is definitely a true hero, just like Al'! Finding the girl of his dreams while saving many in need!" Genie cheered on.

"Aw, c'mon! It's not what you think!" Sora protested, even though his heart was saying otherwise, much to his surprise.

Kairi nodded in agreement, but to her surprise, the little voice in the back of her head and in her heart were telling her that she didn't agree with Sora. In fact, it was the opposite of what she was actually feeling and that only made her blush even harder.

"Genie, come on. I don't think this is the time for this." Xion giggled.

"Xion! Back already?" Genie exclaimed happily, "That means Roxas, Namine, Lea and Isa are here too!"

"Actually, Namine's not with us right now. But these are Kairi, Aqua and one of new friends, Skuld." Xion introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Kairi nodded, to Genie, Jasmine and Iago.

"Pleased to meet you." Aqua added.

"Hello." Skuld nodded.

"It's great to see you again, Sora, Donald, Goofy." Jasmine greeted to the trio who nodded, bowing to her while muttering 'Your Majesty' which made the Princess giggle. She then noticed Prompto who blushed. "Oh, and this is another new friend?"

"Oh!" Sora remembered, before introducing the others, "This is Prompto. We just met but he's a great guy."

"Hey there." Prompto waved, before quickly bowing to Jasmine, "Uh, and greetings, your Majesty."

"Prompto...Are you a friend of Noctis, Ignis and Gladio?" Aqua asked, remembering the name.

Prompto gazed at Aqua before answering, "Yup! We'd hang out together as long as I can remember."

"Hey, do any of you know where everyone else are?" Sora asked, now thinking about the safeties of Aladdin, Abu, Riku, Mickey, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Terra, Ven, Myde, Noctis, Ignis and Jack.

"After that red smoke covered everyone, none of us seen the others since." Kairi shook her head, worriedly.

"The same thing happened at the Palace too." Jasmine added, "I hope they're alright."

"OI! Get back here!" A familiar voice shouted.

The group turned to their left to see where that shout came from, and caught sight of a familiar monkey, carrying a familiar compass, being chased by one irritated Captain Jack Sparrow, who was followed by Ven and Myde who was way behind.

"Guys, catch him!" Ven called up.

Another deja vu triggering, the Monkey skid to a stop as he saw too late that Sora, Donald, Goofy and even Prompto all jumped onto him, but ended up crashing not only on top of the monkey, but also onto each other on the pile. It was Abu who shrieked while losing his grip on the Compass. Jack finally caught up and snatched his beloved Compass from the little fur ball, glaring at him.

"Ven! Thank goodness you're safe!" Aqua cried out in relief, and before her friend knew it, she nearly glomped him when she hugged him tightly.

"A-Aqua! I'm okay!" Ven muffled, feeling completely embarrassed.

"Ven?" Iago asked, dumbfounded, as was Genie who's eyes literally bulged out in shock when the two of them and Jasmine saw the 'Roxas-Look-Alike'.

"Still stealing things, huh, Abu?" Sora sighed, shaking his head after he, Donald, Goofy and Prompto got up. Abu mumbled guiltily while having his hands behind his back, whistling innocently.

Jack cringed at how friendly Sora was being at the monkey, before the pirate grumbled, "All monkeys steal, mate. They're a bloody menace."

"Finally! Someone who agrees with me!" Iago sighed in relief, much to Abu's annoyance while the latter shook an angry fist at the bird, shrieking angrily as this was not the kind of reunion he had expected. Iago just glared in return, pointing out, "What? I didn't plan on coming back here this soon! Blame Bizarrah for that, hair-ball!"

"Bizzarah? Who is that?" Jasmine asked, confused, as were everyone else who hadn't heard of the evil Genie yet.

"She's the one that's causing all of this and how we got seperated in the first place." Sora explained, as the situation got back on track. "From what Genie told us, Bizarrah is sort of like Jafar who was locked up in a Lamp for years."

"But somehow, she managed to get free and nobody knows how that happened." Goofy added, concerned.

"That would explain that red cloud that had all of us seperated into groups. Very ill tempered woman with terrifying fury." Jack muttered, cringing.

"How did you get here?" Skuld asked.

"Well, we'd somehow ended up stuck inside a pot, but then we had help in getting out." Ven explained after Aqua finally released him. "Then the monkey who was with us stole Jack's Compass."

"Who released you?" Aqua asked.

Myde, who finally caught up after lagging behind, panting before replying, "You...can thank...a weird-eared...magical...girl...pipsqueak...for that. But she's...probably just as slow as me."

"Good day, I say." An unfamiliar voice spoke before anyone else could question on who it was. They looked around to see where the voice was coming from until Abu shrieked and leaped to hide behind Sora's legs, because when the group looked down, they saw...a girl with elf ears, a black nose, about the height of both Donald and Mickey, wearing a black and gray clothes, having a staff behind her back. And she didn't look impressed by the lack of response.

"Good day, I say!" She repeated.

"Uh...Hey there." Sora greeted.

"Hi-ya." Goofy greeted.

"Uh...hello." Donald muttered, nervously.

After everyone else who weren't familiar with her shared their greetings, the girl sighed before walking past the group, saying, "Youths these days, why do they lack manners in many ways?"

"We're terribly sorry for our manners, miss." Jasmine apologised, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, uh...what she said." Prompto said awkwardly, before asking, "So um, who're you?"

"I am Shantotto. A Tarutaru, that's who." Shantotto responded. She then turned around and said, "Well, willing to say your names? Because this is no time for games."

"I'm Sora." Sora quickly replied, "And this is Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Ventus, Jack, Aqua, Skuld, Xion, Myde, Princess Jasmine, Abu, Iago, Genie and Prompto."

"You can call me Ven." Ven added, before he was startled by Genie who went up to him, apparently examining him.

"You wouldn't happen to be related to Roxas, would you?" Genie asked.

Realising what he meant, Ven shook his head, "Everyone asks me that, but no. It's a really long story."

"Interesting. A group this large, one of you must be in charge." Shantotto said, thoughtfully at Sora and the worldly travellers.

"Huh?" Donald asked, as he, Goofy, Sora, Kairi, Abu, Myde, Skuld and Xion tilted their heads slightly to the side in confusion.

"You wouldn't happen to have noticed where the rest of our friends would be, would you, Lady Shantotto?" Jack pipped up quickly before things got even more tensed, as his experiences with Tia Dalma taught him to never underestimate women with voodoo magic or any other kind of magic. "Because we would like some help and we're not leaving without it."

Thankfully, Shantotto got the message, because she replied, "As one with magic, not knowing what transpired would be tragic. While I know not of everything, I have seen what as become of another young man and the small but very brave king."

"You mean Riku and King Mickey!? Sora exclaimed in relief as he and the rest of the worldly travellers and even Jasmine and Genie came up to them, while Prompto and Abu followed, and Iago perched himself onto Genie's shoulder.

"Exactly, my dear. In fact, the two souls along with others are quite near." Shantotto replied, before she headed towards underneath an archway to another part of down. "Come along, hurry up! We do not have all day, young pups!"

"Pups?" Ven repeated, puzzled.

"We should get going." Jasmine nodded.

Jack, being the gentlemen, gestured the Princess, Kairi, Aqua, Skuld and Xion to go first, "Your Highness, ladies."

Despite feeling awkward around Jack, Jasmine took the offer gracefully, with Kairi, Aqua, Skuld and Xion following. Sora and everyone else soon followed, with Myde and Prompto walking side by side, feeling a strange sense of deja vu forming.

"Uh...do I know you?" Prompto asked to the mullet-haired young man.

"...Not sure." Myde replied.

' _Riku...Your Majesty, everyone...hang in there._ ' Sora prayed in his mind, hoping that the rest of his friends, which included Aladdin, were all okay. Whatever Bizarrah was attempting to do, he wasn't going to let her get away with any of this.

So the new dangerous adventure in Agrabah had already began and not in the way the worldly travellers had in mind.

* * *

 **A/N: I know this is a completely weird chapter, but it's not easy making a new story for Agrabah since the King of Thieves story was already in "Second Life". I hope I did okay with it and sorry that this chapter was short. It'll take a while for me to finish up Agrabah.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you in the next chapter as soon as possible.**


	34. CH33: Bizarrah's Scheme

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay again. Computer problems(most likely have to get a new one before KH3 comes out, which, I originally intended on getting a new one after the game's release, *Sigh*), family health problems(It's not as bad as it sounds, but I'm worried), writer's block and edging to begin another KH story I've been meaning to do for years now(Yep, it's "Second Being" which I only managed to do a preview story which will be set after "Second Chance" and before "Second Life"), everything in random.**

 **Well, at least a new chapter's here now.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH33: Bizarrah's Scheme.**_

While the group knew that searching for their friends through out Agrabah wouldn't be easy, especially with Heartless around-which was nothing Sora, Kairi, Xion, Skuld, Ven, Aqua, Donald, Goofy, Jack, Myde, and Prompto couldn't handle-everyone followed Shantotto in hopes of finding Riku, Mickey, Terra, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Noctis, Ignis and Aladdin.

"If the crux of our problem is this force, we need only follow it to the source." Shantotto was saying after being told about Bizarrah.

"I do wonder how Bizarrah managed to escape?" Jasmine thought, worriedly. "I mean, I know that rubbing a lamp is the only way to let out a Genie and a wish to set them free is the only way to free Genies from lamps forever. But who could've let Bizarrah out?"

"Magica?" Sora guessed with a shrug.

"I don't think so." Goofy said, thoughtfully. "If it were Magica, Bizarrah woulda been with her, right?"

"I don't think it was Aced either." Kairi added after thinking about it. "He's too focused on saving the you-know-what to even think of something like letting Bizarrah out."

Skuld nodded in agreement, "You're right. Aced wouldn't do something as foolish as that."

"Maybe it was Pete. You know how much trouble he's causing." Xion shrugged.

"Could be." Myde shrugged, "Plus, with that guy and Maleficent looking for the Book of whatever it is and they like to gather up villians that's sorta like Organization XIII."

"Who're Aced, Pete, Maleficent and Organization XIII?" Prompto asked, confused. Genie, Abu, Iago and Jasmine shared the confusion.

"I thought you guys stopped Pete, Maleficent and Organization XIII." Iago pointed out to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Sora nodded, answering, "We did, and we stopped the guy who was behind the whole thing since a little over twelve years ago. Pete and Maleficent are bad guys who're messing with the Heartless, and well, those two are still around, looking for a book that might be an answer to what's going on since we're looking for it too. But the ones we have to worry about are Aced and Chaos."

"And this whole thing started twelve years ago?" Jasmine asked, shocked.

"Yeah, and Aqua, Terra and I were in the thick of it twelve years ago. It's a long and complicated story." Ven shifted uncomfortably.

Shantotto suddenly hovered in front of Ven, startling him as she then said, "And considering how you and Aqua had not aged, it's obvious that you both were tormentedly caged."

"Wait, what?" Prompto blinked, confused.

"Being caught in some dark hook, the two of them are older than they look." Shantotto grinned while hovering back onto the ground. The worldly travellers suddenly shared an uncomfortable glance, knowing that, given how the mage managed to figure this out with Ven and Aqua, they all had some explaining to do.

She wasn't finished, however, as she turned her attention to Skuld, adding, "Same as this Warrior of Light. Brought here to join this questionable fight."

An uneasy pause.

"I think she's some sort of an Oracle." Genie whispered to Jack.

"Either that, or she's a mind-reader, given that she can use magic." The pirate whispered back.

Donald looked between the others with his eyes, until something caught the corner of them to his left and looked to see what caught his attention as they passed a Rug Shop. He blinked in confusion as one of the rolled up rugs seemed to be...glowing a bit and wobbling on it's own, before approaching it to see what was going on. Funny enough, the owner of the place wasn't there despite that they had passed a few streets which had everyday people in the Marketplace.

"What's this?" Donald wondered aloud, before glancing back and forth to make sure the owner wasn't around, before carefully picking up the rug and flipped to unroll it on the ground, which the noise made everyone else notice.

"Donald, this isn't the time to go Marketplace shopping." Sora scolded, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

But as Donald got a good look at the rug, he yelled out in shock and fright. "Look!" He cried out.

Now concerned while wondering what caused their friend to have such a fright, Sora and the others gathered to see what was wrong. When they did, their eyes widened in shock and confusion as well.

"Riku! King Mickey! Roxas! Terra! Lea! Isa! Noct! Ignis! Carpet!" Sora cried out, alarmed this time.

Inside the picture pattern of the rug, were the group's said friends who, like inside a mirror or something, could move but couldn't get out of the rug as they realised Bizarrah's magic had them trapped inside.

"Noct! Iggy!" Prompto cried out in alarm, relief and worry, recongizing two of them.

"Well, this is a surprise. Bizarrah's powers are quite an uprise." Shantotto admitted.

From within the rug, the said group trapped inside were relieved that help had come and while Noctis and Ignis were surprised and relieved to see their friend, Prompto, Lea called out, " _Hey, guys...Uh, a little help?_ "

Iago, seeing this, sighed while shaking his head, "The others being stuck in there by Bizarrah, I can still handle. But a Rug inside a Rug? She couldn't've done something a bit more creative?"

"Hey, there's a keyhole above them." Goofy pointed out, and he was right. A keyhole somewhat floated above the trapped group inside the rug.

"How's that going to work in getting them out of a rug?" Jack asked, dumbfounded, before shrugging, "Unless, of course, we use the Keyblade to do what Sora did to free Kairi, Xion, Skuld, Aqua and Jasmine."

"Not a bad idea." Myde shrugged in agreement, before asking, "Uh...how do we do that, eactly?"

"Maybe if we hold it up, that would give Sora a better angle to use the Keyblade and free them." Jasmine suggested with a shrug.

"Good thinking! I'll do the honors!" Genie piped up, before carefully picking up the rug from the top and made it look like the trapped group were standing up. "Free away, Sora!"

Sora nodded and while the others moved away a bit to give the Keyblade Master a bit more room, he summoned his Keyblade before holding it out, and as promised a beam of light hit the Keyhole, and the entire rug shined in bright light which caused everyone to shield their eyes until it dimmed. When Sora's group looked, the rug was gone, and in it's place, were the rest of the worldly travellers and the Magic Carpet, all looked around before realizing that they were free and sighed in relief.

"We're out!" Roxas cheered happily.

"Great work, Sora!" Mickey congratulated as Sora and the others approached in relief.

Lea stretched, groaning in relief, "Ugh, man. That was so not comfortable inside that thing." before he, Roxas and Isa were caught off-guard when Xion threw herself into all three of them happily. The trio then smiled and hugged her in return, relieved that she was okay.

"Is everyone alright?" Aqua asked, as she and Ven both made sure Terra was okay, while Sora and Kairi did the same with Riku and Donald and Goofy did the same with Mickey, and Prompto was happily reunited with Noctis and Ignis.

"Apart from being stuck inside that material, we're okay." Riku replied, before asking, "Um, so, what happened? How did we all end up seperated and inside that rug?"

"There's this evil genie named Bizarrah. She's the one who's caused all of this. She trapped me, Donald, Goofy, Genie and Iago in the Palace Dungeons, trapped Kairi, Aqua, Xion, Princess Jasmine and Skuld in mosaic artworks, and Ven, Jack, Abu and Myde inside pottery." Sora explained as briefly as he could.

"We also met Prompto and Ms...Um...Shantutu, uh, sanrurur, um, sally..." Goofy once again had trouble pronoucing Shantotto's name.

"Shantotto here helped the four of us get out of that old pot. That's what Goof's trying to say." Myde quickly continued while gesturing at Shantotto who smiled.

"Good day, I say." Shantotto greeted.

"Hi-ya, Shantotto, and Prompto. It's nice to meet ya. I'm Mickey." Mickey responded with a beaming smile.

"I'm Riku." Riku added.

"I'm Terra." Terra added.

"My name is Isa." Isa nodded.

"I'm Roxas." Roxas added.

"My name's Lea. Got it memorized?" Lea added with a smirk.

"My name is Ignis, Ms. Shantotto. This is Noctis." Ignis greeted politedly.

"We call him Noct." Prompto added with a grin, before waving at the other worldly travellers friendily.

Noctis nodded to Shantotto, and even to Jasmine, Iago, Abu and Genie, "Hey there."

"Any of you guys seen Aladdin?" Sora asked, noticing that Aladdin was still missing.

"Nope. We've been stuck in there for most of the time." Lea shrugged apologetically, before admitting, "Come to think of it, for me that's minor compared to what Sa'luk did the last time the four of us and Namine were here."

"Minor compared? Something worse happened the last time you were here?" Jack asked, puzzled as were everyone else.

The redhead shifted uncomfortably, before answering, "Uh, long story short, but when Sa'luk touched that Hand of Midas by the gold hand part, it turned him into a solid statue. Problem is, due to the darkness in his heart, he turned into a giant Heartless that, if he touched anything or anyone, they'd turn into pure gold and couldn't be reversed unless he was defeated. I ended up turning into a statue after I saved Roxas."

"YOU!?" Sora, Riku, Ven, Mickey, Terra, Donald, Goofy, Myde, Noctis and Prompto all exclaimed in shock and horror, while Aqua, Skuld, Kairi and Jasmine all gasped.

"You didn't say anything about that part!" Iago exclaimed, horrified himself.

Lea shuddered, "Yeah, and believe me, that was a horrible experience, one that I hope to never have to go through again."

"Who would?" Isa muttered, while giving his friend a comfort pat on the shoulder.

Abu shivered in fear and whimpered before he was being comforted by the Magic Carpet who was seen for the first time by Prompto and most of the worldly travellers who'd never seen it before.

"Whoa! A magic Carpet!" Prompto exclaimed in amazement.

Jack on the other hand, as though the obvious was painfully seen before the younger man even mentioned it, gave Prompto a sarcastic look while asking in strong sarcasm, "Really?"

"Uh, anyway." Lea quickly spoke up before an argument could start, "You said somethin' about Bizarrah? Who's she and who freed her?"

"An evil mean Genie, and well, none of us have any idea how she got out, to be honest." Genie answered, "I think the next thing to do now is find Al' and quickly!"

"Hey, Shantotto? Do you have an idea where Aladdin could be?" Ven asked as he turned to the mage who quickly went into deep thought.

She paced slowly while thinking, "If Bizarrah had also captured Aladdin, she would have kept him in a place that is well hidden. If my speculation is right, then she imprisoned him in a place that is magically tight."

"Uh, not to ruin your thoughts here, sister, but don't you EVER say anything that isn't in a rhyme!?" Iago exclaimed in sheer annoyance, sick to death with Shantotto's constant poerty speech. "It's getting on my nerves!"

He was quickly grabbed by Donald who glared at him while saying, "Your shouting is getting on MY nerves!"

"You're not the only one." Genie rolled his eyes, while also glaring at Iago in equal annoyance.

Shantotto glared at Iago, saying in warning while pointing her staff at the bird threateningly, "Watch your mouth, insufferable Parrot, or I will take great pleasure and turn you into a Carrot."

That was enough to make Iago stay silent as he gulped nervously. Everyone else shared a little scared glances as well. It was Noctis who finally broke the awkward silence, as he asked, "Uh...so...you got an idea where he could be?"

"Hmm...In order to be in the right direction..." Shantotto thought deepily, before an idea hit her, and then she turned to face the worldly travellers while pointing at Sora, "Is the one who has a chosen connection."

"Me?" Sora asked.

"I think she's right." Mickey realised, "Sora, you're more connected with Aladdin than most of us are. Everyone's with you in your heart, and we're all connected by the invisible chains."

Sora absorbed what the King had told him, and realised that he was right. His friends were his power and he was theirs.

"May my Heart be my Guiding Key." Sora almost automatically mumured.

" _This is getting old._ " Vanitas's voice groaned in Sora's head, and the teenager had to mentally shake off those words. Now wasn't the time for that guy to interfere. Instead, Sora closed his eyes and tried to think and focus on his Heart and Aladdin at the same time.

At first, nothing happened. But the more Sora concentrated, the more he could see an image in his mind's eye...of a boarded up place in an deserted street. Then, as though stepping into the building which looked like an old laboratory with objects and such older than possibly the Sultan, with a mirror on the side, and at the back of the room...was some kind of vortex and inside it, struggling to get out...was Aladdin!

Snapping his eyes open with a stop gasp, Sora exclaimed, "Al'!" before rushing towards a direction of a street close by, as though he knew where Aladdin was and that he was in deep trouble.

"Sora! Wait!" Kairi cried out, as she and everyone else hurried to follow him, with Riku calling out Sora's name.

The group followed Sora while fighting or avoiding the Heartless along the way down the street, until they eventually arrived at an boarded up building which Sora recongised as what he saw before he slashed through the wood with his Keyblade to make an opening and raced inside, with the others close behind. Everyone gasped in horror as a vortex was slowly pulling Aladdin right inside.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried out, horrified.

"Jasmine! Sora! Guys!" Aladdin called out, before grunting as he was being pulled in slowly further into the vortex, "I-It's not safe! Get outta here or you'll get caught too!"

"We're not leaving without you!" Sora protested.

"Reality check! How can we get Al' outta there if we-" Iago suddenly cut himself off when he noticed what was on the table. Immediately, his eyes lit up, as did Abu's, before the duo, without thinking, went over to the table which had a few broken jars and inside them, were jewels of Rubies, Emeralds, Sapphire, and Gold. "Riches! My favorite things ever!" He exclaimed as he greedily eyed the items.

"Don't go near there!" Riku warned.

Too late, as the Vortex somehow sensed more victums, the winds picked up a little which, given how Iago and Abu were up close the vortex, was starting to pull the two inside as they realised too late before screaming. Donald and Myde reacted quickly by grabbing them, but soon it was becoming to the point where everyone was slowly starting to get sucked into the powerful winds.

"Grab Aladdin and make it quick!" Shantotto shouted, while struggling to hold her staff while aiming at the vortex. "Are your skulls unbearably thick!?"

"But if we do that, we'll get sucked in too!" Xion cried out while she struggled not to get pulled in herself.

"Just do it!"

Genie then had an idea and magically conjoured a rope, "What we need is a volunteer to be tied up around the waist with this rope to pull Al' outta there so we can pull both of them out!"

"I'll do it!" Sora quickly volunteered and before anyone else could protest, the teenager quickly tied one end of the rope around his waist and made sure that it was tight enough that it wouldn't come loose.

"Are you crazy!?" Prompto cried out in disbelief. "What if you end up stuck in there too!?"

"I'll be okay! Trust me!" Sora nodded with determination, and he knew that, if he wasn't careful, he and Aladdin could both be lost to wherever the vortex would lead them. "Ready?"

Despite the hesitation and worry, everyone else nodded and with Genie, held the other end of the rope tightly while Sora then leaped and allowed himself to be pulled by the winds, but when he gave his signal, everyone tugged and held on while Sora reached out his hand to Aladdin who was shocked.

"Aladdin! Give me your hand!" Sora cried out to his friend.

Despite struggling to do so while shocked that his friend was risking his life to safe his, Aladdin grunted as he managed to pull his hand free and while the two young men strained, and when everyone else thought it was no use, Sora finally grasped Aladdin's hand and called out to the others, "I got him!"

"Pull!" Ven shouted the signal, as he and everyone else pulled as hard as they could while hoping that the rope wouldn't break. With a final tug, they all successfully pulled both Sora and Aladdin away from the Vortex as they all landed on the ground with a thud, and Shantotto blasted a small orb of Light from her staff which went into the portal that then vanished instantly the moment the two made contact, and the winds died down.

"Uh...Genie?" Myde groaned, and his voice sounded all muffled. As it turns out, Genie had accidently landed on top of him and Iago who were both stuck underneath the blue magical being. "Could you...get off please!?"

"Whoops!" Genie winced before quickly hovering off the duo, who both looked a bit flattened. "Sorry."

Iago tapped the ground with a feather while resting his head on his right wing, glaring in annoyance at Genie while grumbling, "This is one of those adventures again."

"You okay?" Sora asked, while he and everyone else panted.

Aladdin nodded, "Yeah. Thanks, Sora. I woulda been a goner if you guys didn't show up." before standing up and embraced Jasmine when she threw her arms around him in huge relief.

"We couldn't have done it without Shantotto here." Sora sheepishly replied while he and everyone else stood up, and Shantotto nodded.

"Well, thank you, Shantotto." Aladdin nodded, before asking the group, "So uh, when did you get here?"

"About just before Bizarrah attacked." Lea replied with a small shrug. "What I wanna know is why she did that and how she managed to escape in the first place."

Aladdin sighed, "Well, we can't seal her without the lamp, and this is going to be more difficult than ever."

"Whaddya mean?" Goofy asked, worriedly.

"I'm not sure if this is the right one, but, I found this piece of a broken Lamp when I was stuck in that vortex." The former Street Rat replied while pulling out a black bottle neck of what looked like an old Lamp.

At the sight of the Lamp, Genie's eyes bugged out about at least two feet before he went over and gazed at the piece of the lamp, slightly panicking, "Oooh! Bizarrah sure knew how to make things really difficult! Al', how many pieces did she put her lamp into?"

"As far as I know, three. I saw her break her lamp while she was taking me to this place. I managed to grab this piece and if I remember correctly, she hid the other two pieces somewhere in the desert outside Agrabah. The second piece should be in a cave in the east." Aladdin thought deeply.

"The Cave of Wonders?" Sora couldn't hold back the urge to groan.

To his relief, the answer was, "No. A different one. I've never been inside there before, so I only saw the entrance. The second piece has gotta be in there somewhere and I'm not sure what Bizarrah really like. All I know is that she has to be stopped before she destroys Agrabah."

"If Bizarrah managed to break her own lamp due to being set free, she must have done so to prevent herself in being trapped again." Skuld realised.

"I was thinkin' the same thing." Mickey nodded in agreement. "So, while the journey to find the other two pieces will be dangerous, we still gotta find them if we wanna trap Bizarrah back into her Lamp."

"Sounds simple, but like you said, it won't be that simple." Noctis spoke up, "But there's no way we can just leave this in the open."

"Not simple to do, but simple to remember. Then again, words are more simple in memories than they are in real life. Ay?" Jack commented, which once again earned skeptical looks from everyone else.

"Right...and, who're you?" Aladdin asked, now that he got a better look of the newcommer that was with them.

Sora, remembering, answered apologetically, "Oh, this is Jack Sparrow. He came along with something else happened recently and it's a long story."

Before Sora could introduce Aladdin to Noctis, Ignis, Skuld, Ven, Terra, Aqua, and Prompto, however, a noise was heard from outside and it sounded like a woman's voice.

"...I sense that boy has escaped!" The unfamiliar voice grunted angrily.

"Someone's coming!" Noctis alerted in a whisper.

Panicking while trying to keep their voices down, everyone all quickly hid behind broken crates and behind the wall near the doorway, as outside, a red female evil genie flew in before glancing around to see if anyone was here.

"There's no one here." She said to herself, before growling and then sighed. "No matter. As long as the Sultan and those other pieces are not found, the world will be mine to rule!"

Without further ado, she then disappeared in red-smoke which faded, as she had been unaware of the group hiding inside the building before they sensed that she was gone for now and sighed in relief.

"By judging her fiery temper and not very friendly expression, I would venture a guess that she is Bizarrah." Jack muttered as he and everyone else slowly came out of their hiding places.

"I have a feeling that you're right. Who else would be a female genie and say things like that?" Ignis agreed.

"She didn't say anything about where Cassim is, though. Maybe she thought he wasn't worth her time." Iago muttered with a shrug.

This made Aladdin groan, "So she even got Dad too. That explains how you got back here, Iago."

Iago shook his head, "Not my fault that she decided to attack everyone in the area!"

"I hope my father and Aladdin's father are both alright. They and the pieces of the lamp could be anywhere." Jasmine muttered, concerned.

"I'm sure we'll find them. We're not giving up that easily! Right guys?" Sora declared, and his companions all nodded in agreement.

"And we know where the second piece could be. It's the third one, the Sultan and Aladdin's father we have to figure out, though." Mickey said, while placing a hand onto the glass of the mirror on the wall. But as he just touched it, all of the sudden, it glowed in light, which alarmed him and everyone else who also noticed the light.

When it faded, Mickey gazed at the mirror, thinking it was normal. But the sight that greeted him was a shock. Sure it looked like his reflection, but to Mickey's confusion, his 'double' was wearing his traditional red shorts and yellow shoes.(1)

"AH!" Mickey shrieked before falling backwards in fright and his 'double' did the same. Calming down a little, Mickey stood up, edging closer to what appeared to be a mirror or a window, and made slow movements to see if it was real. His 'double' did the same.

"Hm, it looks like my reflection. But something isn't right." Mickey thought, and to make things complicated, his 'double' in the mirror was talking, but he couldn't hear what the reflection was saying. Come to think of it, the other Mickey inside the mirror looked to be in some kind of hallway, and there was a mist forming around the reflection, one that the King recongised as hints of a dream. Or a nightmare.

"What is it?" Riku asked as he approached his friend, before realising that something weird was happening in the mirror, and then everyone else gathered around, now even more confused than ever.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, puzzled.

While he wasn't certain, Mickey thought up a conclusion that the only one that made sense, "I'm not sure. But it kinda looks like I'm...seein' myself in another dimension."

"Another what?" Jack asked, dumbfounded.

"You mean like an alternate world?" Roxas asked.

Shantotto thought deeply about this, "Two of us exist? What a twist."

"What do you mean 'alternate world'?" Aladdin asked, confused.

"Think of it as a place like say, what if you weren't around and where that would leave us." Genie answered, before shivering, "Why, I'd still be stuck in that Lamp!"

That's when Sora realised and remembered something that made his eyes widen in horror as he remembered the dream he had back in Port Royal, one that had Vanitas appear to him for the first time;

* * *

 _ **Flashback: In "Second Life: Secret Episode"...**_

 _"This is what would've happened if Roxas didn't cure that redhead friend of his through you. Without Axel, or Lea, or whatever, the outcome would've been that Roxas and Xion would've still been stuck inside you, Ventus's heart stuck inside you, Namine stuck inside Kairi, and Lea losing Isa to Xehanort by the time he's recompleted, and you wouldn't even know about Genesis_. _" Vanitas told Sora._

 _Somehow seeing what he just seen of his dreamself made sense to Sora as he summed up, in slight horror at the very thought of it, "So you're saying that if Lea wasn't revived, Roxas, Xion and Namine wouldn't be made as humans, Genesis, wouldn't have woken up, Zack would've still been dead, Aqua would still be trapped in the Realm of Darkness...and Xehanort would've taken me as his vessel. Then Chaos..."_

* * *

End of Flashback:

So Vanitas was right. Except that, very likely that said alternate universe did exist, Sora's other self somewhere in another alternate universe is still facing Master Xehanort. His gaze lowered to the ground in guilt and realization. Was it really hopeless even with or without Xehanort around? That the Realm of Light would be going into another War?

" _Well, that's a first. Seeing another universe through a mirror is amusing._ " Vanitas' voice echoed in Sora's head, and he could hear the embodiment of darkness smirking cruely.

' _Shut up, you!_ ' Sora hissed in his mind while gritting his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.

Abu's shriek suddenly snapped Sora out of it before he and the others looked up while Iago muttered nervously to Mickey, "Uh, unless I'm mistakin' and I'm hallucinating...THERE'S A GIANT MONSTER RIGHT BEHIND YOUR OTHER SELF!" he screamed out the rest of the sentence.

Gazing at the mirror to see what was happening, their eyes widened as Mickey's other self in the mirror was being over-shadowed by a mysterious black monster that resembled to a Heartless, with yellow perching eyes and sharp gagged black teeth and claws. Mickey gasped in horror while the other Mickey slowly turned around in fear and was about to be grabbed by the monster when suddenly the entire image faded as though it disappeared completely.

"No!" Mickey cried out, placing his hands on the mirror, only to see that the image was gone and in it's place was the real reflection of himself, with everyone else in it and the room they were in.

"Huh? Where'd they go?" Donald asked, worriedly.

"That was weird and creepy." Myde shuddered.

"What was _that_?" Noctis asked, puzzled and shocked.

Aqua, while puzzled herself, muttered, "It must've been another dimension. But, I can sense that Mickey's alternate self was dreaming."

"Dreaming?" Jasmine asked, confused.

"Now that you mention it, I think you're right. Not sure why, but, it looked to me like Mickey's otherself was trapped in a nightmare, and maybe, just as that monster was about to grab him, maybe he woke up just in time and that's why the image disappeared." Riku theoried.

Sora blinked, befor realizing, "Maybe you're right. It did kind of look like a dream. At least I hope it was a dream."

"So you're sayin' that he's other self was dreaming of seeing us in our dimension while having a nightmare of that thing chasing him? That means we're not the only ones having problems." Lea thought, a bit skeptical.

While his friends talked and he listened, Mickey continued to gaze at the mirror where he'd seen his alternate self, placing a hand onto the glass. His real reflection copied him. He was suddenly worried for his other self and hoped that Sora was right. The other Mickey looked younger, and whom what Mickey used to be before he became a Keyblade wielder years ago.

' _I wish Master Yen Sid were here. He'd know more about this._ ' Mickey thought to himself, thinking about his still missing former mentor.

"Mickey?" Riku's voice jarred Mickey out of his thoughts, before the king realised that his close friend was kneeling next to him and had placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm okay. Don't worry." Mickey answered the teenager's unasked question with a sad smile.

"Uh...if we're done with the scary magic mirror, can we just go now?" Iago pleaded while gazing at the mirror again. "'Cuz I don't wanna see my alternate-self in a bad place!"

"Iago!" Aladdin and Sora both scolded.

"He is right, as time is wasting. We must make haste against Bizarrah we are chasing." Shantotto agreed as she began to walk out of the building.

"She has a point." Prompto nodded in agreement.

"Yeah and I got a feeling that cave will be dangerous. We have to be prepared for whatever trials waiting for us." Terra nodded in agreement.

"Right. Let's go!" Sora said with determination.

But as everyone walked out of the building to head over to their next destination depsite Aqua's protests that Jasmine should stay behind but had been convinced otherwise that keeping the Princess close by was safer than leaving her at the Palace due to Bizarrah, Maleficent and Chaos, Lea couldn't help but gaze at Sora who was unaware of the redhead's stare. His eyes and brows narrowed in suspicion.

Lately Sora had been acting strange, and this all started back onboard the Black Pearl at Port Royal and even though nothing seemed wrong with the kid, Lea could see that, in some cases, Sora seemed like in a double conversation rather than thoughts.

He was hiding something, and he wasn't telling.

' _Just like...I was with Axel_.' Lea thought to himself in realization. Suddenly he had half an idea what was in Sora's mind, yet didn't know why, since Roxas and Xion were made human and Sora was still whole.

Sooner or later, Lea decided, he would speak with Sora privately on what was going on.

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside of the entrance of a cave that looked more like an entrance of a temple with ancient carvings surrounding it, Pete, under orders by Maleficent, stood there while having his fists on his hips.

"Well, d'at old Cave of Wonders had nothin', and this Vanishing Isle is too wet due to a giant Turtle, I guess this place is the next best thing to find that stupid Book. Got my doubts, though." Pete was saying to himself, before stepping inside...after five minutes of steeling himself.

The cave itself was very creepy. Almost as creepy as the Underworld.

But as he took the first step, the ground gave way, revealing a pitfall trap leading far into the ground. Pete realised too late as he ended up falling deep, deep into the darkness underground, screaming in alarm while the trap itself sealed itself up back the way it was as though nothing happened at all.

It was a rough and hard landing, but Pete finally saw the end of the tunnel while tumbling out face first on the stone floor. He layed there for a short moment before pushing himself up, while having to pull his face off the ground as it was stuck for a moment. Shaking away the dizzy spells, the villian looked around and noticed that he was in some kind of chamber, with a tunnel to his right, and a large sealed door to his left.

Realising that he feel through a booby trap, Pete then decided that he was okay for not and he can easily get himself out. "Well, could be worse." He said to himself, attempting to lighten the mood.

Too bad he spoke too soon, because as soon as the words went out of his mouth, the door to his left then made a creaking noise, and it slowly slid up. When Pete looked to see not two, not four, but six gleaming eyes in the darkness, and a growl that came from within. As it emerged, Pete's eyes widened in horror as a three-headed Lion with wings stepped into the light of the torches that were in the room.

"Uh-oh." Pete muttered. The first logical thing for him to do was send in the Heartless to deal with it to turn it into a Heartless to be under his and Maleficent's command.

But it attacked so fast that Pete didn't even have time to think about that. So the second logical thing for him to do was make a run for it.

And that's what he did...screaming.

* * *

Sora and the others would've fallen into the same trap if they hadn't been riding on both the Magic Carpet and in a plane that Genie turned into. So they flew over the sand pitfall trap while flying into the cave that Aladdin had directed them into before they came to a stop in front of another doorway, and got off both Carpet and Genie who turned back to normal instantly.

"I will never get used to that." Jack grumbled, having found himself being a bit air-sick due to flying in a plane which he never did before. The vehicles at Atlantis were bad enough, but at that time he'd been concentrating on fighting both Rourke's men and the Heartless.

"So, anybody got an idea where the second piece could be?" Myde asked, shrugging.

"If we knew, we would've figured it out by now." Isa pointed out while rolling his eyes.

Shantotto took a few steps closer to the entrance before stopping, and said, "It would be best not to be rash in these caves. There are booby traps in there that could very well end with our graves."

"Our graves!?" Myde, Donald, Goofy and Iago exclaimed in horror, before all four of them hugged each other in fright, quivering.

"Guess we'll have to be really careful. Though there were booby traps in the Cave of Wonders too." Sora realised.

Roxas groaned, "Yeah, I certainly didn't like those boulders rolling around all over the place."

"And the beetles." Xion added, shivering at the memories of her and Roxas being chased by hundreds of beetles in the Cave of Wonders when both of them were still in the first Organization XIII.

"Let's proceed with caution. You never know where or when the traps will activate." Skuld told the group, taking the lead with Riku, Aqua, Terra, Ignis, and Shantotto walking with her.

"Guess I've missed out on a lot since you and Iggy joined these guys, Noct." Prompto commented.

Noctis chuckled softly while shaking his head, "I've only known them for almost two weeks. Other than that, you wouldn't believe what we went through before we came here."

The others followed the group that stepped inside first and all paused when they saw zig-zag paths all leading to the other side, with an abyss of darkness below. There were wall-water falls, and a platform on the other end. There sat what the group recongised was the second piece of Bizarrah's Lamp.

"There it is!" Aladdin called out, but softly. It was as though he was worried that too much noise could trigger a trap.

A moment of pause.

"Well, come on then! Better get it now while we still can!" Jack told the group agitatedly, and was about to go ahead himself while being careful...

Too bad he wasn't that careful, because the moment he stepped onto the ground, he didn't realise until it was too late that he stepped onto a stone slab on the ground which was pushed into the ground. As the pirate froze when he heard that dreaded sound, all of the sudden there was a creaking noise above them and when the group looked up to see what it was, a huge cage with spikes came descending down towards them.

"Look out!" Riku cried out.

Everyone leaped out of the way just in time to avoid in getting caught or killed, but that was only just the start of more booby traps that Jack had accidently triggered. Because only a second later, flying knives came right at them along with Bandit Heartless with cross-swords came charging at them. Not to mention maces on chains hanging from the ceiling came flying at them while swishing at the pathways that one false move or timing could kill them and cause them to fall into the abyss below.

Shantotto, Sora, Skuld, Aqua, Mickey, Terra, and Riku didn't waste time in summoning Barrier Spells to protect all of them and their friends from the knives. Genie then turned himself into a gladiator so that he could smack away the remaining knifes while the Keyblade wielders and the rest of the Worldly Travellers brought out their weapons while Aladdin brought out his own sword, quickly fighting off the numberous horde of Heartless that appeared along with the Booby Traps. Even Jasmine punched a Heartless or two in the face, surprising Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and Iago and Abu had to hide and run each time to avoid in getting killed.

Though it didn't help when the waterfalls suddenly became more violent and nearly washed away Skuld had Ven not pull her to safety, much to her surprise as she gazed at him while he shrugged with a smile.

"For the record, I blame you for this!" Lea grunted at Jack while he slashed another Heartless with his Keyblade before switching for his Chakrams and tossed them expertly at several more before catching them and slashed and swiped at others before yelling when a large Heartless caught him off guard and smacked him towards near the entrance. He only managed to save himself from falling into the abyss before Isa and Roxas saved him from the same Heartless and destroyed it.

"Ugh, this isn't getting us anywhere!" Roxas groaned angrily, standing back to back with Xion.

To make things worse, a caged door was slowly descending from the opening where the group had come from, meaning that if they didn't hurry, they'd be trapped and killed in here. Their only optains were to get out and try again later, or stay and end up trapped. Or so they thought, until Sora had an idea.

"Noct! I need you to warp me to the Lamp and back out again!" Sora called out, while quickly shielding himself with his Keyblade and prevented another Bandit Heartless from slicing him in half. He pushed it back after a bit of struggle and slashed it at it's waist, destroying it instantly.

"Huh?" Noctis asked, before slashing at another Heartless. He then suddenly realised what his friend had in mind, and while he knew it was a crazy idea, time was running short.

"Are you crazy!?" Prompto cried out, before kicking one Heartless in the chest which caused it to be sent flying backwards and fall into the abyss.

"Guys! Head out to safety and hurry!" Sora called out to the rest of the group.

"Sora, no!" Kairi cried out, horrified as she also realised what Sora planned on doing.

"While overly confident with pride, we best listen as time is not on our side!" Shantotto informed the group, while blasting five Heartless into oblivion with her Firaga Magic.

Despite not liking it, the group knew they had no choice. So after telling Sora and Noctis to hurry, the group raced outside as quickly as possible while avoiding the gate. Sora and Noctis, the only ones left behind quickly held hands before the latter warpped them to the other side where the Lamp piece was and grabbed it, before slashing three more Heartless that appeared to stand in their way. They then repeated the process by warpping back to the side where they came from and ran underneath the gate just in time before closing. But the danger was not over yet as the entire place began to shake and tremble, and the entrance was starting to close, similiar to the secret hide-out the Forty Thieves used to live before they were caught.

"We have to go, now!" Jasmine informed hurriedly.

"Let's move!" Aladdin ordered, leaping onto Carpet with everyone else hopping onto Carpet or on Genie who once again turned into a Plane, and soon they quickly flew to avoid the falling debries and rocks, urging to go faster and faster.

In the nick of time, Sora and all of his friends managed to escape just as the rock doors closed, though they did hit the ground hard in the impact of landing. None the less, they all sighed and groaned in huge relief.

"I-Is everyone all right?" Mickey panted.

"Apart from nearly being skinned to death, I'll live." Myde groaned.

"It's his fault that we nearly got killed." Isa grumbled, glaring angrily at the pirate who winced.

Jack knew that everyone was angry at him, and he was mad at himself for doing something as stupid as not looking where he was going. "I'm terribly sorry. It was a complete honest mistake."

Shaking his head while deciding to worry about lecturing Jack later, Sora held up the second piece of the Lamp and said, optimistically, "Well, at least we got the second piece of the Lamp and we all made it okay."

"Well...almost." Riku muttered, a bit amused as he saw something that made him half-smile.

The group looked to see what he was talking about, and were surprised and a bit amused that Iago, safe as well, had covered his eyes with his wings while his tail, unknowingly to him, was caught between the two rocks, and suddenly Aladdin and Abu felt the sense of deja vu.

"Are we out?" Iago whined.

Abu, deciding to help his annoying bird friend, went over before grabbing him roughly and yanked him out, though the two of them landed hard on the sand as Iago yelped in sudden pain. Pushing himself up and feeling a chill on his tail, Iago realised that, while he was free, his blue tail feathers were still stuck and left a bald spot on his tail.

This made Kairi, Aqua, Skuld, Xion and Jasmine giggle, Myde and Donald laugh hysterically and even Shantotto laughed in amusement at the sight.

"Oh! This is attractive." Iago said sarcastically. He then stormed up to the rocks, yanked his feathers out and plonked them back into their original place and pouted in sheer annoyance while Sora and Aladdin both shook their heads in slight exasperation.

"And you guys said I was a drama queen." Prompto commented to Noctis and Ignis who both smirked and nodded in agreement.

"So, where to now?" Ven spoke up.

The group all shared glances, and then realised that, while they had an idea in getting the second piece of Bizarrah's Lamp, they had no idea where the third and final piece was, or even where the Sultan and Cassim were.

"Ah, great." Lea groaned after a few moments.

"Guess we'll just have to look all over the place." Sora sighed in dismay. "It'll take forever, though."

"How about I help you guys out?" A strikingly familiar voice suggested, which caused the Worldly Travellers to freeze up as they recongised it. They, Aladdin, Shantotto, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, and Iago whirled around and saw the familiar man in the black coat standing there as he had appeared out of nowhere.

"You!" Sora grunted, summoning his Keyblade as he recongised the Master of Masters.

What did the Master of Masters want this time?

* * *

 **A/N: Due to story shortage, I think Agrabah will only be three chapters long this time. Sorry that it's not as good as I hoped, but I wanted to try and make it as action-packed as possible.**

 **(1)The scene with Mickey seeing his alternate self is the same as in my other Kingdom Hearts story "Life NEVER was Normal" as a reference to a slight connection between the two universes.**

 **Hopefully I won't take as long to update this next time as we enter the final stages of Agrabah and then we'll be heading straight back to Olympus Coliseum. See you next time!**


	35. CH34: Restoring the Lamp

**Author's Note: Only a month to go before the E3 event and hopefully a release date of KH3! I'm still hoping for the game to have all of my favorite characters to survive, but I'm not holding my breath since hope doesn't seem to work for me. *Sigh***

 **Anyway, here's a new chapter and the conclusion to Agrabah!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH34: Restoring the Lamp.**_

"How about I help you guys out?" A strikingly familiar voice suggested, which caused the Worldly Travellers to freeze up as they recongised it. They, Aladdin, Shantotto, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, and Iago whirled around and saw the familiar man in the black coat standing there as he had appeared out of nowhere.

"You!" Sora grunted, summoning his Keyblade as he recongised the Master of Masters.

What did the Master of Masters want this time?

"I thought you said the Organization were gone!" Iago shrieked in terror, quickly hiding behind Abu who gave him a skeptical look. He then grunted angrily before he quickly stood in front of Abu and pulled out a stick from the sand, yelling at the Master of Masters, "Back off, Organize-Loser!"

This only made the Master of Masters laugh, holding his hands up in mock surrender, "Whoa, easy there, Tiger. Does Polly want a..."

"Say 'Cracker' and I'll let you have it on princible!" Iago warned, and was about attack, only to be quickly grabbed by Kairi who held him in her hands to stop him from doing anything foolish.

"Don't, Iago!" Kairi told him quickly, as she struggled to keep the bird from flying off. "You'll just hurt yourself!"

To the group's surprise, the Master of Masters stared at Iago, rather shocked and a bit awkwardly before he muttered, "...I'll take that as a no. Never known a parrot to hate Crackers."

"I sense a strong and incredible power. Enough to make even the strongest men cower." Shantotto remarked, frowning at the Master of Masters. She then smirked and added, "But strong as he may be, it'll take more than that to frighten me."

"Who's this guy?" Prompto asked, confused.

"Someone Skuld heard about but never met 'til recently." Noctis answered, not letting his guard down.

"Why are you here?" Riku demanded.

"Like I said; I'm here to help. If you want some." The Master of Masters responded, gazing at both Sora and Aladdin and explaining, this time in a somewhat dark and serious tone that made most of the worldly travellers feel chilled. "I know what you guys are doing, and that's why that female Genie Bizarrah seperated you and trapped you in the city earlier."

"How do you know that?" Aladdin asked, suspiciously.

"Because he can see through time. He has the power to see the future." Skuld answered this time. "Sort of a fortune teller, if you will."

"Oooh. That sounds like he's a human version of the Oracle." Genie quivered nervously.

The Master of Master grinned underneath his hood, saying, "Bingo! And that's how Bizarrah knew about all of you in the first place. She too could see the future, and she knows that, given Sora's strength and Aladdin's clever mind, those are enough to stop her in her tracks. You both have the power to stop her, once you restore her Lamp. That's why she was after all of you because she knows that you are the threat of her goals."

Sora didn't feel like trusting the man in front of him and his friends yet, though. He simply glared, saying scoffingly, "How do we know that you're lying?"

"Well...say that I give you a hint to see that I'm telling the truth. Third piece of the Lamp is on that little floating Pyramid she was stuck in for centuries and managed to somehow escape. Problem is, she might be on her way to stop you guys now if you don't think fast. One more thing; the Sultan and the former King of Thieves are there too." The Master of Masters informed, and before anyone to say anything further, he opened up a Corridor of Light and Darkness and stepped backwards into it, vanishing before anyone to stop him.

"Wait!" Sora cried out, but was too late. He sighed in frustration. "That guy is getting more and more bizzare."

"He said that our fathers are at the Pyramid too." Jasmine said, even more concerned, and Aladdin shared that feeling.

"He kind of reminds me of Ardyn." Prompto admitted, nervously. He didn't like the looks of the Master of Masters.

"Even so, if he is speaking the truth, then at least we know where it is." Ignis thought deeply, then said with a concerned frown. "Yet, if not, then it makes our search for the final piece harder."

"And with Bizarrah on the loose, she could attack us off-guard without us really knowing if she does know everything the man had just informed us." Isa agreed.

"On the other hand, that Pyramid is where she was imprisoned in the first place, right?" Lea pointed out with a one-shoulder shrug.

Aladdin thought deeply. While it was true that the man they just encountered was strange and he could very well be lying, he had to admit, it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look anyway just in case, especially when it concernde his father and his father-in-law, and as Lea just said, that was the very place Bizarrah had escaped from in the first place. But with her on the loose, she could stop them if they all went. Then again, she had to be sealed up back there anyway.

"I've got an idea." Aladdin spoke up, gesturing at the group to come closer before they formed in a circle and he then whispered the plan. Once he was finished, while Kairi, Xion and Aqua were worried about this plan, everyone else smiled in agreement.

"I like it." Jack muttered, impressed. "Simple, easy to remember."

"Are you sure this will work?" Aqua inquired.

"It'll be fine. It takes more than an evil Genie to stop us, right?" Terra told his friend, confidently.

"Bizarrah wouldn't even know what we're really doing." Riku agreed.

"Welp, it's the only chance we've got. Let's get to it, fellas!" Mickey declared. Everyone else nodded.

* * *

Those fools managed to escape, and Bizarrah was beyond angry. Now she had to stop them once again by first finding out where they even disappeared to. She flew all over Agrabah to find them, but had no luck.

Where in the Desert could they be!?

"Hey, Bizarrah!" Aladdin's voice called out.

Blinking in confusion and surprise, the evil female Genie turned to the direction where the voice had come from and saw Aladdin himself on the Magic Carpet, with Jasmine, Abu, Shantotto and Skuld who had summoned her Keyblade. Hovering near them were Ventus, Aqua and Terra in their Armor, already having transformed their Keyblades into their gliders. Noctis was with Ven, Prompto was with Terra, and Ignis was with Aqua.

"Come and get us if you want us!" Aladdin taunted, with the others waving and Abu giving Bizarrah a cheeky raspberry.

Enraged by the taunts, Bizarrah growled as darkness began to cover her body, "I will make you and your friends regret in taunting me, boy!" and to the group's shock, familiar bat-like flying Heartless appeared.

"She's even summoned the Heartless!" Ven cried out, alarmed.

"Care to explain that?" Prompto asked.

"No time! We've got work to do!" Terra quickly reminded, "Let's go!" he commanded and already took flight, with the others quickly following.

Bizarrah followed them, as planned. "Come back here!" She was followed by the Heartless who were quickly fought by the four Keyblade wielders, Noctis, Prompto and Ignis. Even Aladdin sliced at some with his sword, and Jasmine surprisingly punched one, causing it to stumble and get crashed into by another Heartless which made them both fall towards the ground below. Shantotto used her Magic to blast away the Heartless that came too close and laughed, which creeped the others out but they decided to ignore it for the time being.

The group continued the midair chase and fight against Bizarrah and the Heartless before finally deciding that it was time to head towards the others after a long enough time to stall the villianess.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Myde, Jack, and Iago were on an airplane Genie magically crafted and was piloting towards the floating Pyramid which, given the directions and the magical scanner Genie also made, it seemed they were getting closer and closer until they finally reached the very place; it sure lived up for it's name because it was a floating Pyramid.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're about to land in the Floating Pyramid. Please put away your trays and do not stand until we've come to a complete stop. Thank for you riding on the Genie Airlines." Genie announced.

"...Does he always do that?" Jack asked, a bit uncomfortably.

"Constantly." Iago groaned as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Once they were at the entrance of the building, the twelve passengers boarded off while Genie reverted to normal and made the Airplane disappear. All of them gazed into the deep tunnel, somewhat nervously.

"Well...that's really creepy." Lea muttered, peering inside.

"More like totally spooky." Myde shuddered.

"We have to be careful. Who knows what else we'll find in there." Riku cautioned, and the others nodded in agreement, despite Iago wanting nothing more than to leave immediately.

Unfortunately, Myde accidently stepped onto the bird's tail, causing Iago to yell in pain and the Mullet-haired young man to step back once realising what he did. "Sorry, Polly." Myde muttered apologetically, cringing at Iago's angry glare.

"Ya wanna not pull back traffic?" Iago grumbled, rubbing his tail feathers. "I want to get in, get out, and go home." Before squeeking in fear as he reluctantedly followed the others, "Actually, I wouldn't mind skipping right to the go home..."

He was shushed by Sora who, along with everyone else, paused in their tracks as they carefully gazed around the tunnels, passing many statues of men with dog-heads. However, the moment they passed the statues, the entrance they came from immediately slid shut, trapping them inside. This was followed by the room becoming a bit darker and then the statues began to shudder and crack slightly, before somehow slowly moving, stepping off their platforms surround the group. The worldly travellers, shocked, summoned their weapons while Iago screamed and hid behind Genie who cringed.

"Gawrsh! Moving statues!" Goofy cried out, briefly hiding behind his shield.

"There always has to be traps." Donald groaned in dismay.

The statues didn't give the group time to continue the conversation, because they immediately attacked, thrusting spears and sand arrows they conjoured up to kill the group. Fortunately, Mickey, Sora and Riku summoned their barrier spells to reflect that attacks before they and their friends moved to fight. Sora blocked the spear-wielding statue with his Keyblade, before jumping and kicked it in the stomach and caused it to stumble backwards. He then summoned a combination of Blizzaraga and Firaga to make water to soak and soften it. This allowed him to leap and slice it in half with the Keyblade and it vanished instantly in a wind of sands.

Kairi used her Pink Orbs of Light to send two other Statues back stumbling before she was forced to leap back to avoid their swords. She then was pushed and shoved back as they managed to catch her off-guard before she rolled out of the way to avoid their weapons from stabbing her. She then slashed their arms with her Keyblade and used Blizzard to freeze them in their place. Xion and Roxas combined their strengths by sharing each others' Keyblades in a double-clash before touching their weapons at the tips and held them up, creating a double-gravity spell that pulled three Statues into the air and destroyed them by the power of their light.

"Dance, water! Dance!" Myde chanted as he summoned his Water Pillers to knock back the Statues that surrounded him and, to his luck, had no chance of getting anywhere near him because they all practically drowned by his power over water.

"Burn, baby!" Lea yelled as he flared up his Fires on his Keyblade, slashing a huge wall of Fire right at his own Statue opponents. To his shock, while he destroyed most of them, another one ran over and knocked him back, right into Jack who'd been busy sword fighting another Statue with his Keyblade. The two men fell onto the floor, but it wasn't enough to stop the redhead from switching out his Keyblade and summoned his Chakrams, tossing them at the two Statues and sliced them in half into oblivion.

Lea and Jack then stood up and quickly rejoined the fight, while Isa summoned a powerful Wind Spell to create a small tornado that sucked up the Statues he was fighting, causing them to hit each other and vanish instantly upon the hard impact. Donald froze some with his Blizzard before using his Fire-Works Spell to smash several others, while Goofy blocked another with his Shield, smacking it in the face when he managed to find an opening before leaping out of the way and shrieked with Iago, narrowly avoiding another sword-wielding Statue.

"C'mon!" Mickey called up to Riku who nodded and took his hand. The two of them formed in a circle, held out their Keyblades and shot out orbs of Light while spinning around. The statues didn't stand a chance against the light, because they were destroyed the moment they tried to reach them and made contact with the spinning light around them.

Genie in the meantime, wanting to be useful, turned into a boxer and punched and smacked several other Statues that came his way, smashing them into pieces of stone as he went. Seeing five more coming, he decided to take things to the next level and magically brought up a huge sledge hammer and smashed them into dust when they made contact in remarkable speed. By the time he was done, all of the statues had been smashed or disintegrated and when everyone panted, the door they came from and the door leading to where they want to go all slowly opened.

"I guess that was an obstacle." Lea remarked, realising why they'd been forced to fight the moving statues.

"Of course it was. No places like this never have an obstacle or trials." Jack informed, as though this was a casual thing to do.

"Do you think we'll find the Sultan, Aladdin's father and the third piece of the Lamp in there?" Kairi asked, slightly hesitant to believe the Master of Masters' words.

"Only one way to find out." Sora shrugged. They were already here and there was no point of leaving now without checking, just in case. Plus, he knew that Aladdin and the others couldn't keep Bizarrah at bay forever.

"Once we go through, there's no turning back." Riku told them firmly. "It's only our only chance."

Iago cowardly hid behind Myde, suggesting in a high-pitched voice, "Uh...maybe I should just sit this one out."

But when he turned to go back while everyone else slowly moved towards inside the chamber, Iago then noticed a lingering shadow around the corner and not a friendly one at that. "On second thought, I'm safer with these guys and the Genie." He quickly changed his mind and flew to catch up to his friends.

* * *

It took a bit of a while to locate Bizarrah's Chamber, especially fighting off the Heartless and other defenses, but finally Sora and his friends located the very place the evil Genie escaped from earlier. Inside, as they lit up the torches with Fire Spells, not only there stood the small stone that acted like a table or statue top, but behind it was a set of stone stairs leading to a coffin that was sealed shut.

"Maybe it's in there." Roxas suggested, gazing at the coffin.

"But where are the Sultan and Cassim?" Xion wondered, concerned.

Sora and the others glanced around, only to find that the Sultan and Cassim were no where in the room. So the spiky-haired teen called out, "Hello?"

Almost immediately, they heard a voice, somewhat soft and distant but close at the same time, call out, sounding a bit muffled, "Is someone out there?" and to Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Genie and Iago, it was very familiar.

"Cassim? Where are you?" Roxas inquired. He couldn't tell where Cassim's voice was coming from, and from the looks of the others, neither could they.

"In here!" Cassim called, and after a few moments of trying to piece where the voice was coming from, the group soon realised that it was coming from the coffin.

Myde, Donald, Goofy and Iago immediately shook in fear at this realization, before the mullet-haired man asked nervously, "Uh, he wouldn't be a ghost now, would he?"

"Dead men tell no tales." Jack told him sarcastically.

The group slowly approached the coffin before realising that it was locked. After sharing a glance, they nodded before Sora summoned his Keyblade to unlock it, only for the entire chamber to shake and a huge hissing sound was heard behind them. Sora and his friends spun around and to their dismay, a giant Cobra-like Heartless appeared, blocking their exit and towered over them, hissing dangerously.

"When you said ' _Dead men tell no tales_ '...we're about to die and won't be able to tell anyone what happened...!" Iago squeeked in terror before quickly hiding behind the coffin.

Everyone summoned their weapons to fight against the Heartless, knowing that it was the only way to gain access to the final piece of Bizarrah's lamp. It lunged towards them with it's fangs dripping vemon. Sora and Roxas both quickly tossed their Keyblades at it's eyes, hitting it full on and causing it to rear back, hissing in agony. This allowed Riku, Isa and Lea to strike at it's body with their weapons while Kairi, Mickey and Donald used their magic to disable it. But to their and everyone else's shock, it recovered enough to use it's tail and smack all of them to the side of the wall in the chamber. The group winced as the Heartless slithered up towards them.

Jack, despite running dangerously low on his ammo and gun powder, knew that there was only one way to get out of this mess. He pulled out his pistol and fired a shot at it's face, causing it to rear back once more and allowing Mickey and Donald enough time to use Curaga on all of them to continue the fight. Riku casted Firaga on the Heartless's body before he and everyone else jumped out of the way to avoid it's tail for the second time and then had to run around the chamber to avoid it's spikes that it created on the floor when it bit into the ground. They then decided to attack it's back which they quickly realised was it's weak spot.

Before they could repeat their attack, the Heartless spun around and shot out vemon from it's mouth and forcing them to dodge again. Mickey quickly preformed his triple air-somersault, hitting it's side before glowing in light and spun around while slashing towards it's back and finishing off his move by creating a surprisingly larger Orb of Light, hitting it's head. Jack slashed at it's back with his Keyblade successfully twice before he was knocked back by it's tail again, landing near the coffin.

Fortunately, Myde shot out a huge jet of water from his Sitar to block the vemon and saving the Pirate's life, and then jumped back to avoid the Heartless's tail. He then smacked it several times while everyone else preformed their own assults on the Heartless, including Genie shooting out beams of energy with his magic to force the Heartless off-course when it attempted to eat any one of them.

Sora in the meantime used his Flowmotion ability, leaping from wall to wall to reach up to the Heartless's head and then leaped to hover above it, then descended down and slashed it's face with the Kingdom Key hitting it squarely in the eyes and he continued to slash and hack at it before sliding down on it's back and stabbed the weapon into it along the way before safely landing on the ground. He then quickly blocked it's tail by wacking it off-course when it made to reach Kairi who was about to shoot out a Fire Spell on it's side and she nodded her thanks for saving her and he nodded back.

Goofy spun around and hit the Heartless several times to decrease it's health, before he was knocked back by it's tail, causing him to cry out in pain before stumbling and then had to jump out of the way to avoid it's acid and then smacked away it's teeth with his Shield, causing it to reflect backwards once again. Donald casted Thunderaga to zap it but was hit and smacked against the wall, dazed for a moment before he was pulled out of the way by Goofy to save him from being eaten. The Heartless in the meantime smacked it's face against the wall, before shaking it and hissed, becoming more and more angry.

Xion sent out a blast of energy from her Keyblade before leaping in the air and struck it downward and then landed on the ground before turning quickly and leaped out of the way to avoid it's spikes. She then casted Gravita to force it to lower on the ground and then she and Roxas who was tossing his Keyblade to hit it's side twice before casting a Blizzaga Spell on it's head, begain to hit and smack it's head now that it was on ground level. It also gave Lea and Isa an idea as the former used his powers of Fire to create a Fire pillar while Isa chanted his Wind Spell, the two of them combining their powers and created a Fire-Nado, hitting the Heartless with ease.

Riku followed up by using his own Flowmotion ability and sped-slid on the ground while smacking and hitting the Heartless and narrowly avoiding it's spikes and tail at once with his Keyblade, and then somehow went under the floor and disappeared before emerging by leaping upward and stabbed and sliced the Heartless before leaping and landing on the ground safely. He then dodge-rolled out of the way when the Heartless attempted to flatten him by thrusting it's tail onto the ground but missed. To his and everyone else's shock and horror, the Heartless then reared it's head upward and hissed before they all suddenly felt themselves briefly frozen stiff, unable to move. This allowed it to swipe it's tail at them and captured them in it's coils. While this released them from it's spell, they were all trapped in it's grasp.

' _This is bad!_ ' Sora thought desperately, as he struggled to try and free himself in order to attack the Heartless and free his friends. But the coils was too tight, and he couldn't even move. As the Heartless prepared to eat them, Sora desperately thought of something, anything, to get them out of this or they were all goners.

He just wished he could at least call for his Dream Eater friends for help. Suddenly, as though Sora's wish was granted, his heart gave off a glow of familiar dream-like light, and before he and everyone else knew it, a familiar blue-puppy like animal appeared out of nowhere and repeatedly bounched onto the Heartless' head, causing it to hiss in pain while the attack by the animal released it's grip on Sora and everyone else who landed on the ground safely. When Sora and his friends looked, the little fat animal hopped over and happily nearly glomped him before licking his face, causing him to laugh due to being a bit ticklish there.

This then gave him an idea and then Sora and the Dream Eater rushed over before bouncing and smashing on the Heartless hard, causing more and more damage towards it, giving it much less time to attack now, especially with the sudden arrival of a creature that wasn't a Heartless. Despite the confusion everyone else displayed, even though Riku immediately recongised Sora's earlier companion, they all immediately hurried to attack the Heartless all at once after Sora finished the attack with the Dream Eater helping.

Genie then used his Magic to trap the Heartless in chains and Mickey used Stopza to freeze the Heartless in time, allowing Kairi and Donald to use Thundera and Fire to weaken it further, Jack, Myde and Goofy to attack it's sides and back, and finally Sora, Xion, Roxas, Lea, Isa and Riku to leap into the air and successfully slashed at the Heartless all at once in a finishing blow. Immediately afterwards they backed up while surrounding the Heartless in a circle, in case they needed to continue fighting it despite their exhaustion. They didn't need to worry because the Heartless hissed in agony before collasping onto the floor, unmoving. A Heart then emerged from it's body and floated away while the body itself vanished into nothing.

Sighing in relief and relaxing while desummoning their weapons, their attention turned to the Dream Eater as Sora approached it, patting it's head fondly and in gratitude, saying happily, "Thanks, Meow Wow. You were a big help."

Meow Wow whimpered happily before vanishing in light, while Sora's friends were immediately surprised that he'd recongise it as though it was a friend.

"Meow Wow?" Myde asked, dumbfounded at the name Sora called the...whatever the cute blue puppy-cat like thing was that had saved their butts.

"Seems friendly enough, considering how it likes Sora a lot." Jack commented. He had already decided that whatever that blue thing was, it was indeed friendly. Especially since Sora was friends with it.

Kairi giggled, "I think it's very sweet and cute."

"Yeah, yeah. Adorable." Iago scoffed, as he came out from his hiding spot before pointing out urgently, "Now can we get the last piece of the lamp and put it back together and then find Cassim and the Sultan?"

"Oh. Right." Sora quickly remembered, as did everyone else. They then approached the coffin once again and doing what he intended on doing before, he held out his Keyblade at the lock on the side, and the beam of light shot out from it's tip, unlocking the coffin which then slid open. Then three mists came out and not only a third piece of Bizarrah's Lamp which, joined by the other two pieces collected, all glowed and formed into one, which made the group realise that the Lamp had reformed itself and floated back onto it's pedestal where it belonged, but the other two mists formed into two people; one short and tubby dressed in royal arabian clothes, the other a tall man wearing a blue cloak and black outfit, and to those who didn't recongise him, he looked just like an older version of Aladdin.

"Good heavens. This boy has freed us." The shorter man remarked to Cassim, then gazed at Sora who shrugged a little. "You must be Sora; I've heard quite a lot about you, young man."

"I guess this means you're the Sultan, right?" Sora guessed, and at the Sultan's nod, the teenager and the rest of the group, even Mickey and Jack, and Myde(who'd been smacked by Isa on the back of the head to do the same) bowed before the shorter man in respect, with Mickey wisely greeting him, "Your Majesty." even though he was a King himself.

"Hey, Cassim." Lea greeted the older man after standing up straight with the others. "How'd you and the Sultan end up in there?" While Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Myde and Jack introduced themselves to the Sultan and then to Cassim who greeted them back.

"Not sure, but I think it has something to do with the red smoke that seperated me from Iago and shrunk me and the Sultan into that coffin with that piece of what we realised was a lamp." Cassim explained.

"That was Bizarrah doing that. She's an evil Genie who was sealed away a long time ago. Somehow she escaped and caught all of us off-guard." Roxas quickly explained, "Right now, Aladdin and the others are keeping her busy while we came here to save you guys and fix up the Lamp to put her back in."

Jack then turned back to where they came from and added, "Which they should be here any moment now...hopefully without Bizarrah causing anymore problems."

As if on cue, they could hear a loud commotion outside and then the next thing the group knew, Aladdin's group came zooming in and while Shantotto, Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu and Skuld hopped off Carpet and both Jasmine and her Husband hurried over to their fathers in huge relief, Noctis, Prompto and Ignis hopped off the gliders as Ven, Terra and Aqua dismissed their armors and their gliders turning back into their Keybaldes. Before anyone else could say anything, a furious shout echoed through the tunnels and then Bizarrah appeared before them, looking a bit bigger and extremely angry.

"You will never escape me, you infidals!" Bizarrah exclaimed, while the worldly travellers and their friends stood in defense stances. "Once I be rid of you, I will bring this world to ruin and rule it as it's Sultana!" She laughed evilly.

"Any ideas how to stop her completely?" Noctis asked, panting.

"Genies are immortal! We can't stop her like this!" Sora replied. It looked like they'd have to fight, but this would most likely be a battle they wouldn't win against since, as he'd just said, Bizarrah is immortal.

Aladdin hissed before he caught sight of the fully formed Lamp, and as he knew that they had to get Bizarrah back in somehow, a risky idea formed into his head. He knew that it was very dangerous, it seemed like the only chance they got.

"Genie! Put me inside that lamp!" Aladdin whispered to his blue Genie friend, who looked at him shocked, while Aqua and Skuld quickly chanted a Barrier to block Bizarrah's dark energy attack.

"What!?" Everyone else exclaimed, shocked, while Noctis then warpped towards Bizarrah and fought against her to keep her busy.

"Just do it!" Aladdin pleaded.

"No! Aladdin!" Cassim protested, shaking his head. He wasn't going to risk in losing his only son. Not again.

"Aladdin, you can't do this!" Jasmine pleaded.

Despite the protests and feeling nervous about this idea, Genie immediately understood his best friend's plan and nodded, "Sure thing, Al'! Don't worry, you'll be fine! We'll let you out in a jiffy!"

Sora and the others didn't like this idea either, but as they quickly blocked more of Bizarrah's attacks, they knew that they didn't have much of a choice. After most of them leaped out of the way, Genie used his magic to magically shrink Aladdin who called out tauntingly at Bizarrah, "Hey, Bizarrah! You want and get me? Come after me!" before he disappeared into the Lamp.

Not realising the plan and more focused on killing Aladdin, Bizarrah growled, "If you say so, boy! I'm going in!" and then shrunk herself into the Lamp...only to realise too late that, once she was back inside the Lamp, she was imprisoned and bound to it once more, meaning that her only way out was for someone to rub the Lamp.

"Oops..." She muttered sheepisly, then groaned in sheer annoyance.

Donald and Myde both laughed hysterically at Bizarrah's stupidity.

"Her fault for falling for that trick." Lea grinned, before asking, "Um...how do we get Al' back out again?"

"Easy! Just rub the Lamp." Genie replied. Everyone looked at each other, quickly becoming concerned.

"But wouldn't that let Bizarrah out too?" Goofy asked.

"Nah! The first person who entered the lamp will be the only one to be set free, especially if they're not a Genie." Genie replied.

"Well...if that's the case..." Sora trailled of as he then gently picked up the Lamp and, with some hesitation, rubbed it. A pink magical smoke formed out from the Lamp and reformed into the revealed Aladdin who sighed before he was glomped on by the relieved Jasmine as she kissed him on the cheek. Everyone else sighed in relief before Sora placed the Lamp back onto the pedestal.

"I must admit, young man. While reckless and rash, it was indeed a clever plan." Shantotto praised to Aladdin who rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Now she won't be causing anymore problems." Terra declared. "Lets head back to Agrabah."

Everyone else nodded in agreement, though along the way as they flew back to the Kingdom, Jasmine couldn't help but ponder, "That's one thing I still don't get. How did Bizarrah escape?"

The others shared confused glances, before they all shrugged. They were equally as clueless as the Princess was. Which prompted Ven to say, "Well, let's just hope she doesn't escape again anytime soon, if ever."

Everyone hoped Ven was right.

* * *

Half an hour after Sora and everyone else left, Bizarrah was grumbling at her own stupidity for having fallen into Aladdin's trap and ended up retrapping herself into this forsaken Lamp. Worst part was that the former Street Rat was released due to being a mortal human. Now she was back right where she started.

It was then that she heard a hissing sound, because outside of the Lamp, the Snake from earlier, having hidden from the entire event, slithered up on the pedestal but froze when Bizarrah, recongising the snake, commanded, "Snake! You have returned. I order you to release me at once!"

Unfortunately, the Snake, remembering the last time, shook his head and then slithered away from the Lamp and ignored her angry outbursts to be freed. He wasn't about to repeat that mistake twice.

* * *

When the group arrived at the entrance of Agrabah, Cassim and Iago took this as their chance to leave due to the former still being an Outlaw to the Kingdom and the two only gave his son and their friends a quick goodbye before riding off on Cassim's horse which had just arrived.

"Wonder why Iago decided to go with him?" Sora thought, a bit saddened.

"I think it's now that Jasmine and I are married, he couldn't handle the two of us being romantic more often." Aladdin guessed with a chuckle. "He'll be fine."

Quickly remembering the wedding that he missed out on, Sora turned to his close friend, saying apologetically, "About that...sorry I wasn't there to attend."

Aladdin smiled, "That's okay. If you like, you guys can come back to visit for an anniversary party next year." and Jasmine nodded in agreement enthusiastically.

"We'd be happy to!" Mickey replied, and most of the worldly travellers nodded in agreement. That was something they would be looking forward to.

"Hey, you wanna come too Shanto...Huh?" Ven trailled off as he turned to face the Tarutaru, only to realise that she was suddenly missing. The others then noticed that Shantotto was gone.

"Shantotto?" Mickey called out, but rechieved no answer.

"Where'd she go?" Aladdin asked, shrugging.

"I guess she decided to leave, without saying goodbye." Skuld realised, shrugging. Everyone else sighed.

"That wasn't nice, leaving without a formal farewell." Jack commented, a bit miffed.

"Who was that mage?" Ignis couldn't help but inquire.

"Well, whoever she was, I think she'll be fine. So we shouldn't really worry about her." Noctis shrugged. He had a feeling that Shantotto would be alright, anyway.

"Yeah. You're right." Sora nodded in agreement, having the same feeling as the Prince.

"Hey, almost forgot." Prompto spoke up, as he pulled something from his pockets and held out a familiar cube, saying, "I found this while we were in that Pyramid."

Instantly, Mickey and the others recongised it and he softly gasped, "The Gummi Block!" before sighing in relief, "Gosh, I almost forgot about it."

"Guess that means we can fix up the Gummi Ship completely now, right?" Riku smirked, relieved.

It was then that Genie's Lamp, which he used to sleep in but was still able to fly around freely whenever he wanted, glowed and floated out from Aladdin's pockets and then Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand. Taking the hint, he held it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Lamp. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"Whoa! What was that cool display?" Prompto exclaimed, amazed.

"The world's now safe from darkness." Aqua replied, "It was the Keyhole Sora locked. This means it's time for us to go."

"Really?" Prompto asked, before requesting, "Hey, mind if I come along too? Y'know, to see Gladio?"

The rest of the worldly travellers nodded, with Lea saying, "Yeah. We were gonna ask you to come with us anyway. No fair in leaving you behind, right?"

Prompto chuckled, "That's true."

"You're all welcome here anytime." Sultan offered kindly.

"Take care, guys." Aladdin waved.

"Be sure to tune in next time, and if you need any help, just give me a buzz, 'kay?" Genie added.

"Good luck on your journey." Jasmine added.

The worldly travellers nodded their thanks, and now with Prompto briefly joining them and despite that it would take a while to place the Gummi Block into the vessel, before long, the group returned to the Gummi Ship and left Agrabah behind once more and finally made their way back to Olympus Coliseum. Though while they were aware that they would meet up with Gladio, little did the group know, there would be more to this second visit than they thought.

* * *

From a sand dune two miles away from the Kingdom, Shantotto stood there watching the worldly travellers leave.

"Hearts burning in powerful Light, perhaps Sora's alone would be enough to win the upcoming fight." The mage mused herself. After a few moments of silence, she sensed something but knew who was walking up behind her, as she greeted, "There's no need to continue to be gruff. You know fully well your last battle was admittedly tough."

"Who says I was being a gruffy?" A sharp toned female voice inquired. "You know as well as I do that they're going up against a God that was defeated once before. If Chaos isn't stopped, Bhunivelze will end up waking up."

Shantotto laughed, "Sometimes fighting is such a chore. But very necessary for the upcoming War. However, with bonds that is becoming more and more tightening, the worlds need to be brought together by Sora's heart to help you reunite with your sister...isn't that right, Lightning?"

She turned as she said the woman's name as there stood a tallish young woman in her mid-twenties, with strawberry Blonde hair, wearing some kind of godly warrior outfit of black, white and red, with a crimson blade attatched to her back, her eyes sharp blue.

"We should get going and meet up with that other kid. I can't show myself to Serah yet." Lightning told Shantotto.

The two females said nothing more, as they turned and walked away to leave the world of Agrabah behind as well, as their own mission could soon be linked to the Worldly Travellers' and many others.

 _ **{AGRABAH}**_

* * *

Meanwhile, Cloud and Zack had just arrived in another world, one that strangely looked and felt familiar, but found themselves in a completely different area. Everything looked in completely different language which, given that Cloud had travelled across different worlds before, it sort of reminded him of that world with, what he realised and remembered, Chinese writing.

"Where are we?" Zack asked, looking around as he and Cloud gazed around in the empty path of wet wood and darkening sky.

"I don't know. I know that this isn't the Land of Dragons, but I can't tell if this place is familiar or not." The younger man replied.

"Guess we're lookin' around here too." Zack shrugged, placing his hands behind his head casually. His friend nodded in agreement, but the two of them heard movement and stopped, spinning around and drew out their swords.

"Who's there?" Cloud demanded, glaring in the direction of the sound. Emerging from the corner was a man, slightly older than Cloud and Zack, wearing a blue royal Navy Uniform. He was carrying a rifle in his grasp and from the man's expression upon seeing the two swordsmen, they knew that they were already in trouble.

"Intruders! Intru-" The man quickly then turned and made to run fore reinforcements, but he was ultimately cut off when a clean shot right through the back stopped him in his tracks which he didn't even see coming, nor did Cloud and Zack who both stood there, shocked and confused as the soldier simply just dropped to the wet wood face first, dead. Who was it that suddenly shot a man dead without making a sound?

The question was answered as a man, a Pirate close to his late forties, maybe early fifties, emerged with a pistol in hand and a monkey rested on his shoulder. He wore a huge black hat.

"If ye be want to avoid in being caught, ye best to kill the man upon sight." The man told them, lowering his pistol. "And seeing how ye both are not pirates but not from these waters, I venture a guess that ye both are from a different land."

Cloud and Zack shared an uncertain glance before turning their attention back to the unfamiliar man, the former finally asking, "Who are you?"

The answer he got was shockingly unexpected. "Captain Barbossa, lad."

Cloud gasped softly. He knew that name. Sora told him about this guy once; the man whom Jack had killed a year ago, the same one who Pete tried to recruit for Maleficent's scheme.

"Barbossa?" Cloud repeated, shocked. He then groaned and said sarcastically, "Do I feel sorry for you to be back from the dead."

"You know this guy?" Zack asked his friend.

"No, but Sora told me about him a while back. He was killed a year ago." Cloud answered.

It took Zack five seconds to absorb this info, and when he did, he turned to the Pirate before them and exclaimed in shock at his fellow 'dead' man, "No way!"

This seemed to amuse Barbossa, because he chuckled. "Ah. So ye both are friends of that boy, Sora. Then ye know of the the certain quest to be at hand."

"Not interested." Cloud immediately responded. Whether he knew Barbossa or not, Cloud wasn't going to trust this guy anytime soon, especially since he'd been brought back to life as a sick joke. It's one more problem Jack has now when he eventually returns somehow. Knowing Sora, probably after Cloud and Zack left this world empty handed...again.

"Oh? Not interested in going to the land of the dead...to rescue Jack Sparrow?" Barbossa mocked a disappointed expression.

Now Cloud and Zack were again confused as they shared another glance, not sure what to say about that. What was Barbossa talking about? How did he know something happened earlier in this world, now that they realised they were back in Port Royal...in a completely different part of it. And more than that...Jack wasn't dead. He just wasn't here. He was with Sora...or did something happen and Sora and the others were really here?

The confusion only grew when other familiar people appeared behind Barbossa, with expressions of surprise and confusion as well; Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Gibbs, Marty, Cotton and his Parrot, Pintel and Ragetti. With them was a very unfamiliar dark-skinned woman with locked black hair and lips with a long dress. From the looks of her, Cloud and Zack both felt the chills.

"Cloud. Zack." Will muttered, being the first to speak. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh...I was about to ask the same thing about you guys." Zack awkwardly replied.

It seems a lot of explaination is needed.

* * *

Back at Maleficent's Domain, the witch herself sighed in exasperation as Pete finally emerged from the corrider of darkness, all battered up after narrowly escaping the three-headed Lion in Agrabah. Dulor shook his head at the sight of the fat villian as well and even more so when Pete explained what happened and that he'd come up empty handed.

"So even Agrabah is useless." Dulor sighed, annoyed. "I'm beginning to doubt the Book of Prophecies even exists. We've searched many worlds for it and still do not have it."

Maleficent however, remained stubborn and determined to get what she wants. "The book is out there, as well as the Black Box which may hold the secrets of the Seven Hearts of Light." She calmly told him. "Perhaps Port Royal may be our next destination. After all, Lord Beckett is eliminating Pirates and is using the Heart of Davy Jones to achieve that goal as we speak. Perhaps you should join him now, Dulor."

"With pleasure." Dulor grinned as he then opened up a Corridor of Darkness before stepping through, taking his leave.

"W-what about those brats? Oh, if they go back to d'at world, they'll just get in the way. Especially that Pirate fellow who got rid of Barbossa. We can't beat'em if they get in the way." Pete pointed out, worriedly.

The evil Witch smiled evilly, turning to gaze at the sky once more. "There is always a chance that Sora and his friends cannot interfere. Besides which, that Jack Sparrow is a prime target in his world, and I have a feeling his death will be absolute very soon. His death will decrease Sora's chances in defeating the Darkness."

She was confident that Sora will fail.

* * *

In the dark dungeon where Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis were still chained up, the Sorcerer had been slowly recovering his powers but still weak and helpless to break free from this prison. None the less, his eyes were closed as he somehow concentrated on something.

When he finally opened them, he was admittedly shocked but still kept calm. "I sense more allies that will join Sora and his friends in this quest. A few, astonishingly, were reborn from many centuries ago." He informed his fellow prisoners.

"And who are they?" Angeal inquired, curious.

"I cannot say." Yen Sid lowered his head. "My magic is not yet fully returned. However, I can at least reveal that they are fully aware of Chaos' goal. What that goal is, we do not know. I have no doubt that Sora will accompish this perilous trial. But, the dangers are becoming more severe and they must be fully prepared of the clash that lies before us."

"Indeed." Genesis spoke in agreement, then spoke in a way of being troubled, "However, that is not Sora's only problem. A dark shadow lingers in his heart, and unless he learns it's true reason of being there, he may be at risk of becoming the vessel of that darkness. The only way to weaken it...is to reveal it to his friends."

A dark shadow lingering in Sora's heart? Who could that be? Yen Sid thought deeply for the answer to that question, his mind somewhat returning to when he and Riku had left with Aqua to retrieve Ventus and return his heart to his body. His eyes widen in shock and horror. He almost immediately knew who Genesis was talking about.

"Vanitas."

* * *

Caius continiously gazed up at the sky in the rock valley outside of Thebes, which looked more like a rock stadium considering. Those children were returning to this world. He could sense it. They really didn't know what they were doing and absolutely had no power to stop the upcoming war that was befalling upon the worlds.

There was only one way to keep them busy.

"Everything set in place, I gather?"

Turning to the direction of the familiar voice and seeing Arydn standing in front of the huge rock pile that rested for the past few years, Cauis snorted before answering, "Once they return here, we must accompish the deed that failed in Port Royal. They cannot hope to stop what is about to happen soon."

Ardyn chuckled as he approached the other man, saying, "Stopping the upcoming War is one thing, but is it necessary to take out your anger on those who you hardly even know?"

"You're the one to talk. You have a grudge against that Prince; the young man named Noctis. He is much like Sora, Cloud and Lightning combined." Caius pointed out.

"I hide nothing; not from a comrade." Ardyn shook his head with a smirk. "They are a problem, whether Sora is around or not. You remember how his Nobody, Roxas, the replica Xion, that former Organization No,8, Axel and those three children stopped the Brotherhood of Darkness a year ago after Organization XIII's first defeat? Together or not, they are troublesome and yet determined to save the Realm of Light."

"That was different. Those organizations are not Gods." Caius hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

This didn't faze Arydn, "And yet, they were dangerous none the less. Should they have succeeded in their goals, the Realm of Light would have been lost, and then Chaos wouldn't have awoken. It would've still remained in the body of Vincent Valentine. Sad to say, it was Sora's destiny to save those who were lost; to end their hurting."

Caius turned away in disgust before storming off, but not before saying to Arydn, "He must know the true meaning of hurting. Saving those who suffered does not make him understand the agony and failure."

But once Caius had left, Arydn's expression turned to that of a dangerous frown. "Nor do you, Caius. You at least still have what you had desired for centuries. To end all this, Chaos and Bhunivelze must succeed...!" He then summoned a Corridor of Darkness and vanished inside.

Little did he and Caius know, the entire thing was secretly listened in by Arlene, Lamuria, Shelke and Shalua who all frowned deeply.

"So those two are the ones causing this new mess. They bigger jerks than Axel, and that guy in the hat is more of a bozo than Vexen." Arlene remarked snootily.

"This only proves that Sora and his friends had only made things worse. Had things gone differently, those two would not have appeared." Shelke stated, before admitting, "However...I sense that they had been around longer before Sora and Riku had even destroyed Xehanort's Keyblade."

"But would Master Aced want first; stop Sora and his friends, or stop Chaos and his cohorts from reviving Bhunivelze?" Shalua inquired, troubled.

Lamuria shook his head, "It's very clear that a War is about to happen."

"War? Didn't those brats just stopped that grandpa from creating the Keyblade War? Are you saying that it's still going to happen?" Arlene asked in annoyed disbelief.

"Not the Keyblade War." The pink-haired man corrected, much to the women's shock. He turned his attention to the sky, saying, "A War between the Gods of Good and Evil. One Godess, I fear, is set to be free soon, and once she is...well...it would only be a matter of time before Chaos makes his move."

"Then let's report back to Master Aced. He would want to know about this and find a way how to prevent this from happening." Shelke advised.

The other three nodded in agreement, even though Arlene looked even more annoyed by this. None the less, they then left Olympus Coliseum behind to inform Aced of the new dangers that were coming closer and closer.

* * *

With the Gummi Ship fully restored, the Worldly Travellers, now including Prompto, were finally on their way back towards Olympus Coliseum to find Gladio to reunite him with his three friends. And a good thing too, because it had gotten a bit crowded in the vessel.

That didn't seem to faze them, though. It wouldn't last long anyway. Sora thought about everything that's happened as he watched the worlds and stars pass way. Though again, he couldn't help but think about he had those dreams of confront Vanitas. Plus, after seeing the alternate dimension through a mirror back in Agrabah, the Keyblade Master was getting more and more worried.

' _Maybe I should tell them...but how can I do that?_ ' Sora thought to himself. He knew, though, given how he hid this from his friends for so long, he knew that they would be angry with him. He was starting to realise now how both Cloud and Riku felt with their secrets, and how Mickey felt in not telling him about what happened to Riku.

" _You're not thinking of telling them about me, are you?_ " Vanitas spoke in his mind, mocking a shocked tone. " _I don't want to disappear._ "

Sora mentally rolled his eyes. ' _Don't you have anything better to do than taunt me or try and take over my heart?_ '

The former darkness of Vanitas scoffed, " _In case you haven't noticed, idiot, I'm stuck inside you as much as you're stuck having me stuck inside you. But seriously, what do you think will happen if you do tell them about me?_ "

' _Well, I know they'll be angry with me for keeping you secret for so long. I just didn't want them to look like I was crazy. Besides, I have no idea how to handle this other than ignore you. I won't give into the darkness, and I definitely won't give into you._ ' Sora replied.

Vanitas must've been surprised, because he admitted, " _I actually thought you'd say that they would understand. As I remember since I can see into your memories, you weren't that angry with the King keeping you out of the loop about Riku._ "

' _I was a little annoyed and impatient, but after what Riku told me and that he made the King promise in order to keep me from attacking him by mistake or hurt my feelings, I got the better idea in the end. But even I know that no one's the same. Sure, some of us share similiar personalites, but we're not the same. We're not like Heartless or Nobodies._ ' Sora admitted and explained. ' _Besides, if everyone was the same, that'd take the fun outta learn about what other people do and if they're bad like what the bad guys are thinking of doing or are doing, at least I can put a stop to it._ '

It seemed that Vanitas wasn't interested in talking anymore for now, because he seemed to have faded, much to Sora's relief. At least he had some peace and quiet to continue dwelling in his own thoughts.

However, he'd been unaware that Lea had been watching him the whole time, and even quirked an suspicious eye-brow when Sora seemed to be thinking...or perhaps talking to himself in his head. This just confirmed that the kid was hiding a similiar secret the redhead had with Axel a year ago.

But before Lea could speak up to talk to Sora, the scanner beeped and got everyone's attentions, even both Myde and Noctis who'd both dozed off a little while ago.

"We've made it back to Olympus Coliseum." Mickey announced.

"That was fast." Prompto admitted and getting even more excited now.

"The Gummi Ship is always fast." Goofy explained, "Ay-yhuck!"

Sora stood smiling, saying leadership-like, "Well, better get going. Maybe we'll get an update from Herc' and the Gods."

But little did the group know, as they all began to descend into the familiar world, that things were about to get much more intensed than the situation calls for it.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that Agrabah was short, but I did my best. Get ready for the next chapter...once I've come up with an idea how it would go and I'll try to update this again sooner than what I did. See you then!**


	36. CH35: On the Way to the Dead

**Author's Note: Just to let you know before you continue on reading this story, this story also has references of "Second Being" mentioned by Lea and the others which I've yet to update. Same with "Second Life: Strelitzia's Story". It'll be random and possibly spoilers, but both just made me have a better idea how to continue this.**

 **Another thing, this chapter kinda focuses more on the other characters rather than Sora's group in Olympus Coliseum, and the main reason for that is to connect to the next world which I'm pretty certain you guys will figure out.**

 **Anywho, let's continue on.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH35: On the Way to the Dead.**_

As Sora and his friends landed, they found themselves at the gates of the Coliseum rather in town this time, and while Myde moaned in huge relief, Noctis, Prompto and Ignis took the time to look around their new surroundings in interest and awe.

"Oh, thank Kingdom Hearts. Not having to climb up those stairs is a blessing!" Myde sighed, relieved. "The last time was torture!"

"So was your whining and the constant 'Are we there yet'." Lea rolled his eyes.

"I have no argument with Myde's irritating complaints or patience to pretend otherwise. But I have no arguement about the stairs either." Jack commented, also relieved.

"Oh, come on! The stairs aren't that bad." Kairi sighed, placing her hands on her hips as she and the others glared at both Myde and Jack in slight annoyance.

"Yeah, and besides we'll probably have to go down them if we wanna find Gladio anyway. There's no use complaining about it." Sora added.

Either Jack or Myde were about to retort on that, but neither got the chance when the doors opened and everyone turned to see Hercules and Meg walk out as the two noticed them before walking over with a wave which the worldly travellers waved back in greeting.

"Hey, guys! Good to see you again." Hercules greeted.

"Same here, Herc." Sora smiled happily, before asking, "How's everyone doing?"

"Well, got some good news and got some bad news." Hercules shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Bad news is Hades' gonna try and attack Olympus again probably soon for round 2 after the last time."

"Again?" Sora whined, as he, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Ven, Myde, and Lea all slumped half-way down in dismay and disappointment, while Mickey, Riku, Isa, Aqua, Terra, Xion, Kairi, and Skuld all shared concerned glances, and Jack shook his head in annoyance. They knew it was coming, but they didn't think they'd had to go through it so soon just after returning. Noctis, Ignis and Prompto shared concerned and puzzled expressions, wondering who Hades was and what did happen the last time they were here, especially when they had the help from Gladio.

Lea sighed in irritation, "Doesn't that guy know when to quit?"

"You know Hades. He always tries to get what he wants in many ways he can think of." Meg shook her head, apparently twice as annoyed.

"So, what's the good news?" Goofy asked.

"My father, Zeus, has an update for you guys and that there're people who can help with that too." Hercules answered, which lit up everyone's faces slightly. He then turned to Jack and told him, "I even got better news for you, Jack."

The pirate's expression quickly turned to confusion. "You do?"

"Yeah, apparently some of the Gods knew what happened that caused you to travel with Sora and the others." Hercules continued, which made everyone shocked and stunned and Jack very uncomfortable. He then shrugged apologetically and added, "Though the downside to that is getting out of the place where what you're looking for is the hard part."

"...Why is that better news if I can't get out of it easily?" Jack asked, hesitatedly.

"You'll have to ask him yourself. Thing is, Hades' not the only evil god to worry about, and we both know Chaos and Bhunivelze are on that list." The Demi-God replied.

"This wouldn't happen to do with the War of the Gods, would it?" Terra inquired with seriousness, before saying, "We learned a bit about that a little while ago that Bhunivelze created a few gods himself and around 2,000 years ago he and Chaos woke up by someone who had help from someone named Calypso, the Goddess of the Sea. But someone with a Keyblade defeated them at the cost of his or her memories. They had help from someone who was said to hand over the power to ask certain Gods for help."

"I never knew that." Hercules admitted, a bit surprised himself. "Here I thought Hades freeing the Titans was bad enough. I don't even know who Calypso is, since I've never met her."

"Of course not." Jack shook his head, "That's because Calypso was said to be imprisoned in human form and is somewhere out there wandering around on her lonesome. Or so the story that I heard goes."

"For real?" Meg scoffed, skeptical on this.

"...Still not fully certain, but it is probable." The pirate admitted.

"Um..." Noctis spoke up while holding up his hand to say something, making everyone gaze at him as he awkwardly inquired, "Hate to butt in here, and sorry for the short notice on introductions, but, Herc, was it? Do you think your dad, Zeus, might know about certain Gods called the Astrals by any chance?" which made Prompto shift awkwardly and Ignis to roughly pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Uh, maybe? Sorry, but who're you guys?" Hercules replied.

"Oh, right!" Sora remembered, before introducing, "Herc, Meg, these are our new friends; Noctis, Ignis and Prompto. They're friends of Gladio, which is one of the other reasons we came back."

"Oh, so you're the guys Gladio's been talking about. Nice to meetcha's." Hercules smiled, walking over and shaking hands with the trio who shook hands with him in return. "I'm Hercules. Herc for short."

"Our pleasure. You may refer to me as either Ignis or Iggy. Whichever way is fine." Ignis replied.

"Heya." Prompto smiled happily.

Noctis smirked while saying, "Call me Noct." as he shook hands with Hercules.

"Herc! We got a problem!" Another familiar voice called out hysterically and exhaustingly, making everyone turn to see that Phil just came up the stairs and was panting to nearly collasping from all the running and climbing up the stairs. He wiped his forehead, before noticing Sora and the others and sighed in huge relief, "Thank the gods, you're all here too!"

"Phil!" Most of the worldly travellers and Herc exclaimed, quickly concerned while Noctis, Ignis and Prompto gazed at the Styar in confusion due to seeing the goat-man for the first time.

"Don't tell me; the Heartless are attacking again, aren't they?" Meg asked, worriedly.

"That, and those other guys from last year!" Phil nodded, "They're attacking the town like nobody's business!"

"We'll handle it! Right guys?" Sora declared with determination. He just hoped that this wasn't yet another one of Hades' schemes to catch them off-guard.

Lea though stopped him as he placed a hand onto his shoulder and suggested, "Hold on. If this is Hades' second attempt to try and attack Mount Olympus, it might be better if we split into groups."

As much as he hated to admit it, Lea was right. Plus as Hercules said, Hades could try again for round 2 and probably didn't realise that Sora and the others are already here. Or maybe this was another trap to catch them off-guard. It was hard to tell with that Low-Life. Though if they focused on one battle at the time, that would only give Hades an advantage.

Either way, splitting up was their only optain.

Finally, the teenager nodded and said, "Okay. I'll go to Mount Olympus with Herc, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Ven, the King and Jack."

"I'll go too." Aqua volunteered with determination.

"Okay. Then the rest of us will handle things in town." Riku said, and Terra, Skuld, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Noctis, Prompto and Ignis all nodded in agreement.

"Meg, you stay here with Phil. I don't want Hades to kidnap you again." Hercules told his lover firmly.

Despite worried about him and the others, Meg hesitatedly nodded and told him, "Be careful out there, Wonderboy."

"I promise." Hercules replied, and he meant it.

Myde on the other hand, groaned in dismay, "Awww! Not climbing again!"

"Hold on. I got a better idea." Noctis spoke up, nodding to his two best friends who nodded in return. "Gather around me, guys."

"Be careful, fellas." Mickey told the group.

"Right. You guys too." Riku said firmly, which Sora's group nodded in firm promise.

While most of them got the idea, Myde hesitated and was about to change his mind, when Isa tugged him hard on the ear and dragged him towards the young Prince. The mullet-haired man shrieked girlishly in pain as he was pulled. Once gathered, Noctis summoned his weapon before thrusting it to into down below, causing him and everyone else with him to suddenly wrap into Thebes to fight off the Heartless, leaving behind Sora's group, and the surprised Hercules, impressed Meg, and stunned Phil.

"Holy Hera...!" Phil muttered in wide-eyed amazement at Noctis' wrapping skill. "How'd that kid do that?"

"It's a long story." Sora shrugged.

"Let's go before things get really bad!" Donald impatiently told them.

"It'll be a tight squeeze on Pegasus, but I think we can manage." Hercules told his friends, only for Ven and Aqua to smile as they had come up with an answer to that problem already.

"Got a better idea, and, well, it's best not to tell anyone else." Ven informed, as he and Aqua shared a nod before summoning their Keyblades and tossed them into the air which in an instant turned into their Keyblade gliders and they both hopped onto it.

Phil's jaw comically hit the ground in total disbelief at the mere sight of the Gliders.

"That'll work too." Hercules admitted, equally amazed. He then whistled and seconds later Pegasus came flying from the sky and landed on the ground next to him. The Demi-God then hopped on, with Sora hopping on and held out a hand to Kairi who nodded, and climbed onboard as well. Jack(who was very nervous to get onto the gliders or even the horse with wings) and Mickey boarded onto Aqua's glider while Donald and Goofy did the same on Ven's.

"Let's go!" Sora yelled, and with that, Hercules, Aqua and Ven took flight high up towards Mount Olympus.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Jack screamed as he clinged onto both Aqua and her glider as hard as could, not having expected this flight to be this fast. Sure he can swing and make himself fly, but this sort of thing wasn't what he had in mind.

"I guess Jack has a terrible fear of heights like I used to." Meg commented, shaking her head as she actually felt sorry for the pirate and knew what it was like.

Phil stroked his beard a bit awkwardly, before adding, "He sure screamed like a little five year old girl."

If only everyone knew that this was much more than what they were actually expecting.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Radiant Garden, Tifa was strolling on her own while fighting off Heartless before sighing, thinking about Cloud. He still hasn't been back yet. On top of that, she felt sorry for Namine who was worried about Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Sora, Kairi, Riku and everyone else. She just wished she could figure out where Cloud was so that she could help him and Zack in Midgar.

But then she paused as she sensed movement, turning just in time to see a portal of light appear near towards the Bailey. At first Tifa had no idea what was going on, until she sensed another movement and turned sharply, to see an unfamiliar woman with blonde hair and a white long dress, wielding what appeared to be a Trident.

"You should go. They would need you in the future fight." The young woman informed her.

"Who...?" Tifa began, suspiciously.

"There isn't much time." The young woman shook her head. "Believe in yourself."

Tifa hesitated, glancing back at the portal and then turned back, the mysterious woman had somehow vanished. Despite the suspicion and not wanting to disappear on Leon and the others just to look for Cloud. And can she really trust the mysterious woman who disappeared suddenly as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

Sighing, she finally made her decision.

* * *

Back in Midgar, not long after Vincent, Reno and Rude had returned and told Rufus, Tseng, Elena and Reeve about Cloud and Zack's departure and the encounter of the mysterious man in the black coat who wasn't part of Organization XIII, there was another attack at HQ and the WRO soldiers and the Turks were dispatched into handling the Heartless problem. Vincent joined in oblierating them while Reeve stayed with Rufus in the office for their safety.

"Ugh! I hate these things!" Reno grunted, bashing another Heartless with his EMR. His partner agreed as Rude slugged a soldier Heartless in the stomach and made it fly backwards and hit the wall, fadining into oblivion.

Vincent, Tseng and Elena were too busy to reply as they shot dead as many Heartless as possible, and tried to be careful in not running out of ammo. Vincent then kicked another aside when it got too close to his taste. After a little while, the hallway they were busy fighting the Heartless in seemed fine as no more Heartless appeared. But they all quickly turned when the five of them sensed five more Heartless come running towards them. Just as they were about to fight them, to their confusion, the Heartless were quickly dispatched and the ones who did it were, unaware to them, were Lightning and Ephemer, Crimson sword and Keyblade in hand.

"Everyone okay?" Ephemer asked.

"You...you're the boy who helped us before." Tseng spoke, recongising Ephemer.

"Yeah, sorry about running off like that earlier. Had a lotta things to do, and well, this is probably not the best time to have a normal conversation." The white-haired young man shrugged.

"You must be the one Skuld has mentioned." Vincent realised, before turning his gaze at Lightning and inquired, "Who are you?"

Lightning stared back while answerous, "It's Lightning."

"Wait a damn minute." Reno muttered, his brows furrowing in suspicion and realization. "That hair...it's the same as that girl who was with that other kid that came and killed Fuhito a little while ago before Deepground attacked."

"So you met Serah. Then you know what's going on." Lightning analyzed.

"Uh-huh...so you're her sister she's lookin' for." Reno replied in suspicion. "Any reason why you suddenly disappeared on her?"

Lightning sighed, "It's like Ephemer said. Now's not the time, and I can't reveal myself to her yet. However, Sora and the others will need your help in a certain world that a few of you are familiar with."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, frowning.

There was a sudden crash behind Lightning and Ephemer who both jumped and turned as the others jumped as well. A larger horned Heartless with a picked axe had crashed through the ceiling and roared. It about the size of Azul, and the only ones that weren't that completely fazed were Vincent and Lightning who stood glaring at the large monster.

"...That's a big one." Reno said, somewhat nervously.

Vincent immediately fired at it, but the Heartless blocked it with it's hand and even knocked away Ephemer and Lightning when both attempted to attack it head on due to a sudden Barrier that it developed. The two unexpected saviors landed on the ground in the crouch, with Ephemer grunting, "Man! This guy can't be taken out unless we have a stronger attack or something to disable it's barrier!"

It was then that Tseng remembered something and called out, "We must retreat! This way!"

Despite trying to dispatch the Heartless with his triple-barreled gun, Vincent finally admitted defeat and followed the Turks as did Lightning and Ephemer, all of them running while the Heartless began to chase after them, and for a large monster it sure can run. They all quickly emerged inside a large warehouse like room with crates, with Tseng instructing Rude at an nearby object.

The Turk nodded and quickly grabbed hold of what Vincent and Lightning realised was a Bazooka and fired at the Heartless. It hit the Heartless head on and the force of the blast thrown everyone off their feet. They landed on the floor with a thud as the explosion subsided.

"You shouldn't leave those things lying around." Vincent lectured to the Turks who chuckled softly.

"Blame Reeve. He hasn't put up a storage for weapons yet." Reno half-joked. He and Elena then gasped as the smoke cleared, and revealed the Heartless, seemingly half-battered, was still alive and thoroughly pissed off. The redhead groaned, "Oh, _come_ on! You gotta be kiddin' me!"

Ephemer already got up and held a tight grip on his Keyblade, before rushing over and leaped before striking the Heartless full on and landed behind it, with Lightning sped towards it and slashed at it for the killing blow. The Heartless twitched and sparked electricity before it collasped foward and vanished into darkness, the heart fading from the body.

"Whoa..." Reno muttered, eyes wide in disbelief and awe. Well, at least the Heartless problem was solved. The question now was why Lightning and Ephemer were here and not with Serah or Sora's group?

* * *

Fifteen minutes later after things settled down, Vincent, Lightning, Ephemer and the Turks rejoined Rufus and Reeve to discuss the situation and the reason why the two other people had arrived. What Vincent and everyone else heard were shocking.

"You want the five of us to what!?" Elena exclaimed, shocked, after Lightning and Ephemer finished explaning.

"You can't be serious." Reno frowned.

"Is there any reason why you wish to send in my Turks, Vincent, and one of your other friends having sent Miss Lockhart to the world where Mr. Sparrow was exiled from?" Rufus questioned lowly.

"This is a situation where it'll need lots of people, and given that you guys are now connected with Sora, he'll need all the help he can get." Ephemer explained.

"Including Cloud and Zack?" Vincent questioned.

Lightning took over to speak, "As many as they can get. It's all connected. There isn't much else we can say until the time is right."

"And you two and you two other new friends can't do it yourselves because...?" Reno inquired, folding his arms to his chest. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"We're in a middle of spying on Chaos and looking into what he's really up to. Garland already broke the barrier that kept Chaos from being used before Serah and Strelitzia killed him. Not to mention there are other villians trying to stop Sora from saving the Realm of Light." Ephemer explained.

"I take you mean Aced who has abducted King Mickey's mentor as well as Angeal and Genesis." Reeve responded.

"Master Aced's mind is blurred and clouded. The mystery of the traitor and trying to change the future by disobeying the wishes of the Master of Masters has blinded him into wanting power and domination in order to keep the Light safe. Then again, he's always been one of the scariest of the old Foretellers." Ephemer answered, sighing.

Reno sighed, admitting, "Can't argue the fact that the guy's completely nuts." still remembering in the bear-masked Keyblade wielder fighting Sora and the others in Port Royal. He then asked, "You two wouldn't happen to know about a suspicious guy in a black coat who isn't part of Organization XIII, would you?"

"The Master of Masters?" Ephemer asked, shocked.

The group softly gasped, having recongised the name Skuld mentioned before her and the others' departure. So even the Master of Masters was still alive?

"...How is it that the Master of Masters is alive?" Rufus inquired.

"I don't know. Maybe he was in the Realm of Darkness for years. Maybe he was revived like Strelitizia...I have no idea. I never met him, but I've heard little about him. He's the one who created the Book of Prophecies." Ephemer said.

"He said to watch out for two whackos who are kinda like Davy Jones or whatever. Some guy who had a heart of a Goddess and another who can't be killed by anyone except by someone who holds light and that he's just as dangerous at manipulation, and even more dangerously cruel." Reno remembered.

"Caius and Arydn..." Lightning mumured in concern.

"You know them?" Tseng inquired.

"I know Caius more than anyone and so does Serah. Something brought him out of the Unseen Realm and his mind is again blinded. As for Ardyn...he is dangerous at manipulation. It took Serah to bring Strelitzia out of it." Lightning explained.

"The Unseen Realm? You mean one of those places that dead people go to? That's like in trouble along with every other dead places?" Reno asked, shocked as where the rest of the group. So Caius was one of the reasons why the Realms of the Dead were in turmoil? He heard about it from Angeal.

"And how is sending us to help Sora rescue a friend from another place going to solve this?" Elena asked.

"Because it's about to happen and the only way to retrieve him and the one thing he cherishes is to go to that world. There's no avoiding this. By the time we reach Sora and the others in another world, it'll be too late." Lightning replied.

Reno sighed in exasperation, "This's really givin' me a headache. I can't keep up with all this crap."

"Say if we agree to do this, what will you two do?" Vincent questioned.

"Keep Arydn and Caius back as much as possible, as well as Master Aced and Chaos. We'll explain more about this later, but Sora and the others will be heading there probably soon anyway, if they're not there already." Ephemer said urgently.

"No way." Reno shook his head, "We're not leavin' the President on his own."

"Perhaps we should trust Miss Farron and Ephemer." Rufus spoke up, causing his Turks to glance at him. "I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. As such, knowing Tseng and Reeve, I very well end up being safe in the WRO Headquarters. The situation is far more dire than any of us can imagine, and we are no closer in solving the mystery for Sora's sake."

"Not only that, Chaos is plotting something much more sinister." Vincent nodded in agreement. "I'll go. I think it's time to put an end to Davy Jones before Jack's world falls into darkness."

Despite the hesitation, Tseng, Rude and Elena nodded in agreement, silently agreeing to go with. Everyone turned their attentions to Reno who finally sighed, knowing that he was outnumbered.

"Fine." He grunted. "Let's get this over with."

Lightning and Ephemer nodded their thanks to the group, before the latter walked to the side and summoned his Keyblade before thrusting it forward as a beam of light shot out from it, creating a Corridor of Light.

"That will take you to Port Royal. Light and I will continue keeping as much enemies at bay as possible." Ephemer informed the group.

"One more thing." Lightning spoke to the group who were about to enter the portal. "Protect my sister."

Vincent was the one who nodded in a firm silent promise, before and the slightly hesitant Turks stepped into the portal, which closed behind them. Ephemer then opened up another one and nodded to Rufus and Reeve before the Keyblade wielder and Lightning, who also nodded to the duo, stepped into that one towards their next destination.

* * *

Back in Port Royal, Cloud and Zack had been informed of the situation which, as Tia Dalma secretly told them afterwards that Jack would about to die soon and thus the only way to save him was to enter the Locker and that Sora's group would no doubt follow to save him, made the two young men realise that Elizabeth had no said anything regards to her forcing Jack into exile and join Sora and the others.

' _It was a waste of time_.' Cloud thought bitterly to himself as he waited in the shadows with Barbossa after splitting up with Zack who went with the rest of the remaining crew to somewhere as backup. ' _Why did Elizabeth sent Jack with us if he's still going to end up dead? The Keyblade chose him after being chosen by Sora. Why even borther?_ '

Not only that, it also put Sora at risk even further, and it angered Cloud to no end. Keyblader or not, Sora is his friend.

"Somethin' on your mind, Master Cloud?" Barbossa inquired in a whisper to avoid in being heard, as in the distance and nearby, both the royal navy soldiers and chinese pirates lurked around the city of Singapore which Cloud and Zack had landed in earlier.

"What does it matter to you?" Cloud whispered snappishly in return. Of all the people to be revived to locate the way to the Locker-one of the many places of the dead-it had to be Jack's old enemy.

"We have not known each other long, but anger can only led distraction." The Pirate replied, unfazed by Cloud's snap.

The spiky-haired younger man rolled his eyes, before he said dryly, "Excuse me for being in a lousy mood." adding more seriously, "I don't trust you, and just because we're only teaming up to defeat Beckett and Davy Jones, doesn't mean it makes us friends. If you hurt my friends, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Ah. It be because I am a Pirate, or another reason?"

"Both." Cloud answered. "I once knew someone who took almost everything away from me and he wasn't even a pirate, and I'm not a pirate either. But I also know not to get others involved unless they do end up stuck in it."

Barbossa smirked at Cloud's response. "Ye have the same bravery and same lack self-interest as young Turner and the Keyblader, yet you prefer to go on alone and never foolishly ask for anyone's help."

Cloud glared at him, saying sarcastically, "When I want your advise, I'll ask for it." really not in the mood to talk about his personal life.

Neither man had the oppotunity to continue the conversation, because they heard a familiar woman's voice singing and turned to gaze down the stairs, seeing Elizabeth arrived at the small dock via a small boat. She stood onto the rocky quayside and was cut off from her singing when it was finished by another man, followed by two others. They all looked Chinese and were no doubt pirates themselves.

That was Cloud and Barbossa's cue.

"A dangerous song to be singing, for anyone ignorant of it's meaning. Particularly a woman," The head Chinese man looked her up and down and his eyes took on a salacious glint, "Particularly a woman alone."

"Who says she was alone?" Cloud spoke dangerously as he and Barbossa descended the stairs as all four heads turned to face the two of them. While the Chinese men didn't recongise Cloud, they must've recongised Barbossa, because they didn't look surprised.

"You protect her?" The head Chinese Pirate asked, only for Elizabeth to have drawn a knife the moment his back was turned to her and she pressed a knife to his neck.

"And what makes you think I need protection?" She hissed coldly, even as her captive's two men quickly drawn pistols at her.

Cloud stood in defense, hand drawn to the hilt of his fusion sword but didn't take it out unless it was necessary. Barbossa on the other hand, stood there calmly as the pirate said to the Chinese head Pirate, "You're master is expectin' us, Tai Haung, and an unexpected death would cast a slight pall on our meeting."

The last part of his sentence was more aimed at Elizabeth than the man named Tai Haung, and getting the message, she released him and the two other men lowered their weapons. Cloud likewise lowered his hand even though he did cast a suspicious glance at Barbossa with his eyes.

Before anything else could be said, a sudden shout from above drew their attention to the street. They saw that patrol was on the move again, having just turned the corner of the street and was coming towards them. Tai Haung gestured hurriedly for Elizabeth, Cloud and Barbossa to follow him beneath the sewers to safety. With hardly a moment to spare, the trio followed the Chinese pirates into the dark tunnel, out of sight.

* * *

In the meantime, Zack and the surviving members of the Black Pearl Crew swum into the waters before finally found the sewer gates that lead into the Bathhouse which they were instructed to go and retrieve everyone's weapons. As silently as they could and waiting Ragetti's signal, the group, with Tia Dalma who was pushing a cart which contained baubles and trinkets of a dubious nature and was hunched, and disgused in bulky shawls and a wide-brimmed hat, with her were Cotton's Parrot and Jack the monkey, began to saw their way into the steel of the gates.

"Okay. We're through." Zack whispered, before he, being the strongest out of most of the men, pulled the grates out before crawling their way towards their destination. Well, Marty didn't have to crawl because he was a dwarf and only had to lower his head a little, so he was lucky.

* * *

Cloud, Elizabeth and Barbossa followed Tai Haung and his companions through the crowded streets of Singapore. Within the interior of the city, the patrols of the East India Trading Company soldiers were virtually nonexistent. The perfect hideout for Sao Feng and his bathhouse.

"Have you heard anything from Will?" Elizabeth asked Barbossa.

"I trust young Turner to acquire the charts, and you two to remember your place in the presence of Cap'n Sao Feng." Barbossa replied.

"That terrifying, huh?" Cloud asked sarcastically, not impressed. Judging by Elizabeth's deadpanned expression, she didn't seem that impressed either.

Barbossa smirked, "He absent my merciful nature an' sense of fair play. Otherwise he is much like meself."

"How petrifying." Cloud deadpanned, as they arrived at the massive, round door which Tai Haung knocked three times, saying something in a different langauge before they opened, and allowed all four of them to enter.

Tai Haung then turned to the three of them and instructed, "Remove your weapons. Please."

Despite being irritated for being forced into removing his sword, Cloud knew there was no other choice. Plus, Zack and the others would hopefully retrieve all of them. For now, he would have to go weaponless. Sometimes he envied Sora's group to being able to summon their weapons without carrying them, and thus were able to hide them in their bodies magicaly.

So Cloud, Barbossa and Elizabeth all removed their weapons and handed them over to the other Pirates confiscated them. The former smirked a little as the Chinese Pirates looked at his massive sword, and it took about four people who be able to lift it onto the table.

"How is it that a young man such as you are able to wield a weapon with such strength?" Tai Haung inquired, admittedly surprised. Even Barbossa held a look of surprise himself.

"Years of training and practice." Cloud replied simply. Actually, he's not the first one to wield such a heavy sword. It all began with Angeal as far as Cloud was told, and that was with the Buster Sword which was handed down to Zack who can also wield it with ease, before he passed it down to Cloud himself. When he retired it, he took up his Fusion Sword which, admittedly was a bit heavier, but he can wield it like a pro.

Elizabeth, seemingly decided to get this over with, made to stop forward, only to be stopped when Tai Haung held up his hand to stop her.

"Do you think because she is a woman, we would not suspect her of treachery?" He questioned Barbossa pointedly.

Barbossa glanced at Elizabeth before turning back to the Chinese man and replied, "Well, when you put it that way."

Tai Haung didn't reply to that, and instead firmly turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "Remove, please."

Fuming silently that she was caught red-handed, Elizabeth removed her outer vest, revealing about ten small pistols and removed them as well as holsters, a miscellaneous bomb and then, remembering she had one more thing to pull out, she reached behind her, and with some effort, withdrew a massive blunder bus and added that to the pile.

When she had pulled out the blunder bus, both Cloud and Barbossa's eyes widened in shock and confusion and mentally wondered where in the nine hells did Elizabeth manage to hide that huge thing.

' _I wonder if it's possible to understand women._ ' Cloud thought to himself, still shocked, while Barbossa's expression was that of amusement.

"This way." Tai Haung gestured, seemingly sastified despite eying Elizabeth suspiciously.

He then led an over-weight attendent to led Barbossa, Cloud and Elizabeth into the main bathhouse. The bathhouse was made up of various tubs and vats, all of them filled with scalding hot water. Steam rose from the pools of water, though given how filthy the water was, both Cloud and Elizabeth tried hard not to look disgusted, and were both failing miserably. The attendant then stepped aside and directed Barbossa and his group to walk past him. The three of them, reaching the dais, paused. There, they stopped and waited. Two female attendants were putting the last touches to Sao Feng's apparel. When they were finished, they stepped away, and a large cloud of steam arose from the pipes beneath the bathhouse floor and Sao Feng himself turned, scars across his face.

He looked around Barbossa's age, perhaps a bit younger or older. It was hard to say. Barbossa bowed elegantly. Glancing behind him, he waved, somewhat impatiently, for Cloud and Elizabeth to follow suit. Cloud gave a short bow while Elizabeth quickly bobbed a short curtsy.

"Captain Barbossa. Welcome to Singapore." Sao Feng greeted, having known the man for quite sometime, or perhaps through reputation. He approached the trio who stood up and inquired, "I believe that you have a request, do you not?"

"More of a proposal." Barbossa replied, never liking the word 'request' as much. "I've a venture underway and I find meself in need of a ship and a crew."

Sao Feng stepped back and seemed to consider this thoughtfully, "Hmm, it's an odd coincidence."

"Did someone else ask for the similiar request earlier?" Cloud inquired, speaking up carefully despite Barbossa giving him a warning look and Elizabeth giving him a puzzled look. However, Cloud had supicions about this. The look on Sao Feng's face told him that he was faking the thoughtful look.

"No." Sao Feng replied, seemingly unfazed. Instead, he continued, "Because earlier this day, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple and tried to make off with these." as he moved towards an old man and took something from him, turning back to the trio. He held on an oblong piece of leather that was rolled into a tight scroll.

Cloud's eyes narrowed in confusion, while Barbossa's widened in silent shock as he shared a look with Elizabeth who mentally shared it.

"The navigational charts, the route to the farthest gate." Sao Feng continued, his tone tone a little less welcoming than it had been before. In fact, it now carried a hint of definite malice. He then tossed it towards Tai Haung, who caught them, before turning to Barbossa. "Wouldn't be amazing, if this venture of yours, took you to the world beyond this one?"

' _Clearly he doesn't know about other worlds and it's best that he doesn't._ ' Cloud thought to himself, already figuring that the only world beyond this one was in fact, Davy Jones Locker.

"It would strain credulity at that." Barbossa said, as innocently as possible.

Clearly this didn't ease Sao Feng's expression, nor was he fooled. He turned his head to the side and nodded to two guards who had been standing by one of the bathhouse's numerous tubs, though this was was used for torture since it was icy cold than the rest, because the two men pulled up a familiar young man with his arms tied and locked onto the long pole that was lengthwise.

Cloud's eyes widened in muted shock and Elizabeth was horrified. Sao Feng moved over to the soaking wet and freezing Will Turner, saying to the trio, "Is this thief's face familiar to you?"

The trio shook their heads in negative, thinking that by doing so would let Will go. It was a bad mistake, because Sao Feng pulled out a wooden spike, declaring, "Then I suppose he has no further need of it."

But as he prepared to kill Will, Elizabeth failed to stop her gasp of horror which made the Chinese Pirate stop as he caught her reaction. So Sao Feng stopped what he was about to do and instead put the spike away, approaching Barbossa, Cloud and Elizabeth once more, knowing that he had caught them for lying, and now would get the answers he wanted as to why they really where here.

"You come into my city and betray my hospitality." He said coldly, before turning as he continued, heading back to his dais, "Yet you intend to undertake a voyage to Davy Jones Locker. But I cannot help but wonder," he turned back to Barbossa, "Why?"

In response, Barbossa threw something at Sao Feng. He caught the piece of eight in mid-air and held it up to his ear. A strange, ethereal ringing, audible only to Barbossa and Sao Feng, emanated from the coin. Sao Feng knew what it meant, his eyes widening.

"The song has been sung." Barbossa stated. "The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine pirate lords, ye must honor the call."

Sao Feng's long fingers curled around the coin, before he seemingly calmed down and after several moments of breathing, he spoke again, "There is a price on all our heads. It seems the only way a pirate can turn a profit any more," He cast a significant glance at Will, "Is by betraying other pirates."

"It be time to put our differences aside." Barbossa stated, "The first Brethren Court gave us control of the sea, but now that rule is bein' challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett."

"And not just pirates that are at risk. Beckett is also targeting innocent people. He has joined forces with an enemy powerful enough to cast darkness." Cloud added, ignoring the fact that the two pirates gazed at him and referred to Maleficent. "If nothing is done to stop them, everyone will be in even more danger to the point of being sentenced to death."

"Which is why you can fight." Elizabeth added, taking a few steps up and having grown sick and tired of being in the background. "You are Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of Singapore. The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy, and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water?"

"If you really want to know why we're going to Davy Jones Locker, it's to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow, who sacrificed himself to save us from the attack of the Kracken." Cloud concluded, though in truth, while Jack did save whom he could from the giant octopus, Cloud knew that telling Sao Feng that Jack was soon to die and enter the Locker and was not dead yet(or maybe he was, Cloud couldn't tell), has joined Sora's group and was also a wielder of the Keyblade.

Sao Feng's expression turned to pure anger, and he wasn't moved by Jack's 'sacrifice' despite having heard many tales of the Leviathan of the seas. Instead, he moved towards a stool and growled, "The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead...is so I can send him back myself!" violently kicked down the stool in the process.

Barbossa approached Sao Feng, determined to make him see the necessity of the rescue which he was proposing to undertake. "Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died, so we must go and get it back."

Despite this, what Sao Feng saw shattered Barbossa's credibility. Happening to look over at one of the bathers, he noticed that the tattoo of the dragon, a required symbol of loyalty worn by all his followers was melting in the heat of the bathhouse's steam. Sao Feng immediately concluded that this man was a spy, paid off by Barbossa to further her own ends. He turned back to Barbossa, his voice tight and sharp. "So, you admit, you have deceived me."

He suddenly drew his sword, an impressive and deadly-looking weapon. As he did so, he shouted to the rest of the bathers. "Weapons!"

Down below, as Zack and the crew had knocked out the underfloor workers and retrieved everyone's weapons, heard the commotion and the young swordsman grunted before unsteathing his broadsword since it was small enough to fit through the gaps of the holes. The pirates followed his lead to lend Cloud and the others above them a hand.

"Sao Feng," Barbossa began, his hands out, as if to try and placate Sao Feng. "I assure you our intentions are strictly honorable."

No sooner had he said these words than five swords suddenly popped out of the floorboards beneath them. Cloud grabbed the broadsword which he knew belonged to Zack, having already realised that his Fusion sword was much too big to fit through without giving the others away, while Elizabeth plucked both weapons deftly out of the air, and Barbossa seemed rather startled when both swords landed more or less landed right in his hands. He smirked sheepishly at Sao Feng at this unexpected event.

It didn't faze Sao Feng, though. Because he instead grabbed the spy by the arm, and held his sword to the terrified man's neck. "Drop your weapons, or I kill the man!" He commanded coldly.

"Huh?" Cloud blinked, confused, and shook his head in confusion at Barbossa who looked at him, Elizabeth and Will who did the same as the swordsman, all three of them sharing Cloud's confusion.

"What're you talking about? That guy's not with us." The spiky-haired man asked.

Sao Feng was rather surprised by this and gazed down at the spy who was clearly not with him either.

Will then voiced the question everyone else had in mind, "If he's not with you, and he's not with us, who is he with?"

No sooner had the words left Will's mouth, the entire Bathhouse erupted in chaos which began with by the sound of the doors crashing open and the shouting of the soldiers of the East India Trading Company. Among them were Heartless that materalized and both flooded the room in all intends of killing everyone within. Though none of them went down without a fight and the air was filled with shouting, guns going off, and the clashing of sword against sword the bathhouse pirates had completely forgotten about Cloud, Barbossa, Elizabeth and Will. Their attention was focused on the new enemy.

Cloud attacked both the Heartless and the enemy soldiers that came his way, slicing them in half despite not having used such a lighter weapon in ages, but he was still a swordsman because sword-wielding was his specialty. The young man then flipped over and struck the sword down onto three soldiers and two Heartless, killing all five instantly. Barbossa was now happily hacking and stabbing any soldier who even came near him. Elizabeth, strong and quick, was holding her own against soldiers who were almost half her size.

Will, bound as he was in a most awkward manner, was somehow able to knock the wind out of a few soldiers who foolishly made the assumption that he was defenseless. And of course, one of the numerous blades that was flashing through the air slashed through the bindings of the ropes which were holding his hostage. Elizabeth saw this and called out to him before throwing her one of the blades she held. Will caught it took out as many enemies that came near him. Sao Feng fought all with the ferocity of a tiger, a surging mass of pure muscle and skill. He cleared through the skin and bone as easily as if he were merely cutting through wet thread.

Cloud had his back turned to another soldier due to being to busy with fighting towards in front of him and would've been shot to death had not a familiar yell filled his ears, one that he didn't think he would hear in this world. The moment Cloud finished off the enemy in front of him, he turned and his eyes widened as Tifa had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and punched and kicked away at her enemies, even slugging a Heartless behind her and bashed another that attempted to attack her from her right.

"Tifa!?" Cloud exclaimed, shocked. How and when did she get here?

"Let's talk later, when we're not busy getting killed!" The young martial artist pointed out quickly, continuing her fight against the enemies. Cloud, despite now becoming concerned for his childhood friend's safety and wondering why and how she found him, could only nod before taking out more of the enemies of his own.

However, the soldiers were beginning to outnumber them and soon Cloud, Tifa, Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa and Sao Feng found themselves cornered by the army who were about to shoot them dead under the command. Fortunately, the shots never came, because an explosion directly below the Company pretty much took care of that threat, and immediately Sao Feng wasted no time to shout something in Chinese, causing everyone else to race out of the bathhouse and soon the normally quiet night in the streets became filled with terrified screams of the attack.

Cloud's group split up into two pairs, with Cloud paired with Tifa and ect., before they heard Zack call out his name. The two of them saw him race up to meet up with them as Zack tossed Cloud his Fusion Sword, which Cloud, thankful, tossed the Broadsword back to Zack who smirked his thanks, then noticed Tifa and his reaction almost matched Cloud's.

"Huh!?" Zack exclaimed.

"We'll explain later!" Cloud told him urgently. "Now's not the time!"

"Uh...right!" Zack nodded, before the trio hurried down the streets as the fight soon stormed through out Singapore, and the fight continued on, Cloud and his friends, Barbossa's group, Sao Feng's pirates, and even Vincent and Turks who arrived during the battle and were quickly caught up into it, having no choice but to fight as well.

Vincent, Tseng and Elena took out the soldiers who, seeing them as intruders and enemies, made to attack them which the trio shot dead along with destroying the Heartless. Reno and Rude paired up and combined their speed and strength to take out many enemies with almost effortless team work.

Eventually the five of them met up with Cloud, Tifa and Zack and immediately took out the remaining Heartless and soldiers that had them cornered for the second time today and the trio were quite surprised to see them.

"Vincent? And the Turks?" Zack asked, disbelieved.

"Why are you here?" Tifa asked, puzzled. Though she was aware that Cloud was looking at her as he wanted to know why she was here as well.

"Someone told us to; some kid who wasn't Sora but had a Keyblade and a lady who happens to be Serah's older she's lookin' for." Reno shrugged.

"We'll explain more later. Where are Sora and the others?" Vincent quickly said.

Cloud shook his head, saying, "Not here yet, or if they are, I think they're on their way to the Locker to rescue Jack too."

"I thought he was with Sora and the others." Tifa pointed out.

"You met them?" Elena asked, puzzled.

"They came back to Radiant Garden no too long ago. They recently left while a new friend Noctis went with them to find his missing friends." Tifa explained.

"I think we should meet up with the others and then we'll continue this later." Cloud told them firmly, leadership like.

Despite the confusion and questions yet to be answered, the group nodded and hurried to find Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth and the Black Pearl Crew, which didn't take them long, though Will was seemingly absent. Upon seeing them, while most of them recongised Vincent, Reno and Elena, Barbossa didn't and they all didn't recongise the other two Turks either.

"Relax. They're on our side." Cloud informed them.

Before Cloud could introduce them, Will then approached, leading a group of Chinese men, Tai Haung among them and in hand was the familiar scroll.

"You have the Charts?" Barbossa asked, slightly disbelieved.

"And better yet," Will said, tossing the charts to Barbossa, "A ship and a crew." before turning to the others and nodded despite not recongising the two Turks whom he didn't know yet Reno and Elena did, and didn't recongise Tifa either.

"They're with us." Cloud answered the unasked question about the said trio, before asking, "Where is Sao Feng?"

Will flinched minutely, as if wishing that Cloud hadn't brought it up. "He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove."

Tai Huang indicated a side street. "This way. Be quick."

The two groups merged to follow him to the docks. Will and Elizabeth lingered longer than the rest. Their eyes locked. Elizabeth knew that there was more to what had happened than Will was revealing. But, Will could not bring himself to say such things, and Elizabeth did not know how to ask.

* * *

As the Chinese Pirate ship, the Hai Peng, sailed away from the destruction of Singapore, now under command of the East Indian Trading Company, sailing away silently into the darkness and out of the enemy's sight, things had quietened down, but the mood was somber and worrying.

Cloud and the others outside of this world used that time to each answer their own questions and knowlages of what they learned so far and introduce each of them to Barbossa and the crew, despite Vincent, Tifa and the Turks, having learned of Barbossa's past despite him helping to retrieve Jack and possibly Sora and the others, all held the same distrust in him as Cloud and Zack both did.

Reno in the meantime, sighed before noticing Tia Dalma standing by the side of the ship on the deck, and approached the Voodoo woman, standing behind her. He had trouble finding the right words to say to the very creepy woman who apparently had the power to bring people back from the dead and that's what she did to Barbossa.

Finally, he somewhat awkwardly began to speak, "Looks like that Sao Feng guy's got nowhere else to go. Do ya think he'll help stop Beckett to save the world from darkness?"

"I canna' say." Tia Dalma shook her head sorrowly. "D'ere a' evil in de' Realm o' Ligh'. Even de' most staunch and bloodthirsty pirates 'ave come ta fear."

"Figures." Reno sighed. He then asked, carefully and nervously, "So um, you were the one who broght that Barbossa guy back from the dead, right? How come you can't do the same with Jack?"

"Because Barbossa was only dead." Tia Dalma began, turning to face the young man who gulped nervously, her look suddenly turned to somewhat anger. "Jack Sparrow is taken, body and soul, to a place not of deat', but punishment; de worst fate a person can bring 'pon 'imself, stretching on forever. Dat's what awaits at Davy Jones' locker."

Reno slowly raised his hands in surrender, saying, "R-right. I get the idea. Thanks." slowly taking steps backwards before turning and tried not to run as he made his retreat back to his comrades.

Fully unaware that darkness began to seep deep into Tia Dalma's heart and briefly becoming visible on her body before it faded as though it wasn't there. The Voodoo woman turned her attention back to the passing ocean as the ship began to leave Singnapore behind and head towards Davy Jones' Locker.

Where more reunions and truths were about to take place.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter we'll return to Sora's group where the fated destiny is set to take place. I originally intended to include Snow Villers, but I really don't like that guy that much. He's such a Hothead and very annoying. However, he will be seen later on in the story and make his appearence in "Second Life: Strelitzia's Story".**

 **I'll be back with this as soon as possible(assuming my computer doesn't die first, which most likely will soonish. Maybe). See you then!**


	37. CH36: Sacrifice and Rescue

**Author's Note: Even though I have no intentions of making this story a tragic ending as we still have a long way to go, as much as I hate being a sender of bad news, I strongly doubt the real KH3 will have a happy ending, especially with Nomura's comment on the ending being "Hard to Swallow" even if that's a mistranslation, but I'm still having doubts.**

 **Well, we can only wait and brace ourselves until the real game comes out and hopefully we'll finally get a release date next month in June which the E3 event will also have the demo of the said game set up too.**

 **Let's continue on, shall we?**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH36: Sacrifice and Rescue.**_

 _Back in Olympus Coliseum, with Lea's group..._

The moment the group landed in the middle of the streets via Noctis' wrapping ability, the streets were once again filled with chaos; the residents of Thebes were running and screaming as they all attempted to avoid the Heartless that ran around attempting to steal their hearts for themselves. To say that Riku, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Skuld, Terra, Noctis, Ignis, Prompto and Myde(who was complaining about the dizziness of Noct's ability) were shocked would be an understatement. Not only were the Heartless were around, but also familiar white monsters in different shapes and sizes were attacking as well; both the people and the Heartless.

"Nobodies!?" Roxas exclaimed.

"Where'd they come from?" Lea asked, shocked.

"Maybe Chaos is behind this?" Xion murmured worriedly, unable to take her eyes off the Nobodies that once obeyed the command of Organization XIII.

"Who else would it be?" Lea shrugged, hopelessly, before shaking his head and pointed, "Forget it! We have to take them out!"

The others nodded in quick agreement and summoned their weapons and raced into battle against the horde of Heartless and Nobodies in hopes of saving as many people as possible without casaulties.

Roxas tossed his Keyblade expertly at two Heartless and three Nobodies before hacking and slashing at another random horde who were attempting to attack and block him. One Bulky Heartless knocked him over before attemping to slam him flat, but he rolled out of the way to avoid in getting squashed and then used Cure on himself and chanted Fire at it's weakspot before finishing it off by using Ultimia Drive that made his body glow orange and struck at the Heartless so fast that no one saw him even move until it faded out of existance before moving onto more targets.

Xion leaped up into the air and struck a single blow at the Berserker Nobody who collasped and dropped to the ground and disappeared. She then rolled out of the way to avoid the Dog-shield Heartless who shot out a huge beam at her and her friends who also avoided this attack. The former Replica then glowed white and held up her Keyblade before dashing forward once she was behind it and slashed it repeatedly before it was destroyed by her own attack. She then spun and blocked the Spear-wielding Nobody's attempt to slice her before pushing it back and chanted Thunderaga and electrocuted it into oblivion.

Skuld hacked and slashed at the Nobodies and Heartless that came at her before chanting Firaga at an Ice-Element Heartless to melt it. She then leaped and tossed her Keyblade which glowed in light and it several Dusks in a single blow before retrieving it and, learning this skill from Aqua, she cartwheeled and then chanted the Dream Weaver spell, spinning around while using Gravita to absorb both Heartless and Nobodies into the air and eliminated them before any had a chance to attack. Once the combination was finished, she leaped out of the way to avoid a Berserker Nobody's weapon which crashed into the ground, creating cracks on the stone floor before clashing against it until she sliced at it's head and destroyed it.

Lea tossed his Chakrams at several Heartless and Nobodies before retrieving them and then crouched before charging forward in a strong fury attack at five Assassin Nobodies he once commanded when he was Axel in the Organziation, and then powered himself up ablaze before charging again, this time at the Berserker Nobodies. He then switched out of his usual weapons and summoned his Keyblade, charging it up with fire before sending out a huge blast of fire against a large horned Heartless with a club, knocking it's weapon out of it's grasp before it even had the chance to strike at him. The redhead then leaped out of the way when another horned Heartless almost crushed him with it's club, prompting him to strike at it's head before he snapped his fingers and set it alight on fire, toasting it.

Isa swung his Claymore at two horned Heartless, sending them flying backwards before he sped forward and slashed at them, instantly defeating them with ease. He then switched out for his Keyblade and clashed against several Soldier Heartless as well as the Toy-formed Heartless that somewhat appeared in this world as well before switching his attention at the Centipie Nobodies that teleportingly moved in and out of the ground which he swiped at before jumping to avoid the bulky Heartless which he took out easily due to it's weakness. Though he did wish that the Heartless and Nobodies would just hold still.

Terra swung his Keyblade expertly downward before slamming it into the Bulky Heartless as well as the Berserker Nobodies, blocking their attacks and jumped out of the way to avoid another Horn Heartless' attack. He then dispelled it's shield with a swing of his weapon and charged up his Drive Mode, connecting his link with Ven and tossed his Keyblade with the burrowed power. The Keyblade wielder then summoned a mini-meteor Spell which dispatched several Heartless and Nobodies whom most moved out of the way but were still hit and destroyed no matter where they went before he moved on to use Blizzaga to freeze the Fire-element Heartless. He then slammed his Keyblade downward again, creating shockwaves and causing damage to the Assassin Nobodies and then moved on to finish them off with a single strike.

Riku preformed his Motion-Flow and leaped from one building and piller to another and struck at the Heartless with each leap as he went, expertly hiding underground before emerging and slammed his Keyblade downward at several Heartless and Nobodies who didn't stand a chance. He then attacked the Berserker Nobodies by using Firaga Orbs and then striking them with a single slash. He was then caught off-guard when a Jelly-fish Heartless appeared out nowhere and knocked him to the side with a blast of water, disabling him of using Blizzard and Thunderaga. Instead he leaped up and used Curaga before dodging more of it's attacks and then struck it several times until it was defeated, which then enabled him to use his magic again once it was destroyed.

Myde created water pillers and clones of himself to strike at many enemies as possible, tugging cords of his Sitar which controlled his abilities and many Heartless and Nobodies ended up drowning in his power. Ignis used his ability of ice and daggers to freeze and stab his enemies before using a spear to strike at the horned Heartless underneath. Prompto fired shots with his gun at several Heartless before quickly pausing as he began to run out of ammo before moving to use his surprising martial arts skills and kicked one Spear-wielding Nobody's weapon out of it's grasp and while he wasn't prone in using this weapon, he used it against it's former wielder and finished it off before moving towards others.

Noctis clashed, slammed and whacked many Heartless and Nobodies with several of his weapons before noticing something wrong up ahead, and his eyes widened when saw a familiar man using a large sword clashing against many Heartless and Nobdodies while having a bit of trouble handling a surprisingly larger horned Heartless that was about to slam it's weapon down at him.

"Gladio!" Noctis cried out and without having second thoughts or the others asking what was doing on, he tossed his sword and wrapped towards the Heartless's head, landing on it's head and thrusted his weapon right into it's forehead, causing it roar in agony and pain, which allowed Gladio, who noticed this, to finish it off by a powerful swing of his Sword at it's chest, prompting Noctis to jump and land next to his friend while the Heartless collasped onto the ground and faded out of existance.

By the time Roxas and the others hurried over while fighting off Heartless and Nobodies that attempted to stop them, Gladio sighed as Noctis asked, "You okay?"

"Me? How'd you and the others get here? The hell you'd been, Noct? I've been looking for you!" Gladio replied, both annoyed and very relieved.

"Same here. Wouldn't have known you where here or met up with Specs and Prompto if I haven't met Sora and the others." The young Prince replied.

"Uh, hate to break the reunion, but we're kinda busy handling the Heartless and Nobodies problem!" Myde pointed out, as they all once again found themselves facing five Nobodies and three Heartless.

However, before either of them could even attack, the problem is quickly solved as an Orb of Light combined with an Arrow shot out at one Heartless and two Nobodies, before the sudden appearences of Strelitzia and Serah finished off the rest of the enemies in several single strikes, and what was more amazing was that Serah's bow turned into a sword which she used to cut down the Heartless and Strelitzia's Keyblade glowed in light before she swung it and a blade of light cut through the remaining Nobodies, eliminating them. This stunned the group who could only stare briefly in shock and soon the Heartless and Nobodies situation was dealt with for now.

Last time the worldly travellers saw Strelitzia and Serah were back in Twilight Town where they first met them, as the said duo approached them in a half run.

"Is everyone alright? Where are Sora and the others?" Strelitzia asked immediately.

"...Where'd you come from?" Riku muttered in disbelief.

" _'Where'd you come from'_?" Serah repeated in disbelief and annoyance, placing her hands on her hips, demanding, "Is that really all you can say?"

Riku blushed in embarrassment, looking away slightly as he said, "Sorry. That didn't come out right."

"You know them?" Noctis asked the group, gesturing at the two saviors.

"We met them in Twilight Town. This is Strelizia and Serah. Strelitzia is like me and Ven, only, well, it's a long story." Skuld answered, before turning to the said duo and introduced, "This is Noctis, and his friends; Gladio, Prompto and Ignis."

"Heya." Prompto waved.

"Hi." Gladio nodded.

"My pleasure." Ignis added.

"Hey there." Noctis greeted.

Hearing those names while acknowlaging the greeting, the two young women shared a stunned and somewhat realized glance before turning back to the quartet and Strelitzia responded, "Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, Ignis...we met someone who was looking for you and was helping Serah's sister."

"She couldn't tell us much where my sister was, other than she's helping in secret somewhere with two others. But, she mentioned that she sensed that you were needed to help Sora. She called herself 'The Oracle' of Light." Serah added.

While Riku, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Skuld and Myde shared a confused glance, apparently their four newer friends seemed to understand what Serah was talking about, because Noctis gasped and took a couple steps fowards, looking hopeful.

"You met Luna?" He asked.

"Luna?" Terra blinked, confused.

"Lady Lunafreya. The Oracle of Light from our world." Ignis explained, as the worldly travellers turned to him, while he continued, "She is also Noct's childhood friend. She went missing a year ago and we searched for her before Ardyn seperated us."

This made Riku's group, and even Strelitzia and Serah gasp in shock and realization, with Serah saying, "Around the same time my sister went missing!"

Lea folded his arms with a concerned frown. "Kinda sounds like around the same time Xemnas was defeated, after I got my heart back and even when Rox', Xi' and Namine came back too."

"Do you think Cosmos might have something to do with all this?" Roxas thought.

"...Maybe she knew that Chaos would wake up and wanted us to try and stop him." Riku said after thinking about it.

Before anyone else could continue the conversation, there was a sudden flash coming from on top of Mount Olympus which got everyone's attentions and as they looked up, the light faded though a scent of darkness filled almost everyone's senses. Their eyes widened in horror as they realized what was happening.

"Sora! Kairi! Mickey! Donald! Goofy! Ven! Aqua! Jack! Hercules!" The worldly travellers, Noctis, Prompto and Ignis cried out in horror, while Gladio, Serah and Strelitzia gasped in shock.

"Rather too late, I'm afraid." A familiar mocking voice spoke close by. The group all quickly turned to the same direction coming from the right and their eyes narrowed as Ardyn materalized, and held a sinister smirk on his face, continuing, "For one of them, at least."

"You!" Gladio and Prompto hissed.

"Ardyn!" Noctis and Ignis growled.

"You again!?" Isa growled, as he and his friends and the others all stood in fighting positions, holding tight grip on their weapons.

"What'd you do to our friends!?" Terra demanded angrily.

Ardyn found their reactions amusing, saying, "Calm yourselves. Your friends are perfectly fine...well, except for one. He has gone into the place of punishment where he was meant to go, and what a reward in sacrificing himself to save Sora."

"What're you talking about, crazy dude?" Myde asked, dumbfounded.

"You fell right into the trap, and now you lost the one who was, say we say...exiled to join you. You really didn't think he would return to his world alive, did you?" Ardyn responded cruely.

The stomachs of the group chilled and dropped all at once, and they all realised that there was only one person who could've been the person that was exiled.

"No..." Roxas whispered, horrified.

"Not Jack..." Riku pleaded in a whisper.

Xion, tears already filling up her eyes, yelled negatively at Ardyn, "You're lying!"

"If you don't believe me, why not go and look for yourselves. I'm certain Sora and the others will tell you." Ardyn suggested.

"Son of a Chocobo!" Lea cursed angrily as he summoned his Chakrams and tossed them at Ardyn who smirked held and out his hand, just as a barrier of darkness appeared and protected him, forcing Lea's weapons to fly backwards and while the others moved out of the way, the redhead caught them expertly.

The others made to attack Ardyn, only to stop as he held up a hand and soon they found themselves glued to the ground by dark mists trapped them by their legs, and they grunted and struggled to move, but couldn't.

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't attack the messenger." Arydn mocked a scolding. "I already told you; do you really have what it takes to bring peace to the Realm of Light? You're all fools to believe that. Have fun at the funeral." He smiled sinisterly before vanishing into the Corridor of Darkness he summoned which also disappeared.

His leave released his grip on the group who shared horrified and concerned glances.

"You think he's telling the truth? About Jack being dead and all?" Myde asked, worriedly.

"The only way to find out is head up to Mount Olympus and see for ourselves." Riku told them, and while he didn't want to believe it himself, it wasn't far fetched.

"We'll go with you. Arydn could be lying to trick us." Strelitzia requested, with Serah nodding to add that said request.

"Mind I tag along?" Gladio asked.

"Nah, 'course not. You're welcome to tag along." Lea replied.

"Let's go, and fast." Terra informed, and everyone else nodded.

' _Sora, Kairi, Mickey, everyone. Please be okay. And Jack, if you're dead, I'm not forgiving you._ ' Riku prayed in his mind.

* * *

 _Back with Sora's group...at the same time..._

As Sora's group made it to Mount Olympus, everything was in chaos here as it was in Thebes. The Titans were back and were fighting against the other Gods, including Zeus who was also busy fighting the Heartless only to be encasted in ice again by the Ice Titan and the entire place was becoming a mess despite continuously refixing itself.

All the while Hades stood by smiling sinisterly.

"Now that Wonderbreath is busy with the Heartless, I can easily handle things here without that Keyblade Brat and his friends to worry about." The Lord of Dead said to himself.

Too bad his hopes were dashed as, in a blink of an eye, Hercules and Sora both jumped off of Pegasus and while Sora used his Motion-Flow to knock out the Rock Titan's heads, Hercules punched the Ice Titan's arms off while everyone else landed on the ground, which Donald and Kairi took care of the Heartless problem with their Magic, and Mickey shot out Orbs of Light at the Ice Titan's face.

While Ven and Aqua's gliders turned back into their Keyblades, Jack wobbled dizzily, moaning in relief to be on semi-solid ground again. He really wasn't cut out for flying machines.

"Remind me to never mention about that kind of flying to anyone." The Pirate requested to Goofy who, confused, just nodded.

Hercules in the meantime picked up the Ice Titan by the leg and spun it around and around until it knocked it into the Rock Titan who was pushed back and the two crumbled into a pile, unconscious.

"...That was very impressive." Jack commented, staring blankly in surprise.

Hades at that point was boiling red in anger before teleporting himself to face the group as he snarled angrily, "YOU AGAIN!? How many times do you all have to foil my plans!?"

"Only until you stop attacking everyone!" Ven pointed as he and the others stood in fighting positions, lined up as they all glared at the evil god who glared right back.

"Yeah! You can't win against us!" Donald added.

"Care to demostrate THAT!?" Hades growled, deciding to fight the group himself. Hmph...That's it!"

He blasted a jet of fire at the worldly travellers who all dodged out of the way to avoid in getting hit, even though both Donald and Jack had a near close call in being burned. Sora tossed his Keyblade at Hades who grunted before the latter fired another best of Fire at him. Sora dodge-rolled out of the way and leaving an opening for Kairi and Aqua who both casted Blizzard and Blizzaga to cool down Hades' fire attacks. Then chanted Thunderaga and Goofy spun around and around using his shield, which tripled due to Mickey preforming air-somersaults and hit the God multiple times.

Though they had to soon quickly and repeatedly dodge Hades fire Pillers that flared up and moved around to try and hit the group. They were nearly hit and yelled out as Hades suddenly caught them off-guard when he disappeared and then reappeared, blasting a jet of fire right at them, sending them flying backwards and hit the ground hard. Sora, Aqua, Donald and Mickey all quickly casted Curaga on Kairi, Jack, Goofy, Ven, Hercules and themselves before running out of the way then the Rock Titan and the Ice Titan seemingly recovered, avoiding in being crushed or frozen by the two monsters.

Hercules then had an idea and glowed in golden light, conjouring up an Orb of Aura which Sora quickly responded by whacking it towards Hades who screamed in pain before slumping, briefly knocked out which allowed the two to attack full on at the God of the Underworld while Kairi fired the Pink Orbs of Light at the Ice Titan's face, causing it to reel back and Donald to flare up his Fire-Works spell right at it to send it back. Jack decided to take on the Heartless that came up towards them and sliced them with his Keyblade the instant they came up before running to the side to avoid the bigger Heartless which Ven took care of by channeling his Link in his heart, burrowing some of Aqua's powers and used the Ghost Drive to send the larger Heartless into oblivion.

The others in the meantime took on the Rock Titan, as they ran between it's legs to confuse it before it could grab them. Goofy threw his Shield up at one of it's heads while Mickey chanted another Orb of Light at the other, sending it tumbling forward a bit. Aqua then glowed while using another power of her own as she leaped up and flared out a rainbow of light in a Lock Command, hitting it repeatedly before she, Mickey and Goofy formed a group and leaped up before repeatedly attacking the Titan's heads until they stopped before landing on the ground once more, making it dazed and fall onto the ground unconscious once more, just as both Ven and Kairi attacked the Ice Titan by the legs with their Keyblades and Donald chanted an even bigger Fireworks that shot at the Titan's chest, sending it tumbling and collasping.

In the meantime, Sora and Hercules took on Hades who by then became so furious that he summoned a much larger piller of Fire, combined with the Comet Spell that rained down upon them and the two were left hit and shot back onto the floor again. Just as Hades was about to finish them off by roasting them alive, Jack, who'd seen this, picked up piece of debries fallen from the pillers of this place and tossed it at the God's head so hard that Hades lost concentration and his attack died down as did his red fire. While Hades turned to glare at Jack who shuddered at how scary the God looked when angry, Sora used this distraction to use a potion on Hercules and himself before they raced forward, using this distraction to attack the enemy head on.

Hercules slammed his fists together and glowed in bright light again, before he rammed straight into Hades; a golden blur as he ran into him from all directions. Finally, Hercules came to a screeching halt right in front of the god. The son of Zeus pulled back his fist as it began to glow. The glow kept intensifying until Hercules rammed his fist straight into Hades's gut, sending him flying acrossed the Olympus. Sora used this to toss his Keyblade at the evil God before glowing in blue light himself and used his Motion Flow to attack Hades from all sides, both hitting and confusing the God who screamed out in agony by the sudden attack from the young Keyblade Master who didn't stop until his limit reached it's end and landed on the ground safely once more.

Sora and Hercules then nodded as the two of them then rammed with into Hades who was knocked back again, this time sent flying straight towards the two Titans who were defeated by Aqua, Ven, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy who all moved out of the way when they saw the God of the Underworld crash right into the Ice Titan; his fire somewhat ended up melting the Ice Titan into a huge liquid of water, falling onto the Rock Titan who began soaking wet by it's fellow Titan's demise and also freed Zeus from his icy prison. This allowed Sora, Ven, Mickey, Donald and Aqua to use their Thunderaga Spells, Kairi to use the Thunder and Zeus to use his Thunder Bolts to zap the Rock Titan and Hades who both stumbled and crashed onto the ground.

This allowed Hercules to pick up the weakened and defeated Rock Titan by the legs and spun around and around before tossing it up right into the sky as it disappeared in the blink, most likely sent back into the Underworld while the other Gods and Jack finished up in defeating the rest of the invading Heartless, quickly soon aided by Sora and the rest of the travellers via Keyblades, Shield and Magic and Hercules' strength.

Eventually the group disposed of the invading Heartless and soon they and the other Gods turned their attention to Hades who groaned and weakly stood up before he noticed that not only the Titans were gone, so where the Heartless and he was stuck by himself. Pain and Panic, who'd been hiding out, were already captured and held into place by Pegasus who glared at them and they chuckled nervously back.

" _Noo!_ _**NOT AGAIN!**_ " Hades screamed, before yelling at the group, "You guys can't do this to me! You c-!" only to be cut off as Hercules approached him and punched him squarely in the face that it went literally deep into his head. The sight of it made Sora, Kairi, Ven, Aqua, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Jack laugh near hysterically, as did the other Gods, including Zeus.

"... _Fine. I get it._ " Hades managed to muffle, before he managed to shift his face back to normal and grimced. ' _Ow._ ' He thought in his head, before admitting sheepishly, "Ha...Well, okay, I deserved that. Uh, maybe we can just...like blow this whole thing off, and pretend it never happened?"

"Like we'd believe that?" Sora replied sarcastically.

"What do you know about all of the Realms of the Dead being in trouble?" Mickey demanded, glaring at the evil God who blinked in surprise.

"Wait a minute! How'd you all know that?" Hades asked, before quickly adding as the glares got harder, "Fine, fine! I caused heaps of trouble, I get the message. If you really want to know, even the Underworld has been getting unwelcoming deads drift in and out lately. Not that the Underworld is a welcoming place for anybody including you guys, but you get the idea. Which, by the way, pretty much all started when some armored guy with a stupid horned had and a huge sword that's just as ridiculous as that Moody Spiky haired guy you're so fond off. Though apparently that armored guy's also dead not only after he tried to get me to join a team which I have no interest in."

"That's surprising coming from you. Considering how you want to rule this world by overthrowing Zeus." Aqua said, glaring.

"Hey, I already told you, Blue-bird. After the distaster with Maleficent, I don't do the other major villian partnership anymore, as much as I'd like to have a date with her." Hades rolled his eyes, before flinching and mentally smacked himself for revealing that.

"A date with Maleficent?" Ven asked incrediously, before he, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Jack and even Hercules and the Gods all groaned in disgust while both Mickey and Aqua shuddered in having to hear that the second time.

Jack shuddered, grumbling, "That is absolutely disgusting, mate. It's just like Davy Jones havin' fallen in love with Calypso."

"So you heard that, huh?" Hades quirked an eyebrow, before groaning, "She's another one to watch out for. Heck, before Wonderbreath here was born, she had issues with the people and even went on Bhunivelze's side and even asked me to join which I refused after she nearly threw me out of the Underworld and into that boring never-ending desert."

"Calypso and Bhunivelze asked you to join them?" Goofy asked, puzzled.

"Like I said, they and Chaos are just as bad as me." Hades pointed out, "So if you want to go ahead and try and stop them, good luck with that."

"They will not be the ones to stop Chaos." A deep familiar voice declared, startling everyone who turned to see Caius who stood near the gates, glaring at them. "They do not have the power to accomplish this. The only reason they were able to defeat you is because they had the help of a God who is also mortal."

"Caius!? What are you doing here?" Sora demanded, as he and his friends stood in a fighting position.

Caius turned his attention fully on Sora, hissing, "...For you to learn a lesson, Sora." before launching himself towards him, catching Sora off guard to quickly block his attacks until Caius leaped back and thrusted his sword sideways and creating a powerful wind that knocked not only the worldly travellers back, but also Hercules and surprisingly the other Gods, including Hades who hit the piller and was knocked out for the hundredth time today, and causing a huge explosion that was seen in Thebes.

The guardian of the Unseen Realm wasn't finished there, as he thrusted his sword again, this time directly at Sora who layed on the ground, too weak to even move. However, just as the teenager shut his eyes to brace himself as he heard his friends scream out his name...

"No!"

Sora was then shoved out of the way by Jack who'd seen this coming and, despite not wanting to die, something in him screamed to save his friend, and he thus quickly recovered enough to run and push the Keybearer out of the way and was slammed by the sword so hard that it knocked out the wind out of him. Jack's vision darkened before he was even knocked back and slammed against the ground. Darkness began to form underneath him with some flares of light and by the time Sora recovered to see who saved him, he and all of his friends gasped in horror that the Pirate was sinking into the darkness.

"Jack!" Sora screamed out, getting up and rushed over to save his friend, but was too late as Jack had fallen into the darkness end fell down below so quickly that the Pirate Captain disappeared and the darkness closed up, trapping him. Sora fell to his knees, eyes widening in sheer horror and devastation, his breath shaking, his chest aching at the sudden loss of one of his friends.

Memories filled him in his time in the Realm of Sleep during the Mark of Mastery where Tron, having turned into Rinzler, falling and just missing Sora's grip as the latter attempted to save him.

Kairi, Ven, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Aqua all hurried over and their expressions matched the devastated Sora's, while Hercules, Zeus and the other gods stared on in horror and disbelief. Captain Jack Sparrow had just sacrificed himself to save Sora and was gone in an instant.

"Your lesson is learned." Caius announced, causing everyone(except Hades who was unconscious) to glare up at him. "He was meant to die. Now he is where he was supposed to be." Without another word, he opened up a Corridor of Darkness and vanished into it, with the portal closing behind him, despite Hercules yelling at him to wait.

Everyone was silent, even though Sora muttered his fallen friend's name in guilt and devastation. "Why?...You didn't have to save me..." Sora whispered, lowering his head and soon began to pound the ground angrily before breaking down into tears, crying.

Kairi, Ven, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Aqua began to cry as well, because that Jack was now gone. They failed to save him, and worse, they'd fallen right into Caius' trap. This was what he plotted, in order to drive Sora into guilt.

"It's all my fault...!" Sora sobbed. Why hadn't he moved? Why hadn't Jack just let him die? It wasn't fair!

"Sora..." Kairi whispered, despite crying herself. But what ached her heart more was that Sora was blaming himself for Jack's sacrifice and decision to save him. So the only thing she could do was kneel next to him and gently wrap her arms around his shoulders and head in hopes to comfort him.

"Guys!" Prompto's voice yelled out, causing most of them to turn to see that he along with the rest of the group that defended Thebes, including Gladio, Strelitzia, Serah and Mog had just arrived before they saw the devastated and sorrowed looks and Sora's crying form in Kairi's arms.

That was enough to tell them that Ardyn's words were true, yet they still didn't want to believe it.

"Is Jack...?" Skuld whispered, not wanting to believe that it was true, despite the absence of the Priate.

"...He pushed Sora out of the way when Caius attacked...and fell into the Darkness." Mickey answered, his voice all choaked up in tears as he sniffled. "Caius caught us off-guard and we didn't have time to stop him."

"So...this is what Ardyn said. It was his and Caius' plan all along..." Strelitzia whispered, guilt forming squarely into her heart as she began to form tears in her eyes, before hissing angrily at herself, "Why didn't I stop them when I had the chance!?"

"What the hell was Jack thinking!?" Lea grunted angrily in sorrow.

Myde, in disbelief, lowered his gaze as he asked in heart-break, "How could we've let this happen?"

"Sora?" Riku asked, hesitatedly as he slowly approached his guilt-ridden best friend, kneeling on one knee beside him and Kairi.

" _So, what're you gonna do now, Sora? Your Pirate friend's dead. Maybe you should go up against Caius and get revenge on him while you're at it._ " Vanitas spoke in Sora's mind.

' _That won't bring him back._ ' Sora thought miserably, much to Vanitas' surprise. ' _If I go out for revenge...it'll cast my heart into darkness and I won't be able to live with myself if I can't at least...at least redeem myself for my mistake. Jack's gone. All I can do...well...maybe take punishment for it. After the Realm of Light is saved...But it'll always be myself that Jack sacrificed himself to save me._ '

"Sora." Noctis' voice spoke somberly, causing the Destiny Island Trio to slowly look up with tear-streaked faces, and even their newer friend had approached and looked saddened and guilt-ridden over the loss. "...I'm sorry."

Sora didn't say anything, but he appreciated Noct's apology even though it wasn't the Prince's fault that Jack was now dead.

Seeing Sora blaming himself reminded Hercules of how Meg died before the Heartless attacked two years ago, and Jack's actions in sacrificing himself reminded him of Hercules having been willing to sacrifice himself to rescue Meg's soul, to bring her back.

He then remembered what he had intended on saying to Jack earlier and the Demi-God turned to Zeus, inquiring pleadingly, "Father. Isn't there a way to rescue him from the darkness?" which made everyone else gaze at the True Hero questionly.

"Jack Sparrow didn't fall into the Darkness." Zeus shook his head. "Caius has indeed killed him, but sent him to where he was originally supposed to go."

"You mean...Davy Jones' Locker?" Roxas asked, eyes widening. "But what was that portal that looked like Darkness?"

"Because Caius was a Guardian of the Unseen Realm, he has the power to send those who were meant to be killed to be sent into one of the Realms of the Dead." Zeus explained firmly. "As we Gods know about other worlds, we also know what has happened in Jack's world; including the loss of his ship, which is also sent there, waiting for him."

"Wait, what?" Terra asked, confused.

Lea shook his head in disbelief, saying, "Whoa, hold on there. Are you sayin' that the giant Squid dragged Jack's ship to the place where he was supposed to go do if he hadn't began wielding the Keyblade? How does that work?"

"Most realms of the Dead have began to merge with one another, yet only the dead can pass through, which is not good news. If they continue to do so, it would only cause souls to emerge into the Realm of the Living and Light." Zeus explained.

"...Is it because I was revived?" Strelitzia asked, uncertainly and wondering if her revival was the cause for this whole mess to begin with.

"So the Unseen Realm is merging with the living world again...just like when Caius tricked me and Noel into doing what he wanted." Serah realised in horror.

"Is there anything that can be done to fix it and bring Jack back?" Riku asked, hopefully.

"There is. Though we have figured a way for you to enter the Locker, I'm afraid you will have to figure out how to get back out, which will take you into Jack's world." Zeus replied.

Everyone sighed at that.

"Great. So we get there, but we can't get out. That means we'll have to figure it out before we can really go there." Myde groaned.

"Actually, a group may have already aqquired a map and are on their way to the Locker as we speak." Zeus admitted, causing everyone to gaze at him again as he shrugged sheepishly, "Well, he was meant to go into the Locker, but he's not meant to stay there, as he is one of the important links to save his world. Word has already spread that he was to be there, and while I don't know who they are yet, they are going to save him, but they would need your help."

"So...there's a chance that we can save Jack, give him back the Black Pearl and save his world?" Sora asked, hope beginning to fill his heart as he, Kairi and Riku stood up.

Zeus nodded, "Yes, and the one who would lead a team of their own to aid the other to rescue him and save his world, is you, Sora. You were the one who gave him the power of the Keyblade, and you are the important link to save the Realm of Light once more."

"But what about Chaos and Bhunivelze?" Donald asked, worriedly.

"We will do what we can stop them if needed. If history is to repeat itself, then we can only do what we can to prevent the Realm of Light from being destroyed. It all lies to all of you." Zeus explained, turning to Noctis and added, "We also need your help when needed, Noctis."

The Prince nodded with determination, saying, "Yeah. I got it."

"You sure you guys wanna risk in going to the place where dead people go?" Gladio asked to Sora's group who, finally making up their minds, nodded with determination.

"Yeah...I've been to the Underworld before, and even though Hades is a sore loser, if he's right about the Locker, a desert is nothing compared to that place." Sora replied. He made up his mind. "I'll go to the Locker and if it takes me years to figure out how to get back out with him, then fine, we'll be back and set things right!"

"I'm going with you." Kairi decided, and just before Sora, Riku and Aqua were about to protest, she quickly said, "Jack's my friend too, even if he was a little annoying. And I'm not gonna wait around for you forever like last time!"

"I'll go too. Can't have you guys go without me." Riku decided after everyone sighed in defeat that Kairi wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Me too." Mickey added with determination, and soon Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Ven, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Skuld and Terra said their desires to go with Sora to rescue Jack.

Strelitzia, Serah and Mog shared a glance beforen nodding and turned back to Sora's group, with the former saying, "We're going too. Even though neither of us remember what being dead really was like, we want to help."

"...Strelitzia...Serah...Mog." Sora muttered, unable to express his graditude.

"Uh...hate to ruin the moment, but how to we get into the Locker?" Myde asked.

"You're coming too?" Isa asked, quirking an eyebrow in disbelief.

The mullet-haired man shrugged, "Hey, I'm not gonna let you guys go without me. Besides, you're like the coolest friends I've ever had! Don't you think I'd like to at least help rescue Jack after you guys went through the trouble looking for me?" which made his friend smile proudly at him.

The Gods nodded before Zeus turned to Hermes who nodded and hovered over to Sora, handing him over a black stone, while Zeus explained, "Use that stone and your Keyblade to open a portal to the Locker. It will take you to the location where you will reunite with him and others. However, it will only work once. From there, you have to figure out how to return on your own."

He then added apologetically, "Though, I'm afraid Noctis and his friends cannot join you, because he's needed because of his power to summon aid from the Astral Gods." which made the group sigh, but accepted this decision none the less.

"Right. We'll hang around for a while then." Noctis shrugged, and Gladio, Ignis and Prompto nodded.

"Okay. We'll do our best, and thanks." Sora replied to Zeus.

"Be careful there, Sora." Hercules told him, "In the meantime, I'll make sure Hades doesn't cause problems again."

Sora thanked his friend before he and his friends, minus Noct's group and including Strelitzia, Serah and Mog, formed together and the Keyblade wielder summoned his Kingdom Key, holding a tight grip on the Black Stone while holding it out. Both glowed in light, and a beam of light shot out from the Keyblade, opening a portal that resembled to the one that took Jack into the Locker.

After Noctis and the others told Sora's group to be careful again, they nodded to each other before steeling themselves and bravely and nervously stepped into the portal which closed behind them as soon as all of them entered, leaving Sora's group trapped into where they would emerge in Davy Jones Locker to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow and reunite with those who would soon to join them soon enough.

* * *

 _ **{PORT ROYAL}**_

It felt like forever since the Hai Peng left Singapore, but eventually Cloud, Zack, Tifa, Vincent, the Turks, Will, Elizabeth and the pirates were sailing through the vast expanse of its endless night. But there are stars, countless stars. Some are no more than pin pricks of light, others bright, glowing balls that hang in the sky like giant lanterns as they neared to the World's End, one of the only two entrances to the Locker itself.

Cloud had been left to his thoughts after a conversation with Zack and Tifa, thinking about whether Jack really was in the Locker or if this was a complete waste of time and they were only falling to their unneccessary deaths. Worse still, Tifa, Vincent and the Turks were involved in this mess.

"Barbossa!" Will's voice called, alerting Cloud and pretty much everyone else onboard before they all raced to see what the problem was now. They all arrived at where Barbossa was steering the ship as Will continued, "Ahead!"

"Aye." The former cursed Pirate replied, surprisingly calm and looked as though he was enjoying what was coming up ahead. "We're good and lost now."

"Lost?" Elizabeth, Tifa and Elena demanded in shock.

"What do you mean by that?" Tseng demanded, glaring.

"For certain ye have to be lost to find a place as can't be found, else ways, everyone would know where it was." Barbossa responded, just as there was a deep rumbling sound that was growing louder and louder and they all felt the ship sailing fasteer and faster.

"We're gaining speed...!" Vincent realised.

Gibbs looked over to the side and exclaimed, repeating Vincent's words, "We're gainin' speed!"

"To stations! Move it!" Cloud quickly shouted orders and even though the Turks didn't like taking orders from anyone who wasn't their boss, they ultimately decided that this was more important and soon everyone except of the calm Barbossa all hurriedly rushed to their stations, any of them now knowing what was going on, but blindly following the orders.

"Hard to port! Gather way!" Will shouted this time.

"Nay, belay that!" Barbossa shouted this time, having left the wheel. "Let 'er run straight and true!"

The rumbling had grown by this time to a deafening roar. By this time, all aboard the ship had become aware of it. They all rushed to the prow and the sight which greeted them was nothing short of jaw-dropping. There, not far ahead of them and coming up swiftly was an immense, rushing waterfall, which thundered down into a void of darkness.

"Holy...!" Zack whispered in wide-eyed horror.

"Dear Ifrit...!" Reno mumured in equal horror. "No wonder they call it the World's End..."

Cloud, Tifa, Tseng, Elena and Elizabeth all turned angrily at Barbossa, with Elizabeth accussing him coldly, "You've doomed us all."

"Don't be so unkind, Miss Swann." Said Barbossa, "We may not survive to pass this way again. And these be the last friendly words ye'll hear."

Cloud wanted nothing more than to slice up the pirate that did this into a millions pieces with his Fusion Sword, but knew that there was no point now as the ship was almost on top of the waterfall and it was too late to turn back now. All everyone could do was preparing as best they could for the imminent fall. They held onto whatever they could, as Cloud held Tifa in one arm and a piece of rope in another. Tseng did the same with Elena, and Reno was held into Rude's arm as both of them held onto the ropes and railing.

"...Kinda an embarrassing way to die, huh, partner?" Reno commented.

"You rather die by yourself instead?" Rude grunted.

"Good point." The redhead nodded.

Will rushed to the stern, turning the rudder as far as it would go so that the ship would not fall nose first into the abyss. He called out, "Hold on!"

The ship moved swiftly to the waterfall's edge. It teetered uncertainly on the brink, and then it slowly began to fall. The hapless crew had a death grip on ropes, bulkheads and whatever else they could manage to find. But that couldn't stop their hearts plunging into their stomachs as they looked down to see the nauseatingly endless drop before them.

And then, the ship tumbled downward, ever downward into the abyss, the screams of Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Zack, the Turks, and the crew swallowed up the darkness.

Where they would soon arrive in the Locker itself and meet familiar faces, a group who had a much safer way to enter the Locker.

* * *

When Jack had regained consciousness, the last thing he remembered was risking his life to save Sora and was slashed by Caius before losing consciousness. As he did, a blue sky was what first greeted him, along with the familiar and welcoming masts and black sails.

Underneath him he felt the familiar wood of his ship. But he heard no sounds of the ocean. No winds blown. Not a soul spoken. Was he dreaming? Was he in the after life? Jack didn't now.

So, the first thing he did was stand up, and gaze around, his eyes in disbelief and while he felt growing happiness to see what he wanted to see for a long while after becoming exiled by Elizabeth to join Sora and the others, Jack shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating. When he looked again, it was indeed real. But there was one problem;

All around his ship, the Black Pearl he thought he lost, was just...well, sand. Nothing but sand that stretched on for miles and miles, surrounded by sand dunes that acted as mountains.

He thought back of his last memory and frowned.

"...Was seeing other worlds a dream?" Jack asked himself, thinking that he just dreamt the whole thing and that he really did die and got eaten by the Kracken, which he didn't remember. Deciding to make sure, snapped his wrist while holding out his hand, and true enough his Keyblade appeared.

Staring at his Keyblade, Jack sourly responded to his own question, "I thought not. If it were, there'd be rum." before gazing low and another good surprise welcomed him which he didn't notice had been next to him until now; his Hat sat there. Apparently even that, for some reason, had been waiting for him. Well, at least he got his Ship and his Hat back. So after dismissing his weapon, Jack bend down and put his beloved Hat back on his head like a king would to a crown, feeling almost complete again.

But he was in another problem; from what he understood and memories not lying to him, much to Jack's dismay...he was in Davy Jones' Locker.

"That Caius lad must've known I was to be here." Jack grumbled to himself. He already made his decision; there was no way he was staying here. If given the choice, he'd rather be on exile and go to other worlds than being stuck in this godforsaken place for eternity.

Striding to the railing, he jumped up and grabbed a trailing rope. He didn't have to take this. He was still Captain Jack Sparrow; he was going to take control of his own destiny. With that, he pushed off from the railing and swung down to the sandy ground beneath him. Not that it would help much as Jack had no idea how to get out of the Locker, but he didn't fancy on staying for long either.

And he was going to bring his Ship with him. How, he didn't know yet. It was easy to die, but hard to return to life.

The only other blessings were that at least he didn't end up turning into a Heartless and create his own Nobody, or end up in the Realm of Darkness like Aqua had for twelve years. Those were other tragic ends Jack did not need.

He could feel the heat rising off of the sand, the harsh glare of the sun blinding him. This was possibly the worst punishment he could ever think of, and apparently Davy Jones thought so; no ocean was Captain Jack Sparrow's punishment.

"No wind." He commented to himself after testing to see if he could feel any, before he walked a few steps into the desolate desert. "Of course, there's no bloody wind. My soul I do swear for a breeze. A gust, a whisper, a tiny miniature lick."

He stopped suddenly, and more or less on impulse, looked down on the ground. There he saw a perfectly round, oblong rock. He beat down and picked it up, studied it for a moment before tossing it a few dozen feet away from him. That done, he turned and headed back for the Pearl.

"One would have thought that, in my good deed in saving Sora, I would have gone to the place where all the goody goodies would go. Instead, that twit Caius was on the side of Davy Jones and give out my punishment despite having a Keyblade. Might as well never had one." Jack muttered to himself, only to suddenly became aware of the fact that he was not alone. Someone or something was watching him. He ran his gaze around in a slow full circle, but there was not a single living soul in the Locker with him. For some unexplainable reason, his eyes were drawn downward and there he saw, the exact same rock he'd tossed.

Jack blinked. Why did he get the feeling that the rock was staring at him? He must be going mad already and he hasn't been in the Locker for maybe at least three or four hours, unless Time didn't run here, same with the Realm of Darkness and that days, months or years had already passed. Waving his hands at the rock, he muttered, "Shoo."

The rock, of course, did not move or speak in any way to acknowledge him. Jack, after a few seconds turned and walked away. But the feeling of eyes upon him didn't fade. If anything, it seemed to increase. He stopped and looked down once more. Sure enough, there was the same rock, looking plain and innocent. But given that he was in the Locker and having heard so many stories of other worlds, Jack wasn't inclined to trust it. He then picked it up and tossed it once more where it bounced before landing.

Yet what Jack did not see, however, that a few seconds after it landed, the rock suddenly cracked into several thin lines, sprouting long spindly legs, claws, and googly eye stalks, revealing that it was actually a Crab.

"Now I'm being followed by rocks. At least it's not a Titan." Jack said to himself, before stopping as he noticed a rope that was dangling from the Black Pearl's bow. He yanked on it, and the rope dropped down. A few seconds later, Jack was pulling and tugging on the rope, straining with all his might to move the Black Pearl even a fraction of an inch. Of course, one man attempting to move a great bulk such as the Pearl, but Jack was desperate. He didn't want to be here.

He wanted to feel the ocean, and he certainly wanted to get out of this place straight away. Finally, after like about five minutes, seven tops, Jack had unfortunately reached the end of his strength and stopped, panting. He then noticed something to the side and saw the crab, looking at him innocently. Why did he get the feeling it was laughing at him?

That instantly crumbled his resolve. In complete and total despair, Jack collapsed, finally having given up.

Yet, help decided to give him a break, because no sooner Jack passed out in dispair, the small Crab scuttled out into the desert, to what looked like even more little, round rocks. The crab waved its claws, uttering a few squeaks. As if they had been commanded, the dozens of rocks began metamorphosing into countless small white crabs. Once they were all more or less all ready, they crawled towards the Black Pearl.

As Jack layed there, willing the sun to roast him and be done with it, a shadow crossed over him which made the Pirate open his eyes and he sat up, wondering what was going on now. He looked and saw, to his shock and confusion, the Black Pearl was somehow moving.

He could hardly believe his own eyes as he stood up and stared at the bizzare sight before him. Once again Captain Jack Sparrow had been amazed and confused by the unusualness of things he never thought he would see. Only this time this one was much closer to home. What he didn't see was that the Black Pearl was being moved by hundreds of Crabs crawling underneath it, moving it on their backs.

Jack stared at this sight for a long time. He was too stunned by this sight to say anything or even consider that he should follow or not. However, it at last occurred to him, that perhaps, just perhaps, there as a significant reason that his ship was moving. Perhaps someone had called these crabs. Maybe someone had come to the rescue already.

This thought, combined with the fact that the Pearl was passing and rapidly vanishing, caused Jack to come out of his stupor and dash madly after the Black Pearl, and soon he would reunite with his companions he travelled with for several weeks, and people he never thought he'd see again anytime soon.

Yet this was just the beginning in a quest to save his world from the Darkness that was slowly consuming it.

* * *

 **A/N: So we're finally back in Captain Jack Sparrow's world. Well, almost, but still in Port Royal none the less. Secrets will be revealed in the next chapter as well as our heroes and their allies, and an reunion with a former enemy attempting to escape the Locker and more troubles up ahead.**

 **See you soon(assuming my Computer doesn't die first...probably will very soon, maybe not)!**


	38. CH37: Complicated Truths

**Author's Note: Now things are getting a bit heated up, but we're still not quite near the ending of this story just yet. Maybe this will have about 50 or 60 chapters or somewhere close in the middle. Because we still have other worlds to explore:**

 **Bakerstreet(The Great Mouse Detective) and Kingdom of Coronia(Tangled) are still to be seen. So, let's get to it.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH37: Complicated Truths.**_

When the portal that Sora created with his Keyblade and the black stone opened up and he and his main companions, along with Strelitzia, Serah and Mog emerged, their first expressions were that of confusion as the portal now closed up behind them, leaving them stranded on, well, on some beach. Nothing but sand to their right, and nothing but ocean to their left. No palm trees, no rocks, no caves. Just sand and water.

"Gawrsh, this is Davy Jones' Locker?" Goofy asked, puzzled.

"I was expecting it to be more...haunting. Like the Underworld." Terra commented.

"This looks nothing like Valhalla either." Serah thought.

Myde looked around dumbfounded, before blinking, "I can see why Hades called this place boring. No wonder he didn't want to come here."

"I don't see Jack or anyone else. Why could he be?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"Maybe he's further up in-land. This place is huge." Aqua suggested.

"Hold on...I think I see people up ahead." Lea said, as he shaded his eyes from this Dead realm's glaring sun, squiting his eyes to see if he wasn't seeing things. Sora and the others did the same and surely enough, despite not being 100% certain, there was a large group of people about ten feet away that were all emerging from the water, soaking wet and walking or crawling onto the land from the wreckage of a ship.

Sora was the first to gap in surprise and confusion, exclaiming, "Wait! I think we know those guys!" and took the lead to investigate despite his friends protests before they too raced to catch up to him.

"Sora! Wait up!" Mickey called out.

"Wait!" Donald cried out.

"Hey, wait for me!" Myde called out, lagging behind, complaining, "Ugh, this sun's heat is worse than at Olympus Colisum and Agrabah!"

* * *

What felt like forever since Cloud's group and the pirates fell into the darkness after falling off the waterfall, it seemed to have finally ended as everyone, battered, soaking wet and exhausted, emerged from the ocean as they walked or crawled their way onto the shore, coughing and wheezing. The ship was currently in hundreds of pieces, but at least they were still alive.

"Ugh...well, that was a fun ride." Zack muttered sarcastically, pushing himself up from the sand, and saw nothing but sand dunes.

"Are you sure this is the Locker?" Cloud asked as he helped Tifa to stand.

Reno wriggled a pinky finger in his ear to get the water out, wincing as he commented, "If not, then this is the most deserted island I've ever seen. There ain't any wildlife here either." while Rude groaned due to his sunglasses in pieces as well before tossing them and pulled out spare pair from his shirt-pocket and put them on.

"Aye." Gibbs agreed with the redhaired Turk. "This truly is a god forsaken place."

"I don't see Jack." Elizabeth added, confirming the lack of life. "I don't see anyone."

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out, alerting almost everyone who turned to see where that voice had come from and their eyes widened as the familiar spiky-brown hair that belonged to Sora, along with the rest of him, and his travelling companions along with two women and a Moogle most didn't recongise run up towards them before finally standing near Cloud and Tifa who, along with Vincent, the Turks, Elizabeth, Will and the Black Pearl crew being the most shocked.

"Sora? Everyone? What are you doing here?" Cloud asked.

"Nevermind us! What about you guys?" Sora replied.

"We're here to rescue Jack, and I take that he's not with you." Vincent replied, noticing that, considering how Jack wasn't with them, which meant that the Pirate had indeed came here.

"We came to rescue him too." Riku replied, before asking, "How did you all get here?"

"Ah, ya'know. Hijacking an underrated boat, sailing with a bunch of priates, using the most weirdest map in history, falling off a huge mother-freakin' waterfall that leads to this place, and took a nice dip and came here." Reno said casually with heavy sarcasm, before asking seriously, "How'd you all get here and why aren't ya's all soakin' wet?"

"Well...we came here through a portal and a stone, after Jack saved Sora from that guy named Caius who sent Jack here. It's a long and complicated story." Roxas shrugged.

"You already know his name?" Cloud asked, shocked.

"We heard if from two of our new friends who volunteered to help us rescue Jack." Xion answered, gesturing at Strelitzia, Serah and Mog who approached.

"Strelitzia? Serah? Mog? You're here too?" Cloud asked, as Tifa blinked confused, the Turks shared a puzzled look, Vincent and Zack both shared a confused glance.

"Good to see you and the Turks again, Cloud." Strelitzia replied, which confused Sora's group who looked back and fourth between the trio and Cloud and the Turks. When did they meet?

"You know each other?" Isa asked, skeptically.

Serah nodded, answering, "In our travels before we met all of you, we met Cloud and the Turks in their home world which was being terrorized by a scientest named Fuhito who wanted to destroy it's people."

"Yeah, these two ladies and their Moogle just appeared outta nowhere and they, Cloud and some big guy named Snow took out Fuhito who was in some other group." Reno answered.

"Who's Snow?" Skuld inquired, puzzled.

"My boyfriend." Serah blushed a little, "Even though the wedding is held off for now since he's also looking for my sister, we're getting married."

"Wow...congratulations!" Mickey praised with a smile, with the others nodding in agreement with smiles of their own despite the situation.

Cloud on the other hand scoffed, and muttered under his breath, "I still don't get why she'd want to marry that hot-headed guy."

"So, you got any idea how to get outta here?" Reno asked the worldly travellers who, realising that they were in for another problem, all looked sheepish and sighed. This made Cloud's group all groan as Reno sighed in exasperation, "I'll take that as a no. Just great. Now where stuck here and I'm not sure if that Jack guy really is close by."

"He's here." Barbossa spoke as he finally approached, which, given how Sora, Donald and Goofy froze up upon recongising the former dead Pirate's voice, was shock as the man continued, "Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took."

Sora, Donald and Goofy's eyes widened as they finally noticed one of the very dead pirates Jack killed a year ago stand just behind Cloud's group. Very alive but also soaking wet. Their reactions pretty much confirmed everyone else's suspicions.

"You!?" Sora exclaimed, as he, Donald and Goofy quickly stood in fighting stances but didn't summon their weapons just yet, glaring at Barbossa.

"It's Barbossa!" Goofy exclaimed.

Barbossa, recongising the trio who were too once his enemies, smirked in amusement at their reactions, greeting them with heavy sarcasm, "Sora, Donald and Goofy. Here to rescue Jack Sparrow as well, eh?" taking note on the rest of the worldly travellers who gazed at him with suspicion. "With a crew of your own, I see."

"What are YOU doing here?" Donald demanded.

"Hold on...this is the guy who almost killed you, Jack, Will and Elizabeth before?" Kairi asked, quickly glaring at the pirate as she recongised the name. Sora had told her and Riku about Barbossa's evil deeds.

"Yeah. Unfortunately." Sora replied.

Lea glared at the pirate, before asking the others, "And...he's back from the dead because...?"

Barbossa's gazed turned to Lea and, for the first time since Sora and the others had known the guy, his expression matched theirs as he glanced back and forth to the redhead pryo and then to the redhead Turk, noticing the striking resemblence between the two young men.

"Before you ask, yes we both look alike and no we're not related. Had the same reaction as you did when we first met him." Reno sighed in exasperation, growing tired of the shockness of him and Lea being identical. He then turned to Sora's group and answered Donald's question, "Appearently he's needed alive since he's an expert of the ocean and was needed to take us here to rescue that friend of yours."

The Pirate was silent for a moment, then gazed at Lea and inquired, puzzled, "Who are you?"

"Name's Lea. My friends sometimes call me Axel. Got it memorized?" Lea replied, continuing, "I've heard about you, by the way. So don't think we can be friends."

"But how did he come back to life?" Mickey asked, puzzled.

Zack rubbed the back of his neck before pointing at Tia Dalma who stood by and, while she was soaking wet herself, was holding one of the little white crabs in her hand, stroking its shell as if it were some kind of pet. "She brought him back."

"Her!?" Lea, Roxas, Xion and Isa exclaimed, eyes wide as they recongised the voodoo woman. Lea then shuddered and groaned under his breath, "Not that creepy lady."

Reno caught on what his fellow redhead had said and leaned over, whispering, "Please tell me ya didn't already meet that creepy lady."

"Yeah. She's the one who told us about Davy Jones' Heart and all that." Lea grumbled.

"It doesn't matter right now." Will spoke up bitterly. "We're trapped here by his doing, no different to Jack getting himself and the Pearl trapped here by the Kracken." Though he hasn't heard that Jack had been sent here by Caius after saving Sora, which was the reason for the worldly travellers' confusion. Didn't they know about Jack travelling with them for the entire time?

"Witty Jack Sparrow is closer dan you t'ink." Tia Dalma finally spoke up. No sooner had the words left her mouth, than a sight unlike any that anyone had ever seen came into view. Over the top of the sand dune was none other than the Black Pearl itself, still unknowingly carried by the crabs. Standing on the top mast was Captain Jack Sparrow, who only had his eyes on the ocean, looking as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening and looked as though he was heroic.

Everyone just watched in slack-jawed amazement as the ship overtook the sand dune and slid down straight towards the water.

"Whoa...!" Sora mouthed in awe, eyes wide in sheer disbelief.

"...Okay?" Zack muttered, dumbfounded.

"What the hell...?" Reno muttered, blinking in disbelief.

"Impossible." Tseng and Tai Haung both chorused.

Goofy blinked, before muttering, "Gawrsh."

"Kupo..." Mog mumured in awe.

"It's Jack! He's okay!" Ven cried out in relief, and it wasn't long before almost everyone else hurried to meet their friend who looked as though Caius never attacked him in the first place. All except Elizabeth who was about to approach before she stopped and gazed at Will who looked disappointed. She looked away and just stood there, frozen. She had yet to confess what really happened.

Jack by then had pulled up on a longboat and came ashore, marching towards everyone who were running up towards him, most relieved to see him again.

"Hey! You're alright!" Sora said happily.

"Of course I am. Not that seeing you immediately after I saved your life is not a relief, even though you're most likely mourning as you always do and possibly about to move on through the Cosmos to continue the little quest to stop Chaos." Jack replied, as though he didn't believe that everyone was here. This only confused the group.

"What are you talking about?" Terra asked.

"Care to explain your sudden appearences?" The Pirate continued, looking a bit annoyed now.

The worldly travellers and the Black Pearl crew shared confused glances before turning back to Jack, as Aqua said, noticing that something was wrong, "I think this place has already gotten to you, Jack. It's making you confused."

"Aye, sir." Gibbs agreed, stepping up to his captain and continued, "You're...you're in Davy Jones' Locker, Cap'n."

Jack stood there blankly when he heard this. No hallucination would say that to him, would they? He had noticed the moment he woke up earlier and the fact that he could still wield his Keyblade just proved that his adventure had not been a dream.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he replied, "I knew that, and don't think I don't."

"I think he's really lost it this time." Lea said, concerned, and his friends nodded in agreement.

"When isn't he weird?" Myde grumbled.

"Jack Sparrow." Barbossa stepped forward and had greeted sarcastically. This instantly somewhat approved Jack's mood.

The younger Pirate walked over with a smile as though he was seeing an old friend despite the two having been long-time enemies, saying, "Ah, Hector! It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye, Isla de Muerta, remember?" Barbossa replied, with ironic humor, "You shot me."

Jack paused for a moment, before replying back, "No, I didn't."

"Hector?" Sora repeated Jack's earlier word, sharing an even more confused glance with his travelling companions, Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Vincent, the Turks, Strelitzia, Serah and Mog, wondering why Jack called Barbossa 'Hector'.

"Maybe it's Barbossa's first name or somethin'." Goofy thought, uncertain, while Jack continued to greet familiar people in a strange way that even made Tia Dalma puzzled and uncomfortable.

Finally it was Will who grumbled after he realized what Jack's problem was, "He thinks we're a hallucination."

Jack walked over to him and inquired, "William, do tell me. Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel or, rather, damsel in distress? Either one."

"No." Will answered, flatly.

"Well, than you wouldn't be here, would you? So you can't be here. QED, you're not really here." Jack replied, as though it confirmed his suspicions.

"Of COURSE we're here, you big palooka!" Donald snapped in sheer annoyance. He's had enough of this. "You're just confused because of this place!"

"Jack." Elizabeth spoke this time, speaking to the man she sent on exile a long while back. "Donald's right. This is real."

Jack frowned in growing horror and realization when his eyes landed on Elizabeth and the longer he stared at her, the more he realised that this was indeed real and he'd been speaking absolute rubbish and that he'd been trapped here for no more than maybe an hour or two. Maybe less, and already the effects of this place has gotten to him. And given the fact that Sora's group was here just added that they had decided to save him just as he'd save Sora.

So the Pirate scurried back to Gibbs and inquired softly, "The Locker, you say?"

"Aye." Gibbs replied.

"We all came to save you." Serah spoke up.

Jack turned back to the pink-haired young woman, saying, "Really? How very generous. But it would seem that I possess a ship and therefore, every one of you are the ones who need the rescuing."

"I see my ship. Over there." Barbossa said smugly, gesturing at the anchored Black Pearl in the distance.

"I don't see it." Jack responded as he shaded his eyes from the sun. "Must be a tiny little thing hiding behind the Pearl."

"Jack!" Will grunted in annoyance, he and everyone else now hurdled up around him. "Cutler Beckett faked his death."

"Maleficent has the Heart of Davy Jones." Cloud added.

"He's taking over the seas." Elizabeth added.

"The world is going to fall into darkness." Tifa added, having been told what has been happening.

Tia Dalma then concluded, "De song has been sung. De Bredren Court is called."

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable by having so many people surrounding him all at once, Jack felt crowded and a bit overwhelmed. "Leave you people alone for just one minute, and already things have gone to pot." He then moved to walk away.

"So you're just gonna give up now, after everything's that happened?" Mickey asked, angrily.

"Aye, Jack. The world needs you back somethin' fierce." Gibbs added.

"Besides, how can you get outta here by yourself without our help?" Riku asked, angrily.

Jack paused, turned around and glared at them, demanding, "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you tried to kill me in the past, one of you finally succeeded after having me exiled and across different worlds with Sora and his friends, and that Caius twit to kill me when he aimed to kill Sora." He pointed at Elizabeth.

Will's eyes widened in sheer horror and disbelief as he turned to Elizabeth who shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid everyone else's gaze. While Sora's group, Cloud's group and the Turks had been fully aware as most of them had been there, everyone else looked just as shocked and confused, which got the outsiders attentions and then realization hit them like a ton of bricks.

"Oh. She's not told you." Jack grinned, also having realised the problem. "You'll have loads to talk about while you're here."

"You never told them Jack's been with us the whole time?" Kairi asked Elizabeth in shock and disbelief, eyes widening as the hint of betrayal filled her and the rest of the group and that only made Elizabeth's guilt grow worse.

"I would've told them that coming here was a waste of time, but since none of us knew where you were or what was happening...I didn't either." Cloud admitted, guiltily.

"You were looking for us?" Ven asked, puzzled.

"Well, me and Cloud were." Zack answered this time, uncomfortably. "The two of us, Vincent and the Turks were confronted by some weird guy in a black coat who wasn't part of Organization XIII, and he told us about briefly about Caius and some other guy. We were worried that he might attack you guys and so the two us went out to find you and warn you about him."

"Black coat...That means..." Sora realised.

"The Master of Masters." Skuld, Ven and Mickey finished in unison.

"The what?" Will asked, confused.

"Some weird guy that Skuld heard about. He came to us a few times with a bunch of riddles. We're not sure if we can trust him even though he gave us some helpful hints in certain situations before we got here." Lea explained.

Cloud stared, before groaning and placed a hand to his face. "Great. On top of everything else." He then gazed at them again and said firmly, "Be careful. It's like you said, Lea. None of us know if we can trust him. He could be very dangerous."

"Duly noted, Strife." The redhead replied.

"I believe we've wasted enough time chatting, because I have to pick out who's coming and who's staying." Jack spoke up once more, and seeing the glares on his worldly companions, Strelitzia, Serah and Mog's faces, he quickly added, "You lot are coming along, of course."

He then turned to everyone else, approaching Tia Dalma first, saying, "As for you..."

"Now, don't tell me, ya didn't enjoy it at de time." Tia Dalma said flirtatiously.

Jack chuckled, "Fair enough, alright. You're in." before turning to the rest of the group, saying to Ragetti, "Don't need you. You scare me." much to his surprise and disappointment.

"Cloudy, bit of an emo, but, you and Zack are both excellent swordsmen. Happy to make you come along." Jack continued to Cloud and Zack who shared a glance, while the pirate gazed at Tifa, and inquired, "And you are?"

"Tifa." Tifa simply replied, folding her arms. "I've known Cloud since childhood."

"Very well, you're in." Jack replied, gazing at Vincent, and admitted, "Could use a bit more practice, if you don't mind." which made the gunsman quirk an eyebrow.

As Jack then approached the Turks, and while he recongised Reno and Elena, more than willing to take them along, his attention to Tseng and Rude and cringed, especially at the Wutaiin Turk's expression and at tall and stern the other man was. Before he could say anything, though, Reno approached and warned darkly, "You leave my boss and best friend behind, and I won't hesitate to throw you overboard."

"And I'll join in after I fill you with so many holes you become a human swiss cheese." Elena added, almost as darkly as the redhaired Turk, which chilled even the worldly travellers, and made three of her fellow Turks smirk.

Jack gulped nervously, before replying, "Never would've thought of leaving any of you four behind." before turning to the rest of the crew, "Gibbs, you come. Marty." and just cringed at sight of Pintel before finally turning to Cotton and the parrot, concluding, "Cotton, Cotton's parrot I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk too and not in a grouchy personality like another talking parrot I've recently met."

Finally he moved up to another group whom he didn't notice until now due to them not having spoke through the entire conversation and Jack's expression became easily confused. "Who are you?"

"Tai Haung. These are my men." Tai Haung answered.

"Where do your allegiances lie?"

"With the highest bidder."

Jack grinned, "I have a ship."

Tai Heung nodded. "That makes the highest bidder."

"Good man." Jack said, sastified before shouting orders to his new crew. "Weigh anchor, all hands to the ship, prepare to make sail!"

As almost everyone made to follow his orders and felt more relaxed to be Captain again, closer to his home world and was relieved to be no longer to on exile, Jack can finally get back to his normal life. He pulled out his Compass to see if it would work his time, and frowned in irritation that, once again, it spin all around in circles and snapped it shut, resisting the urge to simply toss it onto the ground and crush it under his boot. Well, at least he can still use his Keyblade.

"Jack..." Came Barbossa fake sweet tone, luring Jack to gaze at him and those the latter intended on leaving behind. The older pirate was holding the charts in his hand, drumming his fingers on it as he inquired with a smug smirk on his face, "Where you goin'?" as Jack the Monkey perched himself on his shoulder and screeched in the same tone as his master.

Jack turned his gaze back in front of him, and with that realization as he had no idea how to get out of this Realm either, all he could do was grumble bitterly under his breath, "Bugger."

"This is gonna be harder than we thought." Myde sighed, only to have his companions glare at him, and he shrugged cluelessly, "What?"

* * *

Soon everyone was onboard the Black Pearl which, while it still had some damage from the Flying Dutchmen attack, it looked as though it hadn't been destroyed by the Kracken at all. Now they were all sailing away from Davy Jones' Locker, or at least the island of punishment and hoped to never go back there again.

"Well, at least we rescued Captain Jack, Kupo." Mog spoke up, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah and this is a real smooth sailing." Cloud said dryly, watching the childish argument between Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Hector Barbossa.

"Trim that sail!" Barbossa ordered the crew.

"Trim that sail!" Jack quickly repeated.

"Haul windward and brace the sheets!"

"Haul windward and brace the sheets!"

"Haul the pennant line!"

"Haul that pennant line!"

Finally, Barbossa had enough and demanded to his rival, "What are ya doin'?"

"What are _you_ doing?" Jack shot back, equally miffed.

"What are ya doin'?"

"What are you doing?"

"No, what _are_ ya doin'?"

"What are you doin-" Jack stopped, realising that this wasn't getting either of them anywhere and said, a bit more calmly, "Captain gives orders on the ship."

"The Captain of the ship is giving' orders."

Jack paused, than said, as if it were the only conclusions that Barbossa couldn't possibly argue. "My ship, makes me Captain!"

"They be my charts!" Barbossa spat as he held up the Charts.

"Well, that makes you...'Chartman'!" Jack snapped back.

Finally, Donald just simply couldn't take it anymore and he exploded in anger due to his short temper, " _ **WAAAAAAAAK!**_ JUST STOP ARGUING THE BOTH OF YOU! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

His yelling was surprisingly enough to not only stun and silence both pirate Captains, but also caused everyone else on the deck to stop what they were doing and everyone stared at Donald in shocked disbelief. It wasn't until Donald remembered who was talking to and his anger instantly cooled down completely, replaced by a scared and embarrassed expression.

"Sorry. I just thought I'd...uh, fix things up a bit, sirs." Donald chuckled nervously, backing away.

Deciding to not borther in glaring at Donald, Jack and Barbossa returned their glares to each other and raced against one another to the helm in a shoving contest, leaving the others on the deck behind. Donald in the meantime sighed in relief. That was close.

"I'd vote for ya. Ay-hyuck." Goofy said encouragingly. Both Pintel and Ragetti both nodded in agreement.

Even Reno was impressed as he chuckled, "Yeah, that was a good one. Remind me to never get on your bad side."

Tseng on the other hand, looked at Donald disapprovingly, saying, "You should be thankful to not have gotten into as much trouble as you would have. You need to learn to keep your temper in check."

"Aw, c'mon, Tseng. You know you were seconds in yelling at them yourself." Reno pointed out with a smirk, only to be hit on the head by Rude who smacked him. "Ow! Hey!" The redhead pouted, glaring at his partner.

"Say, fellas. Has anyone seen Sora, Will and Elizabeth?" Mickey asked as he, Kairi and Riku approached the others.

"Last I saw 'em, Sora followed Will to below the deck and I think Liz's there too." Zack shrugged.

"Maybe Sora's upset and wants to ask both of them of why Elizabeth never mentioned anything about Jack being forced into exile in the first place." Elena thought, frowning.

"It was a wrong thing to do to hide that fact from everyone. Had she told them, you wouldn't have come here to begin with." Aqua thought, before sighing as she added, "Though it doesn't make a difference, since none of use know how to get back to the Realm of Light yet."

Kairi sighed, saying, "I think it's more than that. Sora really hasn't been himself since the last time we came to Jack's world. Ever since after Elizabeth told us about Maleficent, he hasn't really been himself." she then gazed low, looking a bit upset. "He hasn't even told me what's wrong."

That made Lea frown in concern. It took him right back to before they reached the island where the Dead Man's Chest was and, given how Sora looked a bit odd lately, just recomfirmed his suspicions that the teenager was hiding something, much like when he did about Axel as their fuse had been incomplete until just before the demise of the Brotherhood of Darkness.

"I'll go talk to him. He'll tell me something." Riku finally decided, only to be stopped when Lea placed a hand onto his shoulder.

"No. I'll go. If Sora's ready to tell us, he'll tell us. I should know, because, well...you know what happened with me a while back." The redhead didn't allow anyone else the chance to speak before he strolled across the deck and made his way down in one of the stair cases, leaving behind the group to share a glance of concern and suspicion.

* * *

Sora had hidden himself in the corner near the barrels and cannons, lost in thought as he thought of the betrayal Elizabeth had displayed. Not only had she forced Jack to join Sora's group in order to save his life, but she lied to everyone into thinking he'd been dead the whole time. Though in retrospect, it wouldn't have made a difference as Jack still ended up here regardless.

But that made his own guilt in hiding his secret that he had Vanitas stuck inside him even worse. Sora's heart ached and could just picture the display of hurt and betrayals on his friends' faces as well. How can he tell them without losing his trust in them? Or just lose them all together.

Especially Kairi.

Sora then noticed that Will, unaware of the younger man's pressence, approached Elizabeth who sat on the steps, staring stoically straight ahead at nothing, knowing he was there, but unable to acknowledge his presence. The fact that she'd lied about Jack earlier before the Kracken dragged the Black Pearl to this place stunned and hurt him than anything. She hadn't told him. She hid the truth. Now it left doubt in his mind and heart, not certain what she wanted with him.

"You forced Jack to leave with Sora, saving him from the Kracken. Yet he still died, but by the hands of another madman." Will spoke, stating the facts and not the question.

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably and turned away. "He's rescued now, it's done with." And a part of her was relieved that she could say that it was over. The horrible thing which she had done was reversed, at last. But other feelings loomed to quell that relief. And one of them was her distress at the fact that Will didn't seem to be showing any signs of forgiving her.

She had hoped that once Jack had returned, things would be alright and Elizabeth would be able to tell Will the truth. But then Jack had to go and blurt out the truth and make things worse.

When Will didn't say anything or even look at her, Elizabeth stood up, facing him, "Will, I had no choice."

"You chose not to tell me." Will pointed out, quietly. The fact that the woman he loved had hid the truth from him hurt him the most.

"I couldn't." Elizabeth replied. "...It wasn't your burden to bear."

Will turned to face her once more. "But I did bear it, didn't I?...If you make choices alone, how can I trust you?"

"...You can't." Elizabeth tearfully responded, before vanishing up the stairs as quickly as she could, leaving him as empty and as full of doubts, if not more so, then before.

Unable to think, Will walked into another direction to the hammocks to spend a bit of time alone to calm down, still fully unaware that Sora had heard the entire conversation and the guilt within his own Heart worsened. Making self choices without telling anyone a person once trusted made him realise that it was a terrible mistake.

' _...How can anyone trust a person if they kept secrets like that...or like me?_ ' Sora thought to himself. He was starting to realise that maybe he was beginning to act like Xehanort, and that scared Sora more than anything.

" _Now you know what's like, hiding secrets from your close friends and loved ones._ " Vanitas taunted in his mind, and from the sound of his voice, Sora instantly knew that the dark embodiment was smirking. " _Once they find out about me being inside you, you'll be stuck all alone and no one would trust you anymore. Look where it got Axel and Roxas._ "

Sora shut his eyes, and hissed in his mind, ' _Shut up! Just...just leave me alone!_ '

"Looks like me and Liz' weren't the only ones hidin' secrets." A familiar cocking voice mocked coldly, startling Sora out of his mental conversation and thoughts as he looked up and saw Lea, leaning against the wooden frame with his arms folded against his chest and staring at the teenager with a cold expression.

Vanitas made a mocking sigh of dispair, " _Oh, would you look at that? Seems like it's already starting. Might as well just kiss your friendship goodbye._ "

"Well?" Lea inquired darkly. "Aren't you gonna say anything? Or are you just gonna keep quiet on whatever is that you're hiding?"

Knowing that he was caught and the fact that he still had no clue on what to do with Vanitas, especially since he could soon be Sora's only companion and it hurt him more than anything, Sora sighed miserably and decided to at least tell Lea for starters.

"...You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Sora finally spoke.

"Try me." Lea softly hissed.

Sora shakily sighed, before taking a deep breath and finally said, "I...I have Vanitas inside my heart or my head. Somewhere inside me, either way."

Lea softly gasped in shock as stood up straight, but let Sora continue, "I don't know how it happened, but maybe it happened when Riku and I returned Ven's heart. Thing is...I never realised until I had a nightmare which he showed me of what could've happened if me and Roxas didn't stop you from fading away before we went to stop Xemnas. It was when before Elizabeth told us about Maleficent, and then afterwards I realised that...that I can see him as a ghost but no one else can see him or hear him."

The young Keyblade Master dared to look at Lea again and concluded, "He's been stuck inside me since then."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Lea softly demanded.

"...I thought that no one would believe me and thought I was going crazy. I thought about asking Master Yen Sid about the problem after we found the chest, but...then Aced came and made things worse. I just didn't want anyone else to worry, especially when we have enough to worry about." Sora explained, before turning his gaze to the floor again and sighed. "But...that was a stupid mistake. I should've told you guys earlier."

"Damn straight, you shoulda told us." Lea replied in agreement, before sighing. "Then again, I'm the one to talk. When I was Axel, I kept the truth about you and Xion from Roxas, and look what happened there; I lost both of them when they returned to you. Even though I got them and Isa back and we all reconciled, I still hate myself for hiding the truth from both of them."

The redhead then approached Sora and then sat beside him on the floor, continuing, "Then you remember when I kept the knowlage how I can talk to my other half when no one else could, like how you can with that Vanitas guy right now. I was...afraid. Afraid that there wouldn't been a thing anyone could do about completing the fuse. Afraid of losing Rox', Xi and Namine again, especially they're all I had left at the time. Eventually before we got rid of Kefka, and after we stopped the other four bad guys, I told them the truth. You know what happened?"

"Kinda." Sora shrugged.

"Roxas accused me for lying again, and if Xion and Namine hadn't been there to calm him down, he wouldn't have heard what I told him." Lea coninued.

"What did you say to him?"

"The same thing I just told you right now. I apologized endlessly and told them that I didn't have a clue how to really fix the problem and I was afraid that the other half of me would be taken over by my Nobody half. I was afraid that I wouldn't be Lea anymore." The redhead chuckled at that memory now that he thought about it. "Stupid, huh?"

Sora chuckled inspite himself, "Yeah, especially since you're Axel and Lea at the same time. Not like with me and Roxas." before sighing again and muttered, "Still...What if Vanitas takes over me and I end up hurting everyone?"

"He woulda if you hadn't told anyone." Lea pointed out. "Don't you think that not telling us would've ended up making him take advantage towards you?"

"Well, I have been ignoring him. Though there were a few times when I confronted him in my nightmares. First time back in Atlantis, I had to fight him. I won, but...I'm scared to think that it's only just a warm up." Sora admitted. "I still don't have a clue on how to fix this mess up."

"Then let us us help you." Lea told him firmly.

"Huh?"

The redhead rolled his eyes, "C'mon, Sora. Friends help each other out when they're in a pickle. You didn't seriously think any of us wouldn't help you try and figure out how to get rid of that guy without hurtin' ya, did you?"

"If I had any left once everyone else finds out." Sora sighed glumy.

"They'll hear you out." Lea said, placing a hand onto the teenager's shoulder, "And I'm gonna be right there to back you up. It ain't gonna be easy, I know. Because I speak from experience. But when that time comes, I'll be sure that they'll forgive ya."

Sora paused, thinking about it. Lea was right. It won't be easy, and he had a feeling it lead to a slight disagreement and arguement, but maybe it wouldn't so bad if he accepted his actions and just let his friends help him solve the problem. Maybe this was how Cloud felt when he had his own struggles against Sephiroth; not wanting to let others get involved in his fight, yet they were involved anyway, and it had been Tifa's light that helped him defeat his enemy.

Or maybe Terra when he made his mistakes and not letting Ven or Aqua help him fight the darkness and had foolishly fallen into Xehanort's grasp.

"...I just don't want Kairi to get hurt. Or anyone else." Sora muttered.

"You really love her, don't you?" Lea smirked.

"Wha-no! I mean, I love her as a close friend, like I do with everyone else! It's just that if anything happened, I'd never forgive myself." Sora denied, blushing heavily.

Lea looked at him skeptically, "And you think that not talking to her didn't hurt her or make her worried?"

Realising that it was a good point, Sora sighed. "You're right. What was I thinking?"

"Well, maybe just tell that Vanitas to shut up and leave you be." Lea suggested, gently knocking the side of Sora's head, "Don't know if he can hear me, but when I say if I could get inside you, I'd burn him into a pile of ash."

" _I'd like to see you try._ " Vanitas snarled coldy, having heard.

That made Sora laugh as he replied to Lea, "Yeah, he can hear ya and he's not real happy with what you said. If you could, mind if Riku, Roxas and I join in?"

" _Ha, ha, ha. You crack me up._ " Vanitas deadpanned.

Lea laughed at Sora's comment, and said, "We'll figure somethin' out. Can only take this one step at a time. Tell ya what: we'll tell them after the situation with Squid-Head is dealt with. Or at least 'til we get outta of this boring Realm."

Sora nodded, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, Lea."

"But, you have to tell them the whole thing first before I can back you up." Lea told him.

"Yeah." Sora nodded.

Though it was like Lea said; first they had to get out of the Locker. That was had mission in and on itself.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time back in the world of Port Royal in the Realm of Light, Dulor had rejoined Lord Beckett on the Ship the Endevour, sailing across the oceans while searching for the Flying Dutchmen. The Dead Man's Chest had been abandoned once Davy Jones realised that his heart was missing, which made things easier to collect and put the said heart back inside. Dulor had been cleaned and now wore an East Indian Trading Company outfit, second in Command. Maleficent and Pete were both standing by their sight, and the latter's eyes were wide in sheer disbelief.

Beckett gazed through his telescope and saw what made Pete horrified; The Flying Dutchmen was sailing through the destroyed and still burning wreckage of pirate ships that'd been shot down and still sinking. Several dead bodies still floated in the sea water.

"Oh, bloody hell. There's nothing left." Beckett groaned in annoyance as he lowered the spyglass.

Dulor smirked, "Davy Jones is a loose cannon, sir."

"He's a loose somethin', alright." Pete muttered, worriedly. Seeing so many dead people made him feel nauesous.

"Even so, Sora and his friends are no match for the Flying Dutchmen. Now that Jack Sparrow is out of the way, his heart is in full of dispair. It would make it easier to find the Book of Prophecies." Maleficent stated evilly.

"If we can find that book. So far, no world we've been to even heard of it." Pete pointed out with a shrug. "Not even that ol' black box. Whatever that holds."

Dulor then frowned and added, "What about that Governer? The one who helped his daughter escape?"

"What about him?" Beckett inquired.

"He's been asking questions about the Heart. He heard about the fate of those who destroy it." The former Nobody hissed softly. "Not to mention the Nine Pieces of Eight Sao Feng mentioned briefly. He didn't tell me about where this Brethern Court is meeting, though."

A moment of silence.

Finally, Beckett made his decision and said, "Then perhaps his usefulness has run its course."

"Then I saw leave you three to handle things here while I return to my search." Maleficent decided with an evil smile, which made Pete glance at her in shock as he realised he was being left behind.

"Why you're leavin' me here?" Pete exclaimed.

"In case you find that Book. I'll be expecting results." The Witch pointed out, before vanishing in green flames.

"Aw, fiddlesticks." Pete groaned. Both Dulor and Beckett weren't exactly thrilled to be stuck with that fat bumbling idiot either and shared an annoyed glance.

Finally, Beckett said, "Well, I suppose we'll need all the help we can get, as the Brethern know they face death. All that remains is to decide where they'll make their final stand."

* * *

Onboard the Flying Dutchmen in his cabin, Davy Jones mournfully played his organ softly. He never thought his life would have turned from bad to completely worse. First he was a notorious Pirate, then he was the Master of the Seas, and now he felt the strings tugging him as he realised that someone had taken his heart and controlling him.

He had no memory of what happened, but he had been informed that his urchin of the seas, the Kracken, was now dead. Mysteriously killed and not even the Crew knew why.

The mutant Pirate's gaze turned to that of the musical locket, given to him by what he thought was his lover, who had betrayed him. He held the locket and gazed at it, and by the mere sight of it, his chest felt heavy, despite lacking the heart within it. Just then, something wet and warm slid on his cheek from his eyes. When one of his tentacles that was used as a beard touched it, he realised, to his anger and shock, it was a tear.

He'd been crying. Just as he was about to explode with anger, one of his crewmen suddenly called him to come to the deck, causing him to immediately rush as fast as he could.

When Davy Jones arrived, he and his crew were shocked and confused to find their ship surrounded by soldiers of the East India Trading Company as though they'd just taken over their ship. Dulor was among them, along with Pete, who cringed at the sight of the Captain and the Crew, and an old man wearing a green coat and a wig, Governer Swann, and to the crew's shock and Davy Jones' dismay, was the iron chest Davy Jones thought he'd thrown overboard.

Realization kicked in, the Pirate Captain spat at the intruders angrily, "Go. All of you. And take that infernal thing with you. I will not have it on my ship!" which made Pete flinch in fear, reminding him of when Hades lost his temper.

' _Why are immortal guys always scary?_ ' Pete thought to himself, nervously.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..." Lord Beckett spoke sarcastically as he approached, very unafraid, continuing more serious this time, "Because I will."

When the undead Pirates gazed at him questionly, Beckett continued coldly, "Because it seems to be the only way to ensure that this ship does as directed

by the company." before making a silent command to Dulor to take the chest and heart into Davy Jones's cabin.

Dulor nodded and silently instructed some of the soldiers to follow him, before they walked passed calmly around Davy Jones and his crew and into the Organ Room, while Beckett continued to the Pirate Captain, with a tone of authority, "We need prisoners to interrogate, which tends to work best when they're alive."

"The Dutchman sails as its captain commands!" Davy Jones snapped.

"And its captain is to sail it as _**commanded**_!" Beckett argued. He stepped closer to the now shocked and questioning Pirate, telling him disappointingly after realising that Davy Jones had been gullible and oblivious, even for the past 100 years, "I would have thought you'd learned that when I ordered you to kill your pet."

Shock, horror and realization dawned onto Davy Jones, hitting him like cannonfire. That was how the Kracken had died; by his cannons and by Beckett's command.

"This is no longer your world." Beckett continued, not sorry or feeling any emotions at all. He then added in a whisper without sadness or care, "The immaterial has become...immaterial."

"And they made this guy in charge of that Company?" Pete silently whispered to Governer Swann who leaned away slightly to avoid the large cat, before nodding. Thankfully Beckett didn't hear either of them.

"As for you, Governer Swann." Beckett said, turning to the older man as he pulled out a pistol and then continue coldly, "You already know too much."

Pete's eyes widened in horror as he took a couple steps backwards, before saying nervously, "Uh, m-maybe I should go join Dulor to babysit that there chest." and ran off, passing the cursed Pirate crew, not wanting to see what was about to become of Governer Swann.

But he couldn't block out the sound of the gunshot going off or the gurgling death sound from the man who was shot, or the thud of the dead body landing on the floor.

Because Pete knew what had become of Elizabeth's father.

* * *

 **A/N: So, Sora's beginnig to confess his secret in Vanitas being stuck inside him and things are looking very grim. The next chapter we see the heroes and former villians know more and then escape the Locker. Sorry for the lack of Heartless action and that this chapter was shorter.**

 **Hopefully I'll make it up next time. See you then!**


	39. CH38: Escape, Capture and Escape Again

**Author's Note: Not much to say, so let's continue on.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH38: Escape, Capture and Escape Again.**_

Night had fallen in the Locker, and everyone could only do so little to keep themselves busy while most tried to figure out how to return to the Realm of Light. Most of the worldly travellers had noticed that Sora had perked up a bit after his talk with Lea who made a point that the teenager will talk when things had calmed down a little or until they at least escaped this place. Since then, Sora had been speaking to them but avoiding in revealing his secret even though he did admit that he felt bad about it.

At the moment, the former exiled Pirate, Jack Sparrow, and the former dead Pirate, Hector Barbossa, both occupying the Captain's Cabin, continuing to trade insults at each other, they were doing exactly that. The Monkey had taken Jack's hat before scampering up the monkey bar hanging from the ceiling, though Jack had snatched his beloved hat from the filthy animal, giving it a glare of utter disgust. Out of the two monkeys he'd seen in his life so far, he suddenly prefered Abu back in Agrabah.

"I see you properly neglected to take care of me ship." Barbossa spoke sarcastically.

Jack looked behind him at the windows, some of which were still knocked out and shattered windows of the kracken attack.

"What, this?"Jack asked, airily, before shrugging, "This is ventilating, clear out the stench of the previous occupant." which made Barbossa shot a glare at him after giving him a fake smile which wasn't that strong anyway.

The younger Captain continued, ignoring the mocking expression, "Could actually have permamently installed, actually. I like the breeze."

"You have been exiled to other worlds, travelling with that boy, Sora and his friends." Barbossa mentioned, changing the subject. "Did ya enjoy your little trip?"

"Besides the Heartless? Seen things beyond imagination. Most that were crazier than even me." Jack smirked, and that was all he was going to mention. He didn't think that, now that Barbossa was actually alive, mentioning his adventure to other worlds was such a good idea. Pete had already broke that rule even before Sora had granted Jack the power of the Keyblade.

Thankfully, Jack was saved from having to be interrogated any further due to Gibbs appearing suddenly before Barbossa could speak again. The Second Mate stood smartly and inquired, "Headin', Cap'n?"

"Two degrees starboard." Jack answered as he stood up before putting his hat back on. How he missed being in command of his ship and crew. It was such a relief to be doing so again after travelling in a flying machine through the cosmos for so long. And he especially missed being adressed as " _Captain Jack Sparrow_ ".

" _I'm_ Cap'n of the starboard side." Barbossa objected immediately after Jack gave out the order, before giving out the same order to Gibbs, "Two degrees starboard." which only made Jack struggle to hold in his rage. It got worse when the older Pirate declared, "The Cap'n will now take the helm."

' _No, you don't!_ ' Jack thought as he quickly dashed after Barbossa who saw him move and immediately raced ahead, causing Gibbs to awkwardly follow and mutter, "Aye, Capn's."

It turned into a race between the two men to get to the helm first. Barbossa took one stair and Jack took the other. Gibbs in the meantime, was stuck in chosing which one to follow before slapping his arms to his side in irritation and grumbled to himself. Having two Captains was worse than having women onboard a ship.

The two said men in the meantime, each arrived at the wheel at nearly the exact same moment (a startled Cotton barely had time to get out of the way), there they stood on opposite sides of the wheel, staring straight ahead, but perfectly aware of the other regardless, but briefly pretending that neither existed to each other.

After a moment of stillness, Barbossa reached up and turned the wheel exactly six inches to the right, only for Jack to turn the wheel six inches back to where it had been before a second later. Barbossa turned the wheel again, more forcefully this time and Jack resisted the effort and soon the two of them were literally hanging on the wheel, engaged in a futile tug-of-war over control of the Pearl.

Down below deck, most of the worldly travellers and their Midgar friends and allies, who saw the preformance, all shook their heads in exasperation at such the childish fight the two men were displaying.

"I might not know them that well, but those two are acting like a couple of misbehaving five year olds." Tifa grumbled, placing her hands on her hips.

"Even misbehaving five year olds behave better than that." Cloud pointed out.

Lea nodded in agreement, saying, "I behaved better than that when I was five. Heck, as far as that goes, looking at them now makes me think about when I was a teenager. Compared to back then and now, I was an angel." which made the others chuckle at that comment.

"You can say that again." Isa smirked.

"It probably not easy in sharing a ship when there are two captains. Especially when both of them want to claim the same ship to themselves." Aqua commented, sighing. Like everyone else, she was growing tired over Jack and Barbossa's silly argument and bickering when they had other important things to worry about.

"Yeah, but with those two, it's like fighting over a toy they want to play with." Terra sighed, shaking his head. "Who's idea was it to revive Barbossa again?"

Reno shrugged, "Ask the Voodoo lady. She's the one who did it. From what most of us understand, it's because of some Pirate Court or whatever. Apparently he's a member of nine of them or somethin'."

"What!?" Aqua, Terra, Lea, Isa, and even Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Ven, Roxas, Xion, and Skuld all exclaimed, while Strelitzia, Serah and Mog shared a confused expression.

"You mean Barbossa's a Pirate Lord?" Sora asked, in disbelief.

"You know about that?" Cloud asked, surprised.

"Jack told us a little about the Brethren Court in Radiant Garden, and well, how Calypso was imprisoned in a human body. Not to mention that he also told us that he's one of the nine Pirate Lords." Roxas explained, as he and the others thought back on what the Pirate had told them.

"And the youngest to have joined, if I remember correctly." Lea added, before his eyes widened slightly as he also remembered, "Not to mention that Voodoo lady tasked him into a mission to handle another bad guy not long after he joined, and I think that was before the mess happened eleven years ago."

Mickey frowned deeply. "But if the legend is true, wonder what will happen with the Brethren Court now besides tryin' to stop Beckett, Maleficent and Davy Jones from casting this world into darkness?"

"I guess it's up for them to decide. We won't know until we return to the Realm of Light." Skuld stated.

"If we can get the hell outta here." Reno reminded, leaning up to gaze at the darkening sky.

* * *

While the conversation and the silly fight went on, Myde, Donald and Goofy were watching the water below them go by out of sheer boredom. The mullet-haired man woud've fallen asleep at that moment had something in the water not alert him and the Disney duo fully awake again as their eyes quickly widened in horror when something that was not fish began passing the ship.

"AAAH!" Myde screamed as he backed away from the railing, while Donald and Goofy who yelped and clinged onto each other, quivering. White, ghostly beings was just beneath the surface of the ocean, slowly drifting past the Black Pearl and into the direction where she came from with it's passengers. The moaning sounds came from the ghosts in the water.

"Gawrsh! I've never seen so many ghosts, even in Halloween Town." Goofy shuddered.

"You're telling me." Donald shook fearfully.

Myde nodded in agreement, "No kidding. And who've thought that ghosts would float underwater and not all around us." before his eyes widened in realization and then shared a glance at the other two. "You think that weird scary Voodoo lady might know something about this?"

Donald and Goofy shared an uncertain and scared glance before they shuddered again. Like Lea and Reno, they didn't like or trust Tia Dalma either. She was scary and had this eerie aura around her that neither of them could figure out. Still, Myde did have a point; she knew about myths and legends, and had the power to bring certain dead people back to life.

A minute later, the trio went up to find her just above the front of the ship, and Tia Dalma turned to face them before they could even clear their throats or something to inform her of their pressence.

"Uh...about those dead guys in the ocean...?" Myde began, awkwardly and resisted to urge to swallow hard like both Donald and Goofy did when the two of them gulped in fear.

"D'ey should in de' care of Davy Jones." Tia Dalma began, knowing what the young man wanted to say before turning back to the souls passing them as the trio got closer to her, listening while she continued, "D'at was De' duty 'im was charged wit'...by the goddess, Calypso."

"Who happened to have been in on the side of Bhuni-whatever it was?" Myde asked, carefully, and he, Donald and Goofy were unaware of the dark expression on Tia Dalma's face when he mentioned it, before he expression returned to the previous sorrow and understanding.

"Aye. Calypso loathed man, but un'. S'e tasked Davy Jones to ferry d'ose who die at sea to de' other side. And ev'ry ten years, 'im could come to shore, to be wit' she who love him, truly." Tia Dalma replied, before adding as she looked away from the trio, "But d'ey betrayed one 'nother, and de' man has becom' a monster."

Goofy blinked in realization, before he inquired, "So um, Davy Jones wasn't always...tentacly?" while wiggling his fingers for emphais.

"It would make sense considering how the guy pulled his heart out. There had to have been a side-effect, right?" Myde shrugged as he pointed out the obvious.

Tia Dalma nodded in agreement, "Aye. 'im was a man, once." secretly caressing her locket around her neck.

Even though Myde, Donald and Goofy wanted to know more about Calypso, they decided they didn't need to know anymore right now. It was then that Donald yelped as he noticed something else ahead of them, "Wak! Now there's boats coming this way."

True to his word, single rowboats were floating towards them, drifting in the ocean waters. Some had a single person, others had two or three people. And every single one of them were all dead. It wasn't long before everyone else noticed what was going on and some were quickly afraid, a couple stepping back a little.

Most of the women onboard blinked, a little scared. Tseng frowned, and made to bring out his gun, only for Vincent to place hand to put the former's gun away before he made a grave mistake.

"They are not a threat to us." Vincent informed, before gazing a questioning glance at Tia Dalma who joined them along with Myde, Donald and Goofy on the deck. "Right?"

"We are not'ing but ghosts to dem." Tia Dalma confirmed.

"It's best to let them be." Barbossa stated.

By now each boat drifted past the Black Pearl, not paying those who were still alive but trapped in this realm any heed, each one had a lantern at the prow to light their way to the Afterlife, or maybe to the Underworld or the Unseen Realm. No one knew, as all the Realms of the Dead were in turmoil. Among the victums who died were a soldier who died in battle, twin little girls who were also killed or possibly had drowned, and many others who suffered death in many ways. The hearts of Sora, his friends and most of their allies ached as they watched the dead people pass.

Though they had a feeling that it was also due to the East Indian Trading Company in their goal to execute the Pirates and very likely kill anyone who seek their own lifes, pirates or not. If they were not stopped, then death would only continue in a fast pace, and Sora knew, if Chaos and Bhunivelze were not stopped, then soon all of life in the Realm of Light were lost and while there would be no more deaths after that, they wouldn't be anymore life either.

"...So terrible." Elena whispered, as she eyed the little girls. "Those poor things."

"So many are dead...so many souls passing." Serah whispered, as memories filled her mind and she couldn't really stop the tears that began to form.

Strelitzia shared that feeling, except that when she had died, she'd been alone. A cold reminder of what it was like to be dead and then come back to life years later.

Kairi's heart ached as she stood next Sora, gently placing a hand over his and he gently rubbed her arm to comfort her.

Elizabeth, who was the only one who didn't understand what was going on, noticed someone quite familiar to her as she had known for he entire life. Her eyes widened as relief when she recongised the incoming form of her father on one of the boats.

"Father?" Elizabeth whispered, a sheer of relief filled her, "We're back..." She said, before calling down, "Father! Father, up here!"

Yet Governer Swann didn't seem to hear her as he simply gazed ahead as though in trance.

"Elizabeth." Jack muttered, standing behind her and when the young woman turned to face him, for the first time since she'd met him, the man held a concerned and somewhat apologetic expression as he shook his head, correcting her, "We're not back."

At first Elizabeth was confused, but then horrified realization hit her as did Sora and the others. The worldly travellers and the citizens of Midgar's eyes widened as they too realised what happened and Kairi, Aqua, Skuld, Tifa, Elena, Strelitzia, Serah and Xion all gasped in horror and sorrow.

"Oh no...!" Mickey gasped softly in horror. Something horrible happened that caused Elizabeth's father to die and now he was passing them...passing his only daughter.

"Father! Can you hear me?" Elizabeth cried out again, and this time Governer Swann seemed to have snapped out of the trance upon hearing her voice and looked up to see his daughter onboard the ship, going in the opposite direction.

"Elizabeth? Are you dead?" Governer Swann asked, as though fearing that his daughter had shared his fate. A shaking head of denial from Elizabeth told him that no, she wasn't, and he seemed to be at ease as he smiled in sadness. "I think I am."

"Please, no!" Elizabeth muttered in dread.

The former Governer then continued, explaining, "I can barely remember what had happened. There was this Chest...and a Heart; the Heart of Davy Jones. It's odd. It seemed so important at that time."

"Father, come aboard!" Elizabeth pleaded, but she was ignored.

"I also learned what would happen should the Heart be destroyed. Not only it would be swallowed up into darkness should it be stabbed, but if you stab it, your own must take it's place and you will sail the seas for eternity. The Flying Dutchman must have a Captain." Governer Swann continued.

Sora and his friends gasped in horror as they shared a horrified glance of realization; it was the risk of killing Davy Jones. Someone would have to sacrifice their own heart and take his place, sacrificing their freedom. It was the curse that can never be broken. No one can simply kill him like anyone else. Even Jack frowned at the information.

Lea sighed in dismay and closed his eyes, unable to take in the information they just learned. "I knew there was a catch in stabbing the heart." He whispered.

"Because of that...I knew too much and Beckett...he shot me to death." Governer Swann concluded, "Silly thing to die for."

"Throw the line! Someone throw the line!" Elizabeth shouted to everyone, and Myde stumbled while tossing a rope to the woman quickly before she tossed it into the boat where her father was. "Father, take the line! Come back with us!"

But the Governer payed no heed to the rope. His eyes were only on his daughter, with a gentle smile and his voice quivered as he spoke to her once more, "I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth. I'll always love you."

"Father! Please, take the line!" Elizabeth pleaded, only for the rope to slide off the boat, and she was about to jump in a futile attempt to save him.

"Elizabeth, no!" Strelitzia shouted, realising what she was about to do.

"She must not leave de ship!" Tia Dalma yelled in alarm. Everyone except Jack hurried to follow Elizabeth, and both Reno and Rude wasted no time in quickly grabbing her and pulled her back onto the deck and struggled to hold onto her due to her wriggling and squirming in their arms.

"NO! Let me go! I have to save my father!" Elizabeth screamed hysterically, struggling against the two men's grasp. "Father! Please, come back! I won't leave you!"

"I'll give your love to your mother, shall I?" Governer Swann called for the last time before turning his gaze back to up ahead as he finally passed the Black Pearl to continue his final journey to his resting place.

"Ugh!" Reno grunted as he was becoming frustrated with Elizabeth's attempts to break free, and despite that he knew how heart-breaking it was to lose a loved one, especially family or friends or a lover, she had to accept the truth. "For Ifrits sake, Elizabeth! Just, stop! Your father's dead and he's not comin' back! You hear me?!"

Finally Rude bodily lifted Elizabeth and placed her into Will's arms where the young woman, her strength leaving her in her failed attempts, simply allowed her lover to hold her in his arms as she cried in his chest, heartbreakingly accepting that Reno was right; her father was gone. The redhead in question panted, feeling guilty for bursting out like that, but he didn't have a choice.

The rest of those outside of Port Royal felt their hearts bleed in sorrow and cracking at the sight of Elizabeth having just learned her father had been killed by Beckett. Kairi by then threw herself into Sora's arms and cried, and tears fell from the faces of Aqua, Skuld, Xion, Strelitzia, Serah, Tifa and Elena.

"Can't we do anything?" Roxas pleaded to Tia Dalma.

The Voodoo woman shook her head in sadness. "Him at peace."

"He accepted his death." Vincent sombly added, yet even he wasn't immune to the heart-break and loss. "To him, it didn't matter if he died or not. All it mattered was that his daughter is safe and alive."

Mickey felt his heart break even further when Vincent had said that, and was reminded of finding Yen Sid missing. The worst possiblities returned to the King's mind and given how much time has passed since then...he couldn't help but think that maybe Yen Sid was dead too. It was hard to say that he may have already passed here before Jack was sent by Caius or that the Sorcerer was still alive.

Sora on the other hand was horrified of how Beckett had coldly used Elizabeth's father and then killed him when he knew too much. That man was a monster. Worse than a Heartless. That only strengthened his resolve to protect everyone he cared about and loved, or at least die trying.

Surprisingly, even Vanitas was shocked at what happened, because he unexpectedly said in Sora's mind, " _Man. How low can you get in killing an old guy just because he knew a little more info. Not like he would've just not been threatened or anything._ " until he realised what he said and growned in dismay, " _Ugh, I've been stuck in you for too long! The light in your heart is starting to make me soft!_ "

The Keyblade wielder didn't respond to that, too busy in trying to comfort Kairi. Still, Sora decided that he didn't care if he died or fell into darkness; he would die protecting his friends and the worlds, because like Vincent said about Elizabeth's father, as long as everyone and everything was safe, it made Sora happy.

* * *

The following day didn't lighten the mood for anyone. They continued to sail the seemingly endless seas and not a single land in sight. Even worse, the winds died down and felt cold and dead, and the supplies were dangerously low.

"Aw, phooey." Donald groaned as his water flask had nothing left save for one or two pathetic little drops. "Why's all but the rum gone?"

Behind him, Gibbs tipped the rum bottle only for it to not even have a single drop either and he grumbled in glum, "Rum's gone too."

"I hate this place." Reno groaned, lying flat on the deck as he felt all hot, sweaty, thirsty and felt as though the sun was slowly baking him like cooked eggs and beacon. "I feel like a roasted Turk right now."

Myde groaned as he layed next to him. "You're telling me. This is worse than a desert."

"C'mon fellas. Don't give up!" Mickey told them. "We'll figure this out and I'm certain we'll be outta before we know it."

"It's not d'at simple." Tia Dalma said gravely as she had her attention to the near setting sun over the horizon. "If we cannot escape dese doldrums before night, I fear we shall sail on trackless seas, forced to road de reach between worlds, forever."

"Not unless we die of thirst and hunger first." Isa pointed out, frowning.

Sora had his gaze towards Kairi who sat next to the sorrowed and still mournful Elizabeth, as Aqua and the other women had been trying to cheer her up. He then groaned before pointing out, "We'll, sitting here doing nothing isn't getting us anywhere, is it!? We just need to figure out what to do."

"Easier said than done." Zack shrugged, "That map we got is like a puzzle and it has random words; one that said about Over the Edge and the Sunrise setting in a flash of green."

"Yet, it makes no sense. Because that is impossible." Tseng pointed out.

Cloud nodded, "Yeah, and Sunrises don't set. The only directions the Sun really can go is up or down."

"Unless it's just useless gibberish for people to play with if they got bored." Lea shrugged.

Jack in the meantime had been fiddling with the Charts on the table in front of him, ignoring the heat of the sun and really doing something to keep himself busy, as well as figuring out if it had any helpful information in getting himself, everyone else and the Black Pearl out of this cursed realm. He had also been thinking about what Governer Swann had said last night, and while he liked the idea of living forever, the idea of taking Davy Jones' place wasn't all that appealing. But neither did dying again.

On the other hand, he didn't fancy the idea of anyone else stabbing the heart and suffering the same fate Davy Jones did for centuries, and Jack really didn't want either his friends or even his worst enemies doing that job.

Eventually, as he spun the circles, he discovered another message created. " _Up is Down_." He read aloud, before grumbling in annoyance, "Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful. Why are these things never clear?"

"Well, it did lead you guys over the edge of the world, right? It has to make sense in another way." Riku was pointing out to Cloud and the others.

"I suppose. But still, a sunrise setting still doesn't make any sense." Cloud replied, before snorting as he sarcastically suggested, "Unless you turn the entire world upside down and have people walk over your head."

Lea sighed as he pointed out, "Well, we'd better think of something quick, or come eternal imprisonment in this place once the sun sets."

While having been half-listening to the conversation, Jack's eyes suddenly widened as both Cloud's sarcastic suggestion and Lea's comment finally put the final pieces of both the puzzle of the sunrise setting and the 'Up is Down' riddle together.

"Not Sunset...Sundown." He whispered to himself. Jack gazed at the Charts again and noticed how the middle had a picture of a chinese ship sailing in the nighttime ocean before an idea hit him. He reached out and turned the picture upside down.

"And rise...that's it!" Jack immediately stood up as he now knew the answer and he knew how to get everyone else involved. "Oh my goodness! What's that?" He called out, racing to the side railing and got everyone else's attention on the deck as they approached him, including those who had been lying on the deck and had by now stood up.

"W-what is it?" Zack asked, alarmed.

"Over there, look! What is that?" Jack pointed wildly, as his plan was already working.

Mickey and everyone else blinked in confusion as they tried and failed to see what Jack was talking about. "I don't see it." The King said, shrugging.

"There!" Jack replied, before turning and raced to the other side, "It's moving!"

"What's going on?" Sora cried out as he and soon everyone on the deck, in confusion began to follow Jack back and forth across the ship and none of them could figure out what in Kingdom Hearts' name was going on. Even Tia Dalma and Tseng couldn't figure it out either.

By then only Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti were the only ones who weren't following Jack from Port to Starboard and the three of them just watched in confusion. Barbossa was about to demand what these fools were doing clowning around when he noticed something a bit different on the Charts Jack had been playing with. Finding himself curious, and by now the trio were beginning to realise, with everyone running, the ship was swaying side to side and becoming more rougher by each minute.

"E's rockin' the ship." Pintel realised.

"We're rocking the ship! Ay-yhuck!" Goofy cried out.

By then Barbossa studied it and it quickly dawned to him on what Jack's intentions were and he grinned madly. As much as the two of them were rivals, Barbossa had to admit, Jack was indeed very clever when the situation calls of it and this was the excellent time for him being clever.

"Aye! He's onto it!" Barbossa whispered, before dragging both other Pirates and joined in the running back and forth as by now the Black Pearl was steeping deeper and deeper into the water, which was becoming harder and harder to hold on.

A few almost missed in grabbing hold the railing to prevent themselves from falling backwards, though one Chinese man wasn't so lucky and he ended up falling overboard screaming. Finally after one final sprint, they all raced up to the west side of the ship, making it just in time to hold onto the railing tightly for dear life. Finally, the ship gave a groaning heave as it listed over the water, and everyone could feel their legs dangling in air. Another Chinese man, unable to hold on, fell onto the netting ropes of the ship, and was then crushed by a cannon that got loose.

"Ooh!" Lea, Isa, Reno, Rude, Zack, Sora, Roxas and Gibbs all muttered in sympathy for the poor guy.

As the Black Pearl tipped over to it's side in the ocean, Jack declared, "Now up...is down!"

The ship turned over into the water and everyone held on tight as it flipped over, completely under water and all held their breath and onto whatever they grabbed on to avoid in being dragged into an watery demise. As seconds ticked by, everyone hoped that Jack was right, just as sun sank behind the horizon, a brilliant flash of green flashed upward with a soft distant boom.

Soon something strange happened as Sora and Jack both noticed that the ceiling of the water was no longer above them, but underneath them. Because it began to rise towards them, faster and faster until the Black Pearl surged up out of the water, and surfaced with a cascade of water. It caused everyone to lose their grip, but instead of falling into the water, it was more of a short drop that caused everyone to collaspe back onto the deck of the ship, water rushing off the Black Pearl and back into sea, now right way back up, similiar to how the Flying Dutchman rose from the ocean. Everyone then spluttered, coughed and gasped gulps of air and spitting out sea water they ingested, and were all soaking wet.

"Ku-Achoo-po!" Mog sneezed, shaking the water off him.

Terra coughed, before standing him as he felt the huge difference as the air felt warm and the breeze was back. The sky was an early morning light rather than an evening dark. "We're back!"

"It's sunrise." Strelitzia said, gazing over the horizon and the sun was rising, rather than setting like in the Locker.

"Well, as much as I'd love to take the credit for saving all of you, you should thank Spiky and Pyro-manaic for the perfect advise." Jack spoke.

"Us?" Cloud and Lea both asked, puzzled.

Jack nodded, "Your sarcasm and obvious words helped solve the puzzle, mates." only to blink when Barbossa wasted no time in pointing his loaded pistol at his face. Sora quickly responded in summoning his Keyblade and pointed it at the other pirate's back and Barbossa then drew another and pointed it at Sora.

Kairi and Riku both summoned their Keyblades and pointed them at the former evil Pirate, while both Will and Elizabeth pointed their pistols at him as well. Jack in response instead drew both of his at both of them, much to their confusion and shock. Everyone else froze in shock, as tensions quickly rose.

Jack the Monkey then took out his own tiny pistol and aimed it at Cotton's Parrot who, seeing this, squaked, "Parley?"

"There be no wasting time." Barbossa sneered. "The Brethren Court is a-gatherin' at Shipwreck Cove and Jack, you an' I are a-goin'."

"No thank you." Jack replied, glaring back. "If there's pirates a-gatherin', I'm pointing my ship the other way."

Elizabeth glared at him, pointing out, "The pirates are gathering to fight our enemies, and you're a pirate!"

"You're not running from this, Jack." Will added, coldly.

"And with Beckett on Maleficent's side, if we don't do something this world will be destroyed and casted into darkness." Sora added, before turning to Barbossa again and added, "So don't get any ideas."

"I've no interest in joining that witch, boy." Barbossa growled. "If we don't stand together, they'll be none left, but Jack."

"Don't see how I should be involved." Jack pointed out, "The only reason I joined them was because I was on exile to avoid the Locker, not that it helped at all. Now that I'm back, I'm free to sail the seas."

Tseng frowned deeply, inquiring, "And how it is you intend to remain this way if Davy Jones discovers you're still alive?"

"I'm still working on that." Jack replied, before turning to Barbossa again and added, rising his pistol to his rival's face, "But will not be going back to the Locker. Count on that."

 _Splat!_

The only sound that issued from the barrel was a harmless wet _click_ which also splattered a few twinklets of water right into Barbossa's face, which startled him. Jack and the rest of the pirates looked at their pistols in major confusion. They tried firing their pistols and a series of wet clicks filled the air.

"Wet powder." Gibbs rolled his eyes.

Realising that the Keyblade wielders and their non-pirate allies had the advantage, the pirates lowered their pistols and in return Sora, Riku and Kairi, seeing that there was no point in starting a fight and that they had things to worry about, dismissed their Keyblades for the time being.

"Well, it's not like they couldn't use their pistols as clubs or something." Myde pointed out with a shrug, only to yelp in pain when Ragetti bonked the back of his pistol on the younger man's head. "Ow!"

"Sorry." Ragetti apologised while Pintel snickered, as the former admitted, "Effective, though."

"Look, why don't we first worry about a problem we have other than you guys wanting to kill each other. Like getting supplies because we virtually have almost nothing left." Cloud pointed out snappishly.

Everyone shared a glance and realised that Cloud was right. That was a huge problem and considering how they would end up dead before they ended up in Shipwreck Cove by starving or dying from dehydration, the first logical thing to do was resupply.

Few minutes later, everyone gathered around as Will unrolled the charts as it was also used as a normal world map. "There's a fresh water spring on this island. We can resupply there, and continue on to Shipwreck Cove."

"You lead the shore party," Jack immediately said to Barbossa. "I'm staying on my ship."

Barbosa glared at him, "I'll not be leavin' my ship in your command."

"Why don't you both go ashore with Sora and the others and leave the ship in my command?" Will suggested, which resulted in a shocked and slightly horrified expressions on both Captains who shared a glance at the very idea of leaving Will with the Black Pearl. This prompted Will to quickly add, "Temporarily."

This flared suspicious radars in the minds of Riku, Terra, Lea, Isa, Cloud, Vincent and the Turks. Will was up to something, judging his suggestion. It wasn't just picking who would go ashore and gather supplies. It was more than that. In fact, it had been noticed that Will's been acting suspicious since before leaving Singapore.

* * *

Soon Sora's group, Cloud, Vincent, Zack, Reno, Rude, Jack, Barbossa, Pintel, Ragetti and some of the Chinese crew, including Tai Haung, all went ashore to pick up some supplies such as the spring water and finding fruit in the jungle while Strelitzia, Serah, Mog, Tifa, Tseng and Elena stayed behind onboard the Black Pearl with Will and everyone else. But as the shore party did, most of them noticed something they had suddenly remembered was another problem, but said problem was lying lifelessly on the beach about fifteen feet from where they were.

"No way! Isn't that...!?" Sora exclaimed, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Oh my gosh!" Mickey gasped, shocked.

"Sweet Shiva..." Reno whispered, eyes wide in utter disbelief. "What the hell happened to that squid?" Rude stood there, his eyes having widened behind his sunglasses in shock and disbelief at the monsterous size of the Octopus, correctly guessing it was the Kracken. He'd been told of how big that thing that almost eaten his partner was, but he never thought it was THAT big.

Soon the worldly travellers, the Midgar residents, Jack, Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti approached it as the Kracken just simply layed there, dead. Seagulls were obviously feasting on it's dead corpse. While Pintel and Ragetti made sure that it was indeed dead and then bragged victoriously while daydreaming of new fame, everyone else gazed at it.

"Well...at least we have one less thing to worry about." Myde shrugged awkwardly.

"That's true. But for some reason, I can't help but feel sorry for it, even though it did almost ate us." Lea sighed. The sight of the Kracken lying dead on the beach was hard to feel happy about. In fact, it didn't make him happy.

"Poor thing." Kairi muttered in sympathy, actually feeling sorry for it. "Not even you deserved this."

"You're kiddin', right?" Reno asked, in disbelief at the Princess of Heart. "This freakin' thing eats people, in case you forgot. We damn near got eaten ourselves!"

"Even so...I can't help but feel terrible for it." Kairi shook her head. "How did it die?"

That question alone made almost everyone in the worldly travellers group realise the answer to that, as Riku said frowning, "Either Maleficent or Beckett. Since they knew that Davy Jones had control over this thing, it was too dangerous even for them to try and take over the world without killing it. So they forced Davy Jones to kill it to drive away one less problem."

"I bet that's got Fish-Guy in more of a lousy mood than he already is." Zack sighed, placing his hands on his hips. Like Kairi, he felt sorry for the Kracken despite it having an appetite for people and normal fish.

Mickey gazed at the dead body of the Kracken and shuddered a little. The first time he'd seen it, he'd been absolutely terrified and even now, having died with it's eyes open, he couldn't help but feel the scary illusion of it staring back at him. It's giant eye onto his entire being. Still, like Kairi, he felt sorry for the giant Octopus.

Jack just stared at the monster that had taken his ship away from him, the monster that could have eaten him up had Elizabeth not forced him to join Sora's group and leave this world behind. Though he couldn't help but feel like it had eaten him. It didn't even matter either way. He still ended up in the Locker.

"Still thinkin' of runnin', Jack?" Barbossa questioned in a pointed fashion, but without any antagonism for once as he stood behind the younger Pirate. "Think you can outrun the world?"

Barbossa then stood next to Jack, and said, "You know the problem with bein' the last of anythin', by an' by there'll be none left at all."

Jack finally gazed at him, smiling half-heartedly, "Sometimes things come back, mate. We're livin' proof, you and me. Even Miss Strelitzia and Miss Farron are also the living proof."

"Aye, but that's a gamble of long odds, ain't it? There's never a guarantee of comin' back. But passin' on, that's dead certain." Barbossa replied.

A short pause.

"Summoning the Brethren Court then?" Jack inquired.

"Our only hope, lad." Barbossa answered.

"That's a sad commentary in and of itself."

"Our world used to be a bigger place."

Jack shook his head, correcting glumly, "Our world's still the same. There's just less in it." before turning and walked back to where they came from to enter the jungle, followed by his worldly companions and everyone else.

* * *

The group marched through the jungle with empty carteens and baskets in hopes of collecting supplies, fighting off Heartless that appeared and took them out easily before continuing onward when the sight in front of them at a small waterfall made them slow down and felt nervous. In the spring was a dead body, face down in the water. How long had the body been there, none of them knew. Barbossa tasted the water and immediately spat it back out in disgust.

"Poisoned. Fouled by the body." He announced.

"How did this happen?" Aqua asked, concerned.

Reno and Rude both already stepped into the spring and heaved the body up, turning it over to see who the victum was. The grisly corpse of death was all too apparent. The unfortunate man had a large wooden spike shoved up through his mouth and sticking straight out of the top of his head.

"Perched right into the skull, and then left here for dead in the middle of nowhere?" Reno surmised, frowning deeply. He looked up at the others and said, "This is too supicious to simply be a simple betrayal."

"Wait a minute. I know that guy!" Zack suddenly exclaimed, recongising the dead man. "He was in Singapore!"

No sooner had Zack said this, Cotton's Parrot squaked the name of Singapore, followed by Marty's alarmed cry to both Jack and Barbossa, and soon they and everyone else turned back to the beach and saw Myde, Pintel, Ragetti, and Goofy wave at them.

"Hey! We got company!" Myde called out, as he and the other three pointed towards where the Black Pearl was anchored and surely enough they saw another Chinese Ship which was pulling up besides the Black Pearl.

That's when Cloud exclaimed, "It's a trap!" and made to bring out his Fusion Sword only to freeze when one of the Chinese men quickly aimed his pistol at the swordman's head, and soon Tai Haung and the rest of the Chinese crew pulled out their pistols and held them at everyone else, but mainly at Jack who was surrounded.

With no choice, Cloud, Zack, Reno, Rude, Vincent, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Terra, Aqua and Skuld, along with the rest of the crew that came with them held up their hands in surrender. Jack just looked nervous while Barbossa just stared.

"Why am I not surprised?" Lea groaned in irritation. Of course there had to be a trap and Tai Haung had to be part of the plot in the said trap.

Jack in the meantime, nervously pointed at Barbossa and said to the Chinese men, "...He's the Captain." which made not only his rival roll his eyes in sheer irritation but also made Sora and everyone else groan in annoyance and dismay.

"He's an idiot." Reno commented, pointing at Jack who glared at him.

* * *

The deck of the Black Pearl was crowded with Chinese pirates, screaming and yelling in triumph, while the remaining Black Pearl crew, Elizabeth, Tseng, Elena, Tifa, Strelitzia, Serah and Mog were locked in chains, soon joined by Sora and the rest of the group as they all quickly had shackles locked on their wrists and chained together as prisoners. Barbossa and Jack climbed onboard last, and there stood Sao Feng on the deck.

"Sao Feng. You showin' up here, it be a remarkable coincidence." Barbossa greeted, surprisingly calm as though he knew what was happening and ignored the fact that Jack was hiding behind him to avoid the Chinese Captain's wrath given their history.

Sao Feng smirked, before he turned his eyes to Jack who stood away from Barbossa and smiled nervously. "Jack Sparrow." Sao Feng hissed angrily. "You paid me great insult once."

"That doesn't sound like me." Jack replied, only to be punched squarely in the face, and Sora's group winched in sympathy. The Pirate his head to rid the dizziness, before cracking his nose back into shape, before saying painfully and sheepishly at Sao Feng, "That's the fourth time I've had this happen to me within weeks."

At that moment, Will, conspicuous in his lack of any sort of restraint, pushed his way through the crowd and saw Elizabeth in chains, commanding the Chinese Pirates, "Release her! Elizabeth is not part of the bargain."

"Bargain?" Donald asked, shocked.

"And what Bargain be that?" Barbossa inquired as well.

Sao Feng smiled as he turned to his crew, ordering, "You heard Captain Turner." who all did as they were told and freed Elizabeth from the restrains.

"Captain Turner!?" Sora and Jack both exclaimed in unison.

"We were played as fools." Tseng answered darkly, glaring at Will. "I'm afraid your friend has sold all of us but his lover to our enemy's clutches."

That shocked the worldly travellers as they gazed at Will, hurt, horrified and angered by the betrayal. Cloud, Zack, Vincent, Tifa and the Turks on the other hand glared heatedly at him, as Reno hissed, "I knew it! This was part of your plan this whole time."

"Aye, this perfidious rotter led a mutiny against us." Gibbs said, darkly.

"Traitor!" Terra hissed accusingly.

Lea glared furiously at Will, demanding somewhat calmly but coldly as his old personality as Axel prior to meeting Roxas and Xion seeped in, "Care to explain why you decided to betray us and hand over your friends to the bad guys?"

"I need the Black Pearl to free my father. It's the only reason I came on this voyage." Will replied simply.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?" Elizabeth demanded as she marched up to him.

"It was my burden to bear." Will answered in a hollow tone, and Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief that her own words were used against her.

Sora glared angrily at Will, his 'former' friend and growled, "Whatever! Will, we trusted you! After everything we went through when we first met, and you turned your back on your friends, all because you only cared about freeing your dad and keeping Elizabeth safe. Well, I hope you're happy that without our help, the world will fall into darkness!"

"You shouldn't have meddled in this, Sora!" Will argued angrily. "You and the others never came back when we needed you the most! You have to suffer for the consenquences."

That struck Sora hard as his eyes widened in disbelief. Was that why Will betrayed him and the rest of the group? Because they took Jack and didn't come back but had instead travelled across other worlds? Yes, Sora was angry at Will for his betrayal, but what he just said wasn't farfetched. Maybe he was right. Maybe they should've came back and handled this sooner rather than focusing on finding Aced to rescue Yen Sid, Genesis and Angeal and look for a way to stop Chaos. Was it really his fault that Will felt betrayed?

"Don't blame Sora for this! It's not his fault that Beckett and Davy Jones have caused this miss to begin with!" Ven snapped angrily. Will didn't reply and just looked away.

"He needs the Pearl. Captain Turner needs the Pearl." Jack remarked sarcastically. He then turned to Elizabeth, adding, "You felt guilty." before turning to Sora's group, and said, "You as thanks for me saving your live, Sora." which made Sora shrugged. Jack then turned accusingly at Barbossa, grumbling, "And you and your Brethren Court."

He then spread his arms out and adressed to everyone, "Did no one come to save me _just_ because they missed me?"

This made almost everyone roll their eyes, though Marty held up his arm to answer Jack's question, which Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton and even Myde did the same, which earned the younger man disbelieved looks from his companions as he shrugged. Even the Monkey held up his paw.

Jack grinned and declared happily, "I'm standing with them." only to be stopped when Sao Feng roughly grabbed him by the shoulder.

"I'm afraid not, Jack." Sao Feng hissed darkly. "There is an old friend who would like to see you first."

"I'm not sure as I can survive any more visits from old friends." Jack replied nervously, and was quickly dragged to to the side of the Black Pearl and his heart plummeted to his stomach as he and everyone soon saw a British Ship coming straight towards them.

"Now is your chance to find out." Sao Feng told him.

Will's eyes widened as he too recongised it, before he and Elizabeth marched up to the two, as he accusingly pointed out to Sao Feng, "You agreed that the Black Pearl was to be mine."

The Chinese Pirate Lord turned to look at him and smirked smuggly, "And so it was." and nodded to two of his men who had stood behind Will and one of them punched him in the gut. Will doubled over before he and Elizabeth were both dragged straight towards their captive friends and soon enough they were locked in irons as well.

"Looks like you were betrayed behind your back too." Reno mocked at Will who glared at him. "Your master plan worked out _**really**_ well. Congratulations." The redhead praised sarcastically, while Jack was being locked in iron and shoved into the Longboat and was taken straight towards the ship of Lord Cutler Beckett.

* * *

It wasn't long before Jack was shoved into the Captain's Quarters of the Endeavour, and was locked inside as two guards closed the door behind him. As he rubbed his wrists glaring at the men, he turned his attention to the man who faked his death before Jack's banishment, and Maleficent either wanted Jack to work for Beckett again or had decided to have him kill the pirate in secret.

"Curious." Beckett remarked as he gazed through the window, his back turned to his enemy. "Your friends appear to be quite desperate, Jack. Perhaps, they no longer believe that a gang of squabbling pirates can defeat the Flying Dutchman and save this world's 'Light' from the darkness that is dominant, and so despair leads to betrayal."

Jack in the meantime fiddled around the cabin to find anything interesting, even a small twinklet to steal out of habit. He thought about the situation and knew he had to be careful, as Beckett was the mastermind of lying and manipulation, and suddenly Jack wished the Heartless would appear and devour Beckett's heart.

"It's not here, Jack." Beckett said, turning to face him.

"What? What isn't?" Jack asked, innocently.

"The Heart of Davy Jones. It's safely aboard the Dutchman and therefore you, and that young friend of yours-Sora, was it?-are unable to use it as leverage in your debt against the good captain." The British Lord answered.

Jack just shrugged, "By my reckoning, that account has been settled."

"And yet you died but you are here?"

"Close your eyes and pretend it was all a bad dream. That's how I get by."

Beckett smirked. "And if Davy Jones were to learn of your survival? Perhaps you would consider an alternative arrangement. One that requires absolutely nothing from you, except information.""

Jack paused. He knew he had to be careful, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Beckett was fully aware that he'd been travelling across other worlds due to Pete being Maleficent's lacky-though why she decided to hire that bumbling idiot was beyond him-and thus knew that Jack hadn't really died. Or maybe he did. Either way, Jack refused to tell Beckett about his newest position as a Keyblade Wielder.

But he could do something.

"Regarding the Brethren Court no doubt?" Jack replied. "What would I delvge?"

"Who are the pirate lords? What is the purpose of the nine pieces of eight?" Beckett questioned.

* * *

Back on board the Black Pearl, the Royal Navy soldiers by now had stood in position everywhere while Sora's friends and the Pirates were still in chains, glaring at the enemies. Among them was Dulor who grinned evilly at the group. Lea growled in sheer anger, wanting nothing more than to burn that jerk into crispt.

"I seriously hate you, Dulor." Lea hissed.

"Feeling's mutural, Axel." Dulor said smuggly, "Once this world falls into darkness, you and your friends will be my new set of playing cards."

"I'd like to see you try." Isa growled angrily.

Dulor didn't get the chance to answer, because Sao Feng, who had made an agreement with Beckett, stormed over to the former No.10 and hissed coldly, "Lord Beckett agreed the Black Pearl was to be _mine_!"

Dulor snorted, "Oh, please. It was Beckett's to begin with. You were only useful to bring the pirates, Sora and his friends as well as bringing the Black Pearl. If you want a proper deal, next time, get it in writting." and walked off, leaving behind a shocked and betrayed Sao Feng who ended up in the same position as he did to Will who did the same to his friends.

"Ouch." Zack whispered.

"Serves him right." Cloud snorted softly.

Barbossa, being the clever man that he was, used this to his advantage, and also a way to get everyone, even his former enemies and their friends out of this mess. He approached his fellow Captain and said, "A shame they're not bound to honor the Code of the Brethren, which is also a hard thing to come by nowadays."

"There is no honor to being on the single side. Leaving it for the winning side, that's just good business." Sao Feng replied coldly.

"The losin' side, you mean?"

"Beckett has the Dutchmen, and now the Pearl! What do we have?"

This was what Barbossa waited for. "We have...Calypso. The goddess herself, bound in human form. Imagine that kind of power to eliminate our enemies. I intend to release her, but for that I need the Brethren Court. All of the nine pieces from each and every one of them."

"And what makes you think Calypso will help us against our enemies?" Aqua questioned, suspiciously, as she and the rest of her friends and non-pirate allies had listened in.

"Indeed. Calypso is a legend." Sao Feng snorted, though his eyes were onto the women of the group.

"She is no doubt real. Very possibly on this ship, in fact." Barbossa replied.

Sao Feng smirked. Maybe there was a little bit of hope left and he would take what can get. So he approached Sora's group and continued, "What are you proposing, Captain?"

"What be acepptin', Cap'n?" Barbossa asked, gleefully.

Sao Feng's eyes focused on Elizabeth. "The girl."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, shocked.

Serah's eyes narrowed as she realised what Sao Feng's attentions are. He thinks that Elizabeth is Calypso and is offering a trade in order to get everyone out of this mess.

"Elizabeth is not part of any bargain!" Will objected immediately.

"Out of the question." Barbossa shook his head.

Aqua seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Serah, because she said sternly, "You take Elizabeth, then you will take me too." much to her friends' shock, but by the serious look on her expression, she wasn't going to back out on this.

"I'm going too." Serah declared, much to everyone's surprise.

Isa shared a look with Lea who, seeing the look in his childhood friend's eyes realised what he too was going to volunteer, and despite him and everyone else mentally telling him no, the redhead sighed in defeat and whispered an 'Be careful.' before the blue-haired man declared, "So will I."

"Only if she agrees." Sao Feng told them firmly.

"Done." Elizabeth simply said, and Aqua, Serah and Isa nodded in agreement.

"What? Not done!" Will quickly said.

"You got us into this mess, and if this is the only way to get us out of then, then done!" Serah snapped.

Elizabeth nodded as she growled at her lover, "And I have more than enough experience to deal with Pirates!" shoving him angrily.

This seemed to sastify Barbossa and Sao Feng as former inquired, "Then we have an accord?"

* * *

Back onboard the Endeavor, Jack by now was fanning himself with a fan as he made a bargain with Beckett himself, "You can keep Barbossa. The belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye. And Turner, especially Turner. The rest board with me on the Pearl, where I will lead you to Shipwreck Cove and hand you the pirates and you will NOT hand me to Davy Jones. Bloodly fair, don't you think?"

"And what becomes of Sora, his friends and Miss Swann?" Beckett questioned, amused.

Jack stopped fanning himself and inquired darkly, "What interest are they to you?"

"Not much." Beckett replied, before pointing out, "Or perhaps I can use your magical compass to lead me to the Cove itself. It is said to lead what one wants most, does it not?" holding out Jack's Compass which he took earlier.

"It does, but what you want most is not the Brethren Court, is it?" Jack replied, smirking.

"Then what is it that I want most, Jack?"

"Me." Jack replied, adding grimly as he finished, "Dead."

Beckett was suspicious, but decided to test the Compass to amuse his enemy. To his irritation, the arrow pointed at where Jack was standing. "Damn." He hissed before trading items, and then had another idea, "Although, if I kill you now, then I can use the Compass to find Shipwreck Cove on my own, and finish the job there."

The Pirate was unfazed by this threat, but knew he had to be more careful. So he pointed out, "Problem is, with me killed, you'd arrive at the Cove, find it's a stronghold, nigh impregnable, able to withstand blockade for years. Then you'd be wishing, _'Oh, if only there was someone that I had not killed inside, to ensure that the pirates then come outside.'_ "

"And you can accomplish all this?" Beckett asked.

Jack grinned, holding his arms out as he said, "You may kill me, but you will never insult me. Who am I?" and frowned in disappointment when Beckett just gave him a puzzled look, not getting the obvious little game. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

No sooner had Jack said that, a defending roar of a cannonfire that shook the ship and caused both men to stumble and nearly lose their balance, though Beckett had to hang onto his desk to save himself. Jack saw this as his chance to escape and shook hands with him, saying, "Done!"

He then raced out of the cabin, knocking down the two guards with the doors after he slammed them on their faces and then continued to run, avoiding the Cannonfire from either his own ship or Sao Feng's. Jack was then met with Pirate-Heartless that appeared and, wasting no time, summoned his Keyblade and slashed them quickly after clashing briefly with their swords, finishing them off by slicing their throats which eliminated them.

That done, Jack dismissed his Keyblade before continuing onward outside as everything was in chaos. Many of Beckett's men were now fighting against both the Pirates and the Worldly Travellers who were now free.

Onboard the Pearl, Sora, his friends-minus Isa, Aqua, Serah and Elizabeth and even Mog-both their Pirate allies and their Non-Pirate allies were fighting the enemies with their weapons. Lea took on Dulor in a heavy duel and slashed through the latter's Cards into pieces.

"Burn, Baby!" Lea yelled, flaring his Chakrams in flames and knocked back Dulor who screamed and purposely fell overboard and landed in the ocean. He also took out the Heartless that appeared as well and was quickly saved from another that attempted to surprise him from behind thanks to Roxas and Xion who shared their Keyblades to slice it single-handedly.

"Give me strength!" Sora chanted, as he, Kairi and Riku held up their Keyblades before the three of them, showing off a new trinity of their own, launched themselves into ten Heartless, sending them flying and sending them overboard as well.

Jack meanewhile grabbed at the ropes which were tied to the Endeavour's rails. He saw that they were threaded and tied in such a way that, if given enough force, they would be able to propel a great distance, perhaps even the distance he needed to get to the Pearl and the only way to do that is by cannon. By then while Jack was almost done with his task, Beckett came up the steps to the deck and saw what Jack was doing. He also noticed that Jack had nabbed one of the figures he used for military planning and had cheekily taken the time to place it in the cannon's mouth. He had managed to tie the ropes around one end of the cannon and was blowing on a fuse to attempt to light the immense fire arm. Beckett immediately realized what he was doing.

"You're mad." The evil Lord remarked in disbelief.

"Thank goodness for that, because if I wasn't, this wouldn't work." Jack replied, and wasted no time in placing the fuse to the cannon, and was sent flying when the cannon exploded. While Beckett quickly moved out of the way to avoid in being blown into pieces, Jack was flown into the air screaming.

This was noticed by everyone who had finished fighting the Heartless and the army before they all raced up to the stern only to realise that Jack wasn't there was the rope slid off into the ocean from the Black Pearl. Sora and his companions and allies feared the worst, but they and especially Barbossa were shocked and surprised to see that Jack was leaning nonchalantly against the ships lanterns, looking very pleased with himself.

"And that was without a single drop of rum." He said, smirking.

Sora chuckled with a smirk. "Show-off."

"Thank you, mate." Jack replied after he jumped down and gave the teenager a dramatic bow. He then turned his attention to Will who was still in iron and surrounded by the rest of the crew and even the Turks, Terra, Lea, Roxas, Ven and Riku to make sure he didn't run off. "Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty cod-piece to the brig." The Pirate Captain ordered tightly.

Pintel and Ragetti nodded as they huddled Will down below the deck while everyone else sighed, and Sora gazed low. Yes he was still angry with Will, but he wanted to believe that things will work out later on, once Will learned his lesson.

"Welp, looks like we're now off to Shipwreck Cove." Mickey said, breaking the tensed silence.

"Yeah." Riku replied.

"I hope Aqua, Serah, Mog, Isa and Elizabeth will be okay." Kairi muttered, thinking about how the five of them risked their lives to bargain with Sao Feng in order to save them from Beckett's clutches.

Even though Sora was worried as well, he tried to stay positive and instead told her, "I'm sure they'll be fine. They're all tough and they can meet up with us in no time. Pretty soon Beckett will be history."

"That's true. But what about Davy Jones? We can't simply kill him. Someone will have to sacrifices themselves to do so." Vincent reminded.

Realising that he was right, the group shared a concerned glance. It would be easy to kill Beckett, but Davy Jones is possibly one of the most hardest villians they would ever fight against.

Someone would have to sacrifice themselves to put an end to Davy Jones' terror. The question was...

Who would do it?

* * *

 **A/N: Hopefully there'll be more Heartless fights in the next chapter would most likely won't come for the next few days or week or so.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	40. CH39: Unexpected Aid

**KINGDOM HEARTS III: SECOND WAR.**

 **Author's Note: Before we continue on, I have good news and I have bad news.**

 **Good news; We finally have a release date of KH3 and Frozen has been confirmed to be in it for real.**

 **Bad news; 2018 is no longer the release year, because the game's been delayed to January next year, and (Spoilers ahead, so you've been warned) apparently we have to fight Aqua because now she's been norted or something.**

 **Anyway, let's continue on, shall we?**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH39: Unexpected Aid.**_

A few days later on Sao Feng's ship, nearing nighttime, Elizabeth, who was dressed silken Chinese clothes by two women, stood in the Captain's Quarters along with the two said women, as well as Aqua, Serah, Mog and Isa who all had to wear these medallions around their necks and ordered to stand on guard as Elizabeth's bodyguards. While four of the worldly travellers had a fair idea on what Sao Feng had in mind with Elizabeth, they knew that, despite it being a mistake on the Chinese man's part, it wasn't much choice if they had to escape from Beckett as well as Dulor.

Aqua was lost in her thoughts. She knew that the others would be just fine, but the chances of Barbossa intentions of requesting Calypso for aid was very slim based on everything she and her friend had learned. If he succeeded, it could be his biggest mistake.

So lost in her thoughts that something within her suddenly sparked, and Aqua's eyes suddenly went wide, and like a jolt electrocuting her mind, she gasped softly as her world suddenly went black and then a new image appeared in her mind.

* * *

 _She was facing Mickey and Riku who, having donned new clothes for whatever reason, looked horrified and in Mickey's case, devastated.. Aqua had no idea what was going on, but given their expressions, she knew that it wasn't good. Then, as though speaking to them, she spoke in a somewhat darkish voice that rang in her own ears._

 _"_ _ **I had no choice.**_ _"_

* * *

Then the instant as it happened, Aqua's vision returned to normal and she blinked, confused. She was still standing, and she was back in reality.

"Aqua?" Isa's voice charred her back as Aqua turned to face him, Elizabeth, Serah and Mog who all suddenly looked concerned.

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, slightly worried.

"What happened?" Serah asked, really worried, with Mog muttering a puzzled and very concerned, 'Kupo?'

Realising that her mind wandered and, to her grave concern, she'd just seen a dark vision or something, and shook her head, replying apologetically, "Nothing. I'm fine. My mind just wandered." though in retrospect, now Aqua was really concerned.

What had that been about? Was a vision of the future? If so...then something bound is about to go wrong. Deep down, Aqua couldn't help but think about her time in the Realm of Darkness and, given the looks of horror on Mickey and Riku's faces, it terrified her. Is she going to end up giving into darkness for whatever reason that she had no choice but to give in? What could that really mean?

 _"_ _ **Only your heart is hollow enough to be a demon's.**_ _"_

The words of her Shadow back in the Realm of Darkness returned to her mind. Could that mean that she was right? That Aqua's heart was hollow enough to be a demon's? She survived for twelve years in that realm without giving in. Could this mean that the Light in her heart was fading?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sao Feng walked in and she, Serah, Mog, Elizabeth and Isa turned to face the man who said something in Chinese, clapped his hands and the two Chinese women left the room, leaving just the two of them.

"The three of you leave us as well for the time being." Sao Feng turned to the four worldly travellers who, while giving him small glares, knew they had no choice and nodded, then nodded to Elizabeth and then walked out of the room, heading towards the deck to leave the two of them time to talk.

"I imagine this will not go well if Elizabeth tells him the truth." Isa whispered softly so that Sao Feng wouldn't be able to hear as he and his three current companions walked.

"Why is that?" Serah inquired. The main reason why she went with was because she couldn't stand the thought of Elizabeth going on her own and, given her own experiences before, she refused to allow Elizabeth and Will, despite each other's grudge at the moment for keeping secrets, to become seperated by death.

"Sao Feng thinks Elizabeth is Calypso." Aqua replied this time. "Based on his and Barbossa's conversation, they intend to set the real Calypso free and think that she would change her mind on humanity and would help them to fight our enemies."

Serah's eyes widened before she shook her head quickly, saying, "They can't do that! Nothing's ever simple with Gods. Especially the ones of evil. While I don't know the full story of Calypso, it can't work. That's more selling yourself to serve as the Goddess' servant."

The trio and Mog all paused before the two Keybearers turned to face the pink-haired young woman, with Isa quiring, "How is it that you know?"

"Because...because in legend, a Goddess of the Dead of the Unseen Realm freed those who saved two worlds from their fate of the l'Cie. But that caused the Chaos to spill into the mortal realm, and weaken her power. Before hand, a warrior died while sacrificing himself to save the person he loved, and in sympathy as they say, she gave her heart to him, but it turned into a curse as he was rendered immortal, while the person he cared for had the eyes of the Goddess, to see the future. But each time she died, she died at a young age, and would then be reincarnated just to be with him, over and over again until he couldn't take it anymore." Serah relucantedly explained.

"Isn't that connected to Bhunivelze and Chaos himself?" Aqua inquired, absorbing the new information she and Isa were hearing.

Serah nodded, "Yes. One of the former l'Cie was then taken from the time when...when she just reunited with her only sister, and taken to Valhalla to become the guardian of the Goddess, and history changed, with only her younger sister knowing the truth, but no one else did. That same younger sister would then be gifted with the same ability to see through time, and had travelled through time with a young man who came from a future where humanity died out. But they fell into the trap of the man who had succeeded in getting what he wanted, and the world merged with the Unseen Realm."

"Thus Bhunivelze has woken many years later." Isa caught on and concluded. "How is it you know so much?"

Sighing deeply, and knowing she made the slip, especialy when Mog looked really nervous before he nodded his permission to have her tell them, Serah began to speak again, "Because, I-"

But she was cut off when the entire ship shook slightly and a huge loud roar of cannon fire echoed in their ears and the trio gave out alarmed cries before sharing a look and to make things worse, Heartless appeared, some in Pirate forms, others in Shadow forms. Either way, combined with yelling and screaming coming from the deck outside, they immediately knew they were under attack.

Aqua and Isa both summoned their Keyblades while Mog transformed into Serah's weapon as the trio stood ready before leaping and hacking and slashing at the monsters. Aqua cartwheeled out of the way when one of the Pirate-Heartless slashed at her before she returned the favor and was much more successful in destroying it.

"Freeze!" She chanted, freezing up three Heartless solid in ice before she destroyed them with ease, and then leaped back when a Water-Jellyfish Heartless appeared. She then chanted a Lightning spell to shock it before she jumped and sliced it in half, destroying it.

Isa swiped at five Heartles back before he destroyed them with his Keyblade in sky-upper-cut style, before whipping around quickly as another tried to ambush him from behind and smashed it onto the wooden floor in incredible ease the way he would with his Claymore.

Serah fired three Arrows at three Heartless, one at the time which destroyed them before she turned her bow into her Sword and hacked and slashed down at the Heartless that attempted to attack her. She backed off when two Heartless attemped to attack her from both sides and they bumped each other which gave her the advantage to swipe them both into oblivion at ease at the same time.

By the time they were finished, Tai Haung came running in, demanding, "Where's the Captain!?"

"In his Quarters." Isa replied.

"We have to get to him and Elizabeth!" Serah quickly cried out, worriedly.

"Let's go!" Aqua declared, and the trio nodded, despite Tai Haung's distrust in the worldly travellers, but knew that they had concerns of their own and even though they had distrust in his Captain, they were willing to go and check on him anyway.

So the four of them hurried back to where they came from as the chaos continued to happen behind them. "Captain! The ship is taken. We cannot-" Tai Haung shouted as he took the lead, but halted to a complete stop as he, Aqua, Isa and Serah saw what had happened, their eyes widening in horror.

There layed Captain Sao Feng, impaled by the large splinter of wood sticking out from the side of the room, bleeding and dying and with Elizabeth kneeling next to him as he pulled her close to his head. Both Aqua and Serah gasped in horror as their hands covered their mouths, while Isa shut his eyes and turned his head away at the sight of the poor man, Pirate or not, and Tai Haung, in absolute devasation to see his Captain dying right before his eyes, took off his hat as horrified honor to farewell his superior whom he served for many years.

"Forgive me...Calypso..." Sao Feng whispered to Elizabeth in his dying breath, as Elizabeth was shocked and horrified by this. His grip on her hand loosened before his own fell and he layed limp where he no longer moved or breathed.

He was dead.

When Isa dared to look again, he questioned Elizabeth who stood, holding some kind of necklace which he'd seen Sao Feng wear, apparently giving it to her for some reason. "What did he say to you?"

Elizabeth was in silence for a moment, before turning to the group and Tai Haung, saying in utter disbelief herself, "He made me Captain."

This didn't please Tai Haung at all, as he emotionally hissed, "You are not _my_ Captain!"

Aqua, Serah and Isa shared a concerned expression as things had changed drastically, before they, Elizabeth and Tai Haung quickly left the room and onto the deck only to freeze when the entire Chinese Crew were horded up and taken by the familiar mutant Fish-Pirate crew, as the familiar large ship of the Flying Dutchmen floated next to theirs, and hordes of Heartless and EITC(Short for East Indian Trading Company) soldiers around. Among them was Davy Jones and, to their annoyance, Pete.

"Not _him_ again." Isa groaned as he caught sight of that fat bumbling idiot that was Maleficent's Second in Command.

"What's Pete doing here?" Serah asked, shocked. What was more shocking to her was that the stories of Davy Jones and his crew being Mutant Fish was true and that was really terrifying.

"You know him?" Aqua asked, a bit surprised.

Serah nodded, "Strelitzia, Mog and I ran into him and fought him early in the beginning of our adventure together."

"He's the one who wanted Barbossa to join Maleficent a year ago." Elizabeth muttered as she too recongised the fat cat.

"Alright, which one of you nitwits is here the Captain of this piece o' junk?" Pete asked the captured Chinese Crew.

Tai Haung didn't hesitate as he pointed at Elizabeth, exclaiming, "The Captain is her!" and soon the rest of the Chinese crew pointed at the young woman who stood there on the top the stairs along with Aqua, Isa and Serah. Pete and Davy Jones looked and their expressions were that of disbelief, especially Pete's.

"What? That li'l pipsqueak? What's she doin' here with those three bozos?" Pete asked, shocked.

"What are YOU doing here, Pete?" Serah demanded in return, glaring angrily at him. Both Aqua and Isa glared at Pete's direction as well.

"I ain't telling youse nothin'! By the way, where are your little pallies at?" Pete replied, glaring back.

"None of your business." Isa hissed.

"Tow the ship, and put these yahoos into the Brig." Pete ordered the Fish-Crew and Heartless, waving them over. He then gazed at the group above and grinned, "Looks like you're all goin' with us, now." while Davy Jones shook rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Knowing that they were outmatched and with the Chinese Crew captured, Aqua, Serah and Isa relucantedly dismissed their weapons and Mog returned to normal before they, Elizabeth and Tai Haung was dragged bodily towards Elizabeth's new crew, but they didn't struggled. If anything, Elizabeth was livid as casted a glare at Pete.

"You were involved in my father's murder." Elizabeth hissed coldly at him, which surprised Pete.

"How'd you know he's dead?" Pete whispered back, before looking nervous as he admitted, "Not that I saw what happened. Blame Beckett if ya' want, sister. I dinna want to see it."

"See what? Which side you chose?" Elizabeth scoffed, pulling out of two of the fish crew's grasp and retreated to her friends and crew's side, adding to a stunned Pete. "Well, now you do."

* * *

The Chinese ship was being dragged behind the Flying Dutchmen while Elizabeth, her new crew, Aqua, Serah, Mog and Isa were thrown into the brig, and no sooner they were locked inside Elizabeth called out two men, thinking either one of them was Bootstrap Bill Turner, though neither one were as they scoffed and thought she was crazy.

"I don't think you'll have luck in seeing Bootstrap in here." Isa commented to Elizabeth, as Tai Haung explained to the rest of the Chinese Crew what befell of Sao Feng.

"Bootstrap?" Serah asked, confused.

"You know my name." A voice in the corner of their cell spoke before either Aqua, Isa or Elizabeth could answer, and they, Serah and Mog turned to see who spoke. They went towards the corner and saw, within the wall, was another mutant Pirate, with shells, coral and starfish sticking onto him as he then emerged and approached. He barely looked human as he even had seaweed growing on him.

"Are you Bootstrap Bill Turner?" Aqua gently inquired. "We heard about you from your son, Will Turner."

"He made it alive?" Bootstrap asked, sounding excited and very relieved.

"Yes, Will is alive, and he wants to save you." Elizabeth answered this time. So this was the father of her husband to be.

This somehow made Bootstrap's happiness falter, before he sighed in sadness, "He can't come. He won't save me."

"But your his father." Elizabeth pointed out.

"He can't come, because of you." Bootstrap replied, gazing solely on the blond-haired woman, "You're Elizabeth. I have heard of you. If William slays Davy Jones, he will have to take his place. The Dutchmen must have a Captain. If he saves me...he will lose you."

Elizabeth's eyes watered, as she slowly realised that Bootstrap was right, also rememebering vaguely on what her own father said before she lost him forever. As it it wasn't bad enough that Beckett had taken him away from her, if Will continued the path to try and save his own...he was lost to her as well, and she would be left with nothing, with nowhere else to go. She nodded in her understanding.

In the end, Will couldn't have both. He would have to sacrifice either one to have the other, by making a difficult decision.

"Tell him not to come and stay away. It's too late for me..." Bootstrap informed her and the others, returning to the wall. "I'm already part of the ship...part of the crew..."

Elizabeth was about to approach him again, but Aqua placed a hand onto her shoulder, and when the former turned to the latter, the blue-haired woman shook her head in sadness.

"His heart and mind are fading away, the longer he stays. Not even memories, are safe from the darkness." Aqua told her, with slight tears in her voice.

' _If Will has to choose...he'll lose either one. Unless someone else takes his place, Will has to make the decision. Either way...someone close to us will be lost._ ' Serah thought in sorrow. A duty to attend with no choice...it gave her memories of her previous life.

Isa just stared, before sighing and placed a hand to his face. Things just gotten more and more difficult. Especially for Will.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the Black Pearl, Will had managed to escape the Brig silently and was now tying up dead bodies of the British Soldiers to barrels and tossing them overboard the ship to float in the ocean. It was his plan to have Beckett follow them like a bread crumb trail, in hopes to still free his Father in an exchange.

Yet, as he was almost done with his work, Will stopped to gaze at the knife that was given by his father when he escaped the Dutchmen earlier, and couldn't help but think more clearly on what he was doing. What Elizabeth's now late father had said echoed in his mind; if he choose to save his father, he would end up becoming Captain of the Flying Dutchmen.

But in the progress, he was losing Elizabeth and his future with her. But he didn't to this, while he had Elizabeth, Bootstrap would remain trapped onboard the Flying Dutchmen for eternity. It didn't help that he betrayed Sora and the others who, along with Jack, had helped him rescue Elizabeth in the first place, and instead of helping them in return, he betrayed them to their enemies.

Especially since Sora was the Keyblade's chosen and the hero, even though the teenager really shouldn't have been involved.

But the more Will thought about it, the more he realised that even before they met, Sora didn't have a choice. He and all of his friends had gotten involved because of Maleficent and Xehanort.

"You escaped the Brig quicker than I expected." A familiar voice spoke from the side, startling the young man to look up and saw that, surprisingly and silently without him even knowing, Jack was lounghing against the mast. When did he get there? Well, Jack was always a strange man to begin with.

The older man stood up before he began slowly climbing down, using the ropes as support as Jack continued at the puzzled Will, "William, you notice anything or rather, you notice something that's not there to be noticed?"

While Will still didn't understand 'Jack-Language', he took him a moment or two to realise that everything was quiet and, given that he was the first to notice that Will escaped, the younger man muttered in realization and even more confusion, "You haven't raised an alarm."

"Odd, isn't it?" Jack replied, before adding as he gestured at Will's work, "Not as odd as this. Come up with this all by your lonesome, did you?"

"I said to myself; Think like Jack." Was his reply.

Jack quirked an eyebrow at Will's answer. "This is what you arrived at? Lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove so as to gain his trust, accomplish your own ends? It's like you don't know me at all, mate." He said, feeling a bit insulted.

Will's demenor falted as he sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Jack had a point.

"How does your dearly beloved feel about this plan?" Jack asked again, and when Will looked away, not answering, the silence was an enough answer to him. "Ah...I see you haven't felt fit to trust her with it."

As Jack now stood beside him to his left, Will thought more until he admitted his worries, "I'm losing her, Jack. Every step I make for my father is a step away from Elizabeth.

"If you choose to lock your heart away, you'll lose her for certain." Jack pointed out, before brightening up a little as, after he had a thought about it himself, he decided that a loophole could be made, and that said loophole would get Will out of this crossroad. "If I might lend a machete to your intellectual thicket, avoid the choice all together, and change the facts. For example, let someone else dispatch Davy Jones."

"You mean Sora?" Will asked.

"No, not him or anyone else in his team. They already have enough problems as it is." Jack replied. He had made up his mind that, when he and his companions had returned to this world and the crisis of Davy Jones and Beckett was dealt with, that Jack would be staying as this is his homeworld, and he missed it terribly. Keyblade wielder or not, Jack didn't think he'd be useful in Sora's future fight against Chaos and/or Bhunivelze.

"Then who?" Will asked, dumbfounded. It didn't last long as he suddenly realised, seeing Jack's cheeky grin at the corner of his eye, that he somehow knew the answer as he turned fully to the older man, asking, skeptically and shocked, "You?"

Jack nodded, explaining, "Death has a curious way of reshuffling one's priorities, as does Darkness. I slip abord the Dutchmen, find the heart, stab the mutant-beating thing, your father goes free, and you will be free with your Bonnie-lass."

"And you're willing to cut out your heart and bind yourself to the Dutchmen, forever?"

"No, mate. I'm free forever. Free the sail the seas beyond the edges of the map and free from death itself."

It was Will's turn to point out the facts as he replied, with a small smirk, "You have to do the job though, Jack. To ferry souls to the next world, or you'll end up just like Davy Jones."

The Pirate Captain grimaced and shuddered as he fingered his beard at the horrible thought, saying, "I don't have a face for tentacles." before adding, "But immortal has to count for something, eh?"

He then remembered something as he then passed on his Compass to Will who took it in confusion as the latter asked, "What's this for?"

"Think like me. It'll come to you." Jack replied, before purposely shoved his hands onto Will's chest and shoved the quickly stunned younger man over the railing and overboard. Shortly after Will landed in the ocean, Jack then shoved the last barrel with the dead body into the water next and then called out to the younger man a farewell, "My regards to Davy Jones."

As Will swum over to the barrel before clinging onto it as well as Jack's Compass, left to wait for another ship to come and get him while the Black Pearl sailed away without him, he couldn't help but grunt in sheer annoyance to himself, "I hate him."

* * *

Back onboard the Dutchmen, after what felt like forever if not days since they were captured, Isa finally sighed before he silently approached the doors and summoned his Keyblade.

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm getting us out of here. That's what I'm doing." Isa replied without looking at her.

"How can a large Key open up a tiny lock?" Tai Haung scoffed.

The blue-haired man rolled his eyes and replied, "A Keyblade can lock and unlock any lock and leave it at that. Besides, I'm sick and tired of being imprisoned onboard this vessel run by fish."

"How 'bout you leave the unlocking to me?" A new voice whispered from outside of the brig, startling everyone as an unfamiliar figure emerged from the shadows from the stairs after having snuck down. He was a tall man, a bit taller than Zack, with spiky white hair, blue eyes, wearing a white long jacket and pants with black boots and opened up black shirt, black gloves and a beanie on his head.

Apparently Serah recongised him, because she went up to the bars with hope and surprise in her voice, whispering, "Snow!?"

"Calvery has arrived, Serah." The man, identified as Snow, smiled as he pulled out the set of keys and unlocked the doors. "We'd better get outta here before those weird fish-guys notice. That means all of us."

Elizabeth nodded to Tai Haung who then silently gestured the rest of the crew to follow and head out silently and carefully, while Serah and Snow shared an embrace.

"Who is he?" Aqua whispered, curious on who this stranger was and how he got here.

Serah turned to face Aqua, replying, "My hero."

"Your future husband?" Isa inquired. "Well, at least he got us out." He then asked the taller man, "How did you get those keys and get onboard the Flying Dutchmen?"

"Had a little help, from her." Snow answered, gesturing at another figure that wasn't seen until she approached from the shadows as well. This time both Aqua and Isa recongised her and their eyes widened in confusion and shock while Elizabeth looked confused.

"Shantotto?" Aqua softly exclaimed, recongising the Tarutaru who smirked.

"Much as I enjoy seeing you again, remove that shocked look on your face. We must leave this dreaded floating place." Shantotto replied.

Despite that they had questions on what Shantotto was going in this world and how she knew about other worlds, the others knew that she was right. So they silently followed her and Snow to the deck of the ship without any of Davy Jones' crew or Pete noticing, forgetting that Bootstrap was still in the Brig himself and that Snow had accidently left the gates open. The Chinese Crew were climbing across the towing line back onto their ship by the time the others had arrived.

"I was wandering around when I heard about Caius and Arydn causing problems again and knew that I had to do something to help out. Then Shantotto arrived and told me that you needed help, so I agreed to come with and, well, this is where we ended up." Snow explained, a look of seriousness on his expression.

"So you knew about other worlds, didn't you?" Isa whispered to Shantotto.

"Knowing this knowlage of the worlds' existance is a fair example for instance. I apologise for not speaking of my role, but it is necessary for Sora to achieve his goal." Shantotto replied, before adding, "Yet, fate is always mean, because on way to Shipwreck Cove is a traitor yet to be seen."

"That guy, Beckett. He knows about whatever's goin' on. Shantotto's powers lets her know what's going on in certain events. That's why you guys have to watch yourselves for what's coming." Snow continued, before snorting softly, "Can't tell if he's worse than Dysley or not."

Isa raised a skeptical brow. Cloud was right; Snow really is a hothead. What possessed Serah into wanting to marry this guy, the blue-haired young man would probably never know.

"You're not coming with us?" Serah asked, worried.

Snow was about to reply when another voice cried out, somewhat angrily from above them and the group looked up, alarmed and saw that Bootstrap was there, before he went to go and try to stop them from escaping.

"Go! While you still got a chance." Snow urged, as he and even Shantotto stood in fighting positions.

"I'm not leaving without you!" Serah pleaded, especially as Elizabeth, Aqua, Isa and Mog hesitated in leaving the man who freed them and Shantotto behind.

The taller man gazed at her, saying with sadness and urgentcy still in his eyes, saying softly this time, "I failed to keep you safe more times than I can count, and lost you once. I'm not making that mistake again, Serah. You have to go. Do it not just for me, but for Lightning too."

"Don't just stand there. Hurry on to the Pirate's lair." Shantotto added, pulling out her staff.

Serah and four of her friends hesitated, before she muttered, "Promise that we'll meet again soon."

"Wouldn't be a hero if I didn't come out of this alive." Snow smiled, and leaned down, sharing a short but passoninate kiss with Serah, which made Elizabeth just stand there and watch, thinking about Will and then realised she and him weren't the only ones who had to put their wedding on hold, remembering that Serah mentioned that she and Snow were going to get married themselves.

As soon as it was over, Serah, Elizabeth, Aqua and Isa then hurried to climb their way back onboard Sao Feng's ship, while Snow and Shantotto stood guarding the tow line, just as a now deranged Bootstrap approached, demanding, "What are you doing?"

"Being a hero. You ain't gonna stop us from doing the right thing, man." Snow sneered at the mutant Pirate.

"If you wish to live the most, then it would be best that you return to your post." Shantotto added.

"No one leaves the ship." Bootstrap muttered, gazing out at the escaping prisoners.

"I'd listen to her if I were you...!" Snow hissed. "Don't push it."

Bootstrap ignored Snow's words, and instead began chanting, "Part of the ship, part of the crew, part of the ship, part of the crew..."

"Back off." Snow warned.

"PART OF THE SHIP, PART OF THE CREW!" Bootstrap shouted, before raising the alarm, " _ **ALL HANDS! PRISONERS ESCAPING!**_ "

"SHUT IT!" Snow grunted, whacking Bootstrap's head so hard that the mutant Pirate stumbled before falling onto the deck hard, unconscious. He didn't waste time in gazing at him as he turned to Shantotto, knowing that the alarm as been raised.

"Snow!" Serah screamed out, seeing that her hero and Shantotto were in trouble despite that Bootstrap has been knocked out cold. She, Aqua, Isa and even Elizabeth attempted to make their way back, only for Shantotto to cast a Firaga Spell on the Tow Line and cutting it, causing everyone on the rope to scream and fall into the water.

"Go! We'll be fine! I promise!" Snow called out to Serah, before he and Shantotto turned back to face the danger head on.

Serah and the others resurfaced, before she attempted to swim back but was held back by Isa who grabbed her and pulled her towards the Chinese Ship despite her protests, "Snow! NO! Shantotto!"

"They'll be fine! We have to use this chance to escape." Isa pointed out to her as he struggled to swim himself and the woman in his arm towards the other ship.

Despite that she wanted nothing more than to return to her lover, Serah, with tears falling and mixing in with the seawater on her face, limped before reluctantedly allowed Isa to carry her towards Sao Feng's ship, knowing that he was right. She had to put her trust in Snow and hope that he would be alright. Elizabeth and Aqua, likewise, headed towards the vessel to head to Shipwreck Cove.

Snow and Shantotto in the meantime stood their ground as the Fish Pirate Crew gathered around and cornered the two of them who didn't seem worried.

"Intruders! How did they get onboard the ship?" One of the Crew members asked, just as Davy Jones arrived along with Pete who seemed just as confused.

"Who're you two clowns?" Pete demanded.

"Just two heroes." Snow replied, glaring back.

"Are ye' now?" Davy Jones spoke this time, before inquiring to Snow, "Do ye fear death?"

Snow just grinned, as the Chinese Ship had by now already vanished from sight and into the night sailing towards Shipwreck Cove, "Nah, not one bit. But I got a promise to keep, and if I die today, that would end up breaking it. Heroes gonna live and all."

"Hero, you say? Then ye' are no different than Sora." Davy Jones snarled.

"You've both the garb of a fool and a wit of one!" Shantotto snickered at the cursed Pirate in sheer amusement, "I could laugh at you for days before being done."

This managed to make the pirates and Pete bewildered as they stared at her with wide eyes, as she continued, "Now be good boys and lay your heads down to rest. Leave the fate of the future to one who can do it with zest."

"Do ye' think we take orders from you, imp? You're just as an annoyance and cunning as Jack Sparr'a!" Davy Jones growled dangerously, unsheathing his sword. "Ye' full of yerself, interferin' and intruding my ship! One would think people gave you suspicion."

"Confusing yourself with others now, are we? I can fathom how wretched your life must be." Shantotto smirked, unfazed, which even made Snow a bit bewildered.

"Ye must be old if you speak of that. Ye canna be a child if yer hearing is becomin' lost." Davy Jones snarled.

"More like your mind is so infantile. That even listening proves a trial."

A pause.

"Well, as much as this young hero and I love to stay, we shall be pressing on, so good day, I say!" Shantotto concluded, and before the Pirates or Pete could even say anything further, she held up her staff which glowed in bright light which made the villians shield their eyes to avoid in being blinded. When the light faded, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief as both Shantotto and Snow had suddenly disappeared.

"De you know where they went?" Davy Jones growled at Pete who gulped scaredly.

"They could be anywhere by now. What that little pipsqueak did was a dirty trick!" Pete shrugged.

Another pause.

"...I'll take that as a no." The Pirate Captain replied. He then turned to the rest of the Crew and ordered, "Back to yer stations, and see to Turner!"

"Aye, sir!" The crew muttered, moving towards the unconscious Bootstrap, while Pete hurried to follow Davy Jones.

"Turner may have attempted to follow them." Davy Jones growled.

"I don't think so. Maybe that white-haired fellow knocked him unconscious. Besides, wasn't he the one who alerted us in the first place?" Pete pointed out, which made both of them slow to a stop.

The cursed Pirate turned to him, as realization dawned onto him. "Part of the ship, part of the crew. Turner's heart and mind have forgotten his past. Perhaps the Brig is no longer necessary for him."

"...I see your point." Pete admitted, scratching his head in thought.

"Do you really?" A familiar voice spoke up, startling the two as Dulor, having boarded the ship himself, approached them. "Or are you having second thoughts?"

"What're you doin' here?" Pete asked, before Dulor swiped the Key from his neck and clutched it in his hand, prompting the fat clumsy villian to protest, "Hey!"

"The Dutchmen is under my Command now." Dulor said, sinisterly.

Davy Jones growled, but knew there was no choice. Despite that Pete was a useless lug of a villian, at least he was careful not to cross him and was actually a bit terrified but had agreed to the bargain. "For now..."

He will get his chance to free himself from Maleficent and Beckett. He promised himself this.

* * *

 _Back with Sora's group..._

Even though lingering Heartless appeared onboard the Black Pearl, it was pretty much a smooth sailing, all things considered. Finally the ship and her passengers and two Captains arrived at Shipwreck Island, which was such an amazing sight to those who'd never seen it before. Especially the worldly Travellers, the Turks and pretty much most of the Pirate Crew who all stared in awe at the sight before them. It was a huge island of green, rock and mountains.

"Whoa...!" Sora breathed, in awe. "It's huge!"

"Ya got that right." Reno agreed, his eyes wide. "Can't wait to see what's inside this place."

Myde let out an impressed whistle, "Didn't expect to see the place looking like this."

"It's beautiful!" Kairi exclaimed, and Xion, Skuld, Strelitzia, Elena and Tifa nodded in agreement. "So much bigger than the island back at home."

"A bit smaller than the mainland but still big enough." Riku nodded in agreement.

"Too bad this place is where all the Pirates gather." Terra commented.

"Not just gather." Jack piped up, "There are some Pirates who actually live here. Some were even born here before they would go sailing out to sail the seas."

Lea raised an eyebrow, asking, "Since when did Pirates settle down and have families?"

"I said it to miss Kairi before, and I will say it again; Where do you think Pirates come from? Palm Trees?" Jack replied in half-sarcasm. This made Sora, Riku, Roxas, Ven, Terra, Lea, Myde, Cloud, Zack, and even Vincent and the Turks snicker a laugh, while Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Xion, Skuld, Strelizia, and Tifa giggled.

"Good point, and a good one too." Lea snickered in amusement.

"Look alive and keep a weather eye," Gibbs ordered the crew which got everyone else's attention. "Not for naught it's called Shipwreck Island. Where lies Shipwreck Cove and the town of Shipwreck."

"Shipwreck Town in Shipwreck Cove on Shipwreck Island?" Cloud asked, skeptically as he and the others gazed at Jack with raised eyebrows at the cheesy names, while Donald bursted out laughing and the crew began to disperse.

"What kind of cheesy names are they?" Zack asked, dumbfounded.

"That's a lame way to name three places in a same location." Myde slumped with a raised eyebrow.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Vincent muttered, rolling his eyes.

Jack nodded in agreement, "Well, for all the pirates are clever cogs, we are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things."

"That explains everything." Sora shrugged, placing his hands behind his head, gazing at Jack in annoyance. He and the others heard that Jack sent Will overboard, or at least left him to an island considering he was a traitor and while he was angry with him, Sora couldn't help but still be a bit miffed at Will himself. He then decided to find him later once this was sorted out.

The Pirate then said to his friends, including Gibbs who came over, "I once sailed with a geezer who lost both of his arms and part of his eye."

"Ouch. Poor guy." Ven muttered in sympathy.

"What'ya call him?" Goofy asked, curiously.

Jack paused, before answering as he pulled a face, "...Larry."

" _Larry? No wonder pirates are unimaginative._ " Vanitas scoffed in Sora's mind, and Sora did his best to ignore him. Besides, Sora kind of liked the name Larry.

"I don't know." Xion spoke up, "I really like how you named this ship the Black Pearl. It suits her perfectly."

"Really?" Jack asked, surprised at the former Replica who nodded with a smile.

"I agree. I don't think there's a better name for it." Roxas nodded.

Lea smirked, "Yeah. Not only it's simple and not complicated, but it really has a nice ring to it. Got it memorized?"

"I don't think all Pirates are unimaginative in namin' things. Even I like the name the Black Pearl." Mickey nodded in agreement.

"...Thank you." Jack muttered, looking a bit embarrassed. Even Gibbs was a bit impressed with the worldly travellers' words.

"Do you think all of the Pirate Lords will be here?" Skuld inquired, changing the subject.

"Of course they will. None failed to appear yet." Jack replied, still uncomfortable with doing to his second Brethren Court. He then whispered softly to his friends after Gibbs excused himself, "Hear me out, mates. It's going to be a very uncomfortable meeting."

"With a bunch of pirates including you and almost everyone else on this ship, I'm already preparing myself for it." Terra rolled his eyes.

"I think it would be better if we all prepare for the worst." Tseng advised wisely, and Rude and Elena nodded in agreement.

Reno on the other hand scoffed, "C'mon, Tseng. We've faced worse than normal pirates. You and 'Lena weren't there when most of the rest of us saw Chaos after Sora and Riku smashed Xehanort's Keyblade into pieces."

That alone was enough to make the Worldly Travellers, including Jack, shudder. Though Strelitzia, Cloud, Zack, Tifa and Vincent had no idea why, but from the looks of their friends, there was more to Xehanort's Keyblade than they all originally thought.

Even so, Cloud muttered in somewhat agreement, "Can't be worse than Sephiroth."

As the group talked, at the front of the ship, Barbossa and Tia Dalma were having a slight disagreement which their conversation was kept somewhat private.

"I do not renege on a bargain once struck. But we agreed on ends only. The means are mine to decide." Barbossa said, as he swept a hand and removed hair from her face only for Tia Dalma to snatch his wrist.

"Caution, Barbossa." She hissed warningly. "Do no' forge' i' 'as by my power ye returned from de dea', 'r wha' i' means if ye fail me." and as she said this, Barbossa watched in sudden horror as his hand, upon the woman's touch, began to become skeletal, like the time when he was cursed up until a year ago.

She then let go and his hand returned to normal. But Barbossa quickly yanked Tia Dalma as she began to storm off, pull her back to face him. "Do not forget why you had to bring me back! Why I could not leave Jack to his well-deserved fate." The woman lowered her head. "It took nine pirate lords to bind you, Calypso. And it'll take no less than nine to set you free."

Tia Dalma, or rather as only Barbossa somehow knew of her true idenity, Calypso, jerked her head up back to him as he finished his sentence. How long he'd known, possibly when he was dead. Yet the Pirate Captain hadn't said anything until now, and he intended on freeing her from her own curse.

Barbossa then called out Pintel and Ragetti who were nearby and had quickly came over in an instant, waiting for his next order. "Lock this Fish Wife in the brig." He commanded.

Despite the slight fear that the Voodoo woman was indeed Calypso, which also explained why she was so creepy ever since they met her when they, Jack, Gibbs, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Namine and Will met her for the first time, the two pirates obeyes and lead Tia Dalma/Calypso towards the brig.

Jack and Sora both noticed Pintel and Ragetti taking Tia Dalma downstairs and shared a glance, while Lea's brows narrowed as he too noticed. He had a hunch on where that woman was being taken and that just raised the suspicions of her even further. Had she said something that made Barbossa into imprisoning her? Or was she connected to Davy Jones? Or maybe, just maybe...she was Calypso herself.

If she was indeed the Goddess in human form, which the redhead felt was horribly most likely, then it was no wonder she creeped him and many others out. But if that was the case, then everyone was in more danger than anticipated.

The question is, why did she direct him and the others to help other worlds before heading to help Sora and meet up with King Mickey?

' _Maybe she knew that Chaos was returning and was tryin' to slow us down. Or maybe she wants us to disappear?_ ' Lea thought to himself, troubled. Given everything he and his friends knew about the two legends, it wasn'f farfetched that Calypso still held a grudge even after hundreds of years.

Either way, the redhead knew, that releasing Calypso could prove to be a huge mistake.

* * *

As the Black Pearl sailed through the narrow opening that only Pirate Lords knew of, there before them stood Shipwreck Town and most who'd never seen it before now knew why it was named Shipwreck Cove. The town consisted of the masts, hulls and other wrecked parts of ships that had been layered on top of each other until they stuck up out of the water, towering above the whole ships that lay moored on its numerous docks.

Despite that, as night fell, the entire place lit up like lanterns in streets and a golden Christmas Tree. Everyone gathered on the deck as they arrived along with other pirate ships that had docked there.

Sora's group, Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Vincent and the Turks were among those amazed by it.

"Look at that!" Elena softly exclaimed.

"I've never seen anything like it." Tifa whispered, stunned.

"Amazing." Strelitzia breathed in awe.

"Gosh..." Mickey breathed.

"Whoever built this must've taken years to set it up." Lea muttered with wide eyes.

"That's a lot more pirates than I've ever seen!" Sora softly exclaimed in awe.

Barbossa nodded in agreement, "There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime."

"And I owe them all money." Jack muttered uncomfortably, cringing. Sora, Barbossa, Riku, Lea, Roxas, Terra, and Donald all rolled their eyes at Jack's comment.

"Why am I not surprised?" Cloud shook his head with an amused but exasperated smirk.

Reno snorted to Jack, "That's a hellva debt you have to pay, man."

"Yeah, no kidding." Zack chuckled in agreement.

* * *

The room that they were all in for the Brethren Court was full of pirates, mostly men, all talking until Barbossa banged a small cannonball on the long table they all stood around. All except for Sao Feng were presented. Sora's group, Strelitzia, the Turks, Cloud, Tifa, Zack and Vincent stood beside Jack and Barbossa's crew, while Jack himself stood by the globe that held all the Captain's sword stabbed into it, flicking the stumpy sword that might as well be a dagger once as it bounced a couple of times before turning his attention back to the Court.

"As he who issued summons, I convene this, the fourth Brethren Court." Barbossa spoke, rather grandly. This was the cue as the other Pirate Lords took their seats while Barbossa waved a hand to Ragetti who silently nodded and carried a large dish with a red throw pillow in it around the court. "To confirm your Lordship and right to be heard, present now your pieces of eight, me fellow Cap'ns."

As Ragetti gathered around the other seven Pirate Lords, one by one they dropped their Pieces of Eight, which were not coins or jewels as Sora and everyone else on the Black Pearl had been expecting. Instead it was just...random items which included a broken bottle neck.

"Those are Pieces of Eight?" Goofy asked, puzzled.

"They're just pieces of junk." Donald remarked.

"What a rip-off. I was expectin' silver coins with decorations on them." Myde grumbled, disappointed.

Gibbs nodded, explaining to the trio and the dumbfounded Pintel and annoyed Reno and Rude, "Aye, the original plan was to use nine pieces of eight to bind Calypso. But when the First Court met, the Brethren were to a one skint broke."

"So they just gathered useless everyday junk as the next best thing?" Reno asked skeptically. "I wouldn't even call that useful. How the hell can those things keep Calypso bind anyway, let alone be called Pieces of Eight?"

"Yeah, change the name." Pintel agreed.

"What? To ' _Nine pieces of whatever we happened to have in our pockets at the time_ '? Oh, yes. That sounds **very** piratey." Gibbs responded sarcastically as he rolled his eyes in exasperation at Pintel's stupid suggestion.

"He makes a good point." Rude muttered, as Reno sighed.

"Point taken." The redhaired Turk grudgely admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as he couldn't come up with a better name for the pieces either, before he and most of those outside of this world cringed when Barbossa bopped Ragetti on the back of the head which made the latter's wooden eyeball fall out and land in the Pirate Captain's hand, which he then dropped into the bowl.

"...Ew." Myde moaned in a whispered, disgusted. His worldly companions, Cloud's group and the Turks shared his disgust. They then watched as Ragetti went over to Jack who was reluctanted to surrender his piece of eight which, as they and Barbossa noticed, was the small miniture coin on his bead attached to his bandana.

Instead, Jack went over to the table and said, "Might I point out that we are still short one Pirate Lord and I for one am as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."

"I'm afraid Sao Feng has perished." A familiar young man's voice spoke across the room which made everyone turn to see who spoke, all stunned and slightly startled. In the doorway were Elizabeth who was dressed in Chinese Garment for new role as the new Pirate Lord. With here were Isa who'd been the one who spoke, Aqua, Serah, Mog and Elizabeth's new Crew.

"He fell to the Flying Dutchmen." Aqua added.

"Isa! Aqua! Serah! Mog! Elizabeth!" Sora exclaimed in relief, as the said five rejoined him and the others, but not before Elizabeth struck her sword into the globe while the court's chattering grew more heated.

"And he made _her_ Captain?" Jack asked about Elizabeth, just as shocked and stunned as everyone else. "They're just giving the bloody title away now."

Elizabeth ignored his comment and instead raised her voice to get the rest of the court to pay attention, "Listen. Listen to me!" and once they quietened down, she continued, "Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett and a madwoman named Maleficent; they're on their way here."

"Who is this betrayer?" An Afraican Pirate Lord demanded when he heard the new youngest Pirate Lord inform them of this.

"Not likely anyone among us." Barbossa quickly replied.

"Where's Will?" Serah asked, noticing that they were missing someone.

"Not among us." Lea chimed with a shrug.

"And it matters not how they found us, the question is what will we do now that they have?" Barbossa continued.

Elizabeth was the first to answer that question, as her's was pretty much logic. "We fight."

Instantly, six of the other seven Pirate Lords and their crew burst out laughing at that idea, before a Chinese female Captain stated her argument, "Shipwreck Cove is a fortress. A well-supplied fortress. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us." and the other Pirate Lords nodded in agreement.

"Not unless they have Davy Jones showing them the front door." Cloud muttered under his breath sarcastically. Though it was also the truth as, given how it was that Pirate who somehow knew about this in the first place, would have no choice but to show them. Or maybe he was being paranoid.

"There be a third course." Barbossa spoke up, explaining to everyone else. "In this very spot long before us, the First Brethren Court captured the sea goddess and bound her in her bones." Despite the words of agreement, he shook his head, "That was a mistake."

Now he had their attention as Barbossa continued, "Oh, we tame the sea for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to not only Beckett and his ilk, but to also the witch Maleficent and her army of monsters called the Heartless! Better were the days when the mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone, ye all know this to be true."

Despite the rotten things Barbossa had done, Sora's group, the others from other worlds and Elizabeth couldn't help but feel slightly inspired by the man's words. Even Vincent and Tseng were generally impressed. Though Lea on the other hand knew where this was coming and thought to himself worriedly, ' _Here we go._ '

"Gentlemen." Barbossa continued, quickly adding to admend both Elizabeth and the other only female Chinese Pirate Lord, "Ladies." and then he concluded folding his hands. "We must free Calypso."

Dead silence as every pirate Lord stared at Barbossa blankly. Barbossa's face faltered. Mickey, Donald, Goofy and even Myde all heard crickets chirping for the effect in their heads. It wasn't long before the rest of the court roared in outrage.

"Shoot him!" The French Pirate Lord yelled.

"Cut out his tongue!" The African Pirate Lord added.

"Shoot him and cut out his tongue, then shoot his tongue!" Jack quickly suggested in agreement, adding as he cringed, "And trim that scraggly beard."

"Sao Feng would have agreed with Barbossa." Tai Hueng stepped forward.

"Aye." Barbossa nodded.

The African Pirate Lord on the other hand disagreed, "Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now!"

"And it's unlikely her mood's improved." The French Pirate Lord muttered in agreement.

"Have to agree with those two guys on that part." Lea whispered to Isa who nodded in agreement.

The Spanish Pirate Lord, who hated all things and people French, pulled out a pistol but placed it onto the table, saying to the French Pirate Lord angrily, regardless on whether he believed Barbossa's case or not, "I would still agree with Sao Feng. We release Calypso!"

"You threaten me?" The French Pirate Lord growled.

"I silence you!"

He picked up his gun just to have it go off when he was punched in the face. In that instant, the emotions which had been simmering below the surface ever since the meeting starting exploded. Suddenly the air was filled with shouts and gunshots, as pirates began to pound each other, spilling over onto the trouble. The only ones not joining in the fight were the Chinese female Pirate Lord, Sora's group, Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Zack, Serah, Mog, Strelitzia, the Turks, Jack, Barbossa, Elizabeth, and their crews who all just watched on, cringing and winching and watching in disbelief.

"This is insane!" Tifa said in frustration and disbelief.

"This is politics." Jack pointed out.

"This is just like the Bar fight back at home once every second week or so." Reno muttered, "Only in a court full of pirates."

"This is ridiculous! How can they fight in a time like this!?" Mickey exclaimed, just as annoyed and frustrated.

"This is so stupid and frustrating." Cloud groaned, facepalming himself in exasperation.

"They are all insufferable." Tseng groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose roughly.

"No argument there." Zack shook his head, sighing.

"Man, this isn't the time to be fighting! Beckett and Davy Jones are getting closer to us by the minute!" Sora growled in irritation, and Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Terra, Strelitzia, Skuld, Aqua, Donald, Goofy, the Turks, Vincent, Tifa and Aqua all nodded in agreement.

"If they not be here already." Barbossa pointed out as he rolled his eyes in annoyance and exasperation.

Tifa growled in annoyance, placing her hands on her hips. "They're acting a lot worse than children!"

"You said the same thing about Jack and Barbossa." Cloud reminded, but was in full agreement with his friend.

Finally, after a good solid of two minutes, Serah couldn't take it anymore.

"This has gone too far." Serah hissed, and before anyone could stop her or even know what she was about to do, she took a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs, "THAT'S _ENOUGH!_ "

The outburst of Serah's yell brought an instant halt to the riot as all Pirates who had been fighting looked at Serah, as did those who hadn't been fighting as it made everyone else in the room practically freeze, most in fear, others in shock, and the rest in disbelief.

"I've just about had it with your bickering! You should be ashamed with yourselves for behaving like this during a crisis! You should know better!" Serah shouted, glaring angrily at all of the Pirates. After taking a breather, she folded her arms scoldingly as she inquired challengingly, "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Dead silence.

"I don't think that's gonna help." Zack pointed out, worriedly.

"Yeah, I think you just made the Court angry." Lea added, worriedly.

To their and everyone else's surprise, the pirates all returned to their previous seats as they gazed at the young woman with somewhat terrified expressions.

"Actually, I think they're bound to listen." Gibbs pointed out, terrified by Serah as well.

"No way!" Zack muttered in disbelief and amazement.

"She's scary." The French Pirate Lord muttered, before saying awkwardly, "Perhaps, it would be best to continue this meeting without fighting, or else we will face the wrath of that young woman's terrifying anger." and the rest of the pirates all mumured their agreements.

"We apologise for the mischief, Miss." The Spanish Pirate Lord muttered, somewhat sheepishly.

Serah nodded, unfazed. "Good. That's a promise." She then turned to Barbossa and gestured, "You can continue, Captain Barbossa."

Jack stared at Serah in terror himself, and even Barbossa looked nervous before the latter nodded a little awkward thanks before shaking himself out of it to turn his attention back to the court, rather thankful for the young woman to have shut everyone else up when he was one minute behind in doing so himself...without yelling.

"Whoa...she's so scary she can even make the pirates quiet." Sora muttered softly.

"Ooh...She reminds me of Minnie." Mickey admitted, scared himself.

Strelitzia giggled, explaining to the others, "Serah's a Teacher in her homeworld. She can be a sweet and caring person when the children behave themselves, but if the students misbehave, that's the result they would be getting. Her students called her 'Meanie Miss Farron'."

Kairi, Aqua, Elena, Tifa, Skuld and Xion all smiled approvingly at Serah's actions.

"Damn. Remind me to never get on her bad side." Reno whispered, scared himself, and if he hadn't been so terrified, he would've laughed at Rude and Tseng's and even Cloud, Zack, Vincent, Terra and Isa's expressions.

"It was the first Court wha' imprisoned Calypso. We should be the ones to se' 'er free and in her gratitude, she will see fit to grant us boons." Barbossa continued, already back to his normal self, as though Serah's outburst hadn't fazed him at all.

' _I don't see that happenin'_.' Lea thought to himself.

Apparently, neither did Jack, because the younger Pirate inquired to his rival, "Whose boons? Your boons? Utterly deceptive twattle speak says I."

"If you have a better alternative, please share." Barbossa offered sarcastically.

"Cuttlefish." Jack began, which raised dumbfounded expressions from everyone, as he continued while moving across the room, "Eh? Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the Cuttlefish. Flipping glorious little sausages. Pen them up together and they will devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, isn't it? Or…or fish nature. So yes," he grabbed the female Captain's shoulders and the two men closest to her grabbed their weapons. "So, yes, we could hole up in here well-provisioned and well-armed and half of us would be dead within the month. Which seems quite grim to me, anyway you slice it. Or..."

He paused and gulped as he nearly bumped into a taller, stronger and scarier man, then slithered carefully past him as Jack continued, "As Hector here so naively suggests, we can release Calypso, and we can pray that she will be merciful. I rather doubt it. Can we, in fact, pretend that she is anything other than a woman scorned like which hell hath no? We cannot."

There was a murmur of agreement, and by then, Jack had reached the other end of the table. " _Res ipsa loquitur, tabula in naufragio_. We are left, only one optain. I agree with and I cannot believe the words coming out of my mouth..." Jack trailled off, struggling to put the right words out, gesturing at Elizabeth, never having thought he would ever adress her as such, especially since what she put him through.

"Get on with it." Sora whispered in exasperation, only to flinch when Kairi casted him a glare and he smiled sheepishly at her.

"...Captain Swann." Jack finally blurted out, "We must fight." and Elizabeth smiled approvingly at that.

"You've always run away from a fight." Barbossa pointed out.

"Have not." Jack protested, and by then everyone else in the room looked back and forth between the two men as they bickered, with the women glaring at Jack and Barbossa for starting yet another useless argument.

"You have so."

"Have not!"

"You have so!"

"Have not!"

"You have so, and you know it!"

"Have not. Slander and calumny." Jack tried to make his point, before continuing with his own statement, "I have only ever embraced that oldest of noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here now, that is what we all must do. We must fight...to run away."

Donald facepalmed himself, while Gibbs and most of the other pirates agreed with Jack.

"Remind me to never come to this meeting again." Riku mumured softly, and Sora, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Terra, Mickey, Goofy, Cloud, and Vincent nodded in agreement.

Barbossa on the other hand, having his arms folded this time, pointed out smugly, "As per the code, an act of war can only be declared by the Pirate King."

"Pirate King?" Sora asked, dumbfounded. His companions and other friends shared his confusion.

"Since when did Pirates even have a king?" Reno asked, skeptically.

"You made that up!" Jack accused Barbossa, though he didn't sound all convincing and actually felt his score lowering.

"Did I know? I call on Cap'n Teague, Keeper of the Code." Barbossa declared, which all but made Jack's expression falter right to a horrified and uncomfortable look.

"Uh oh. Looks like trouble." Lea muttered, worriedly.

"Sri Sumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly!" A man with a turban on his head spoke for Captain Sri Sumbhajee who apparently couldn't speak. "Hang the code. Who cares-"

 _ **BANG!**_

A gunshot sounded and the man fell over dead which made everyone jump in fright and the women outside of Port Royal gasped in horror, Sora and the others gasped in terror, as Goofy exclaimed, "GARWSH!" and Donald screamed while clinging onto Goofy.

"Oh my gosh!" Mickey exclaimed, horrified. "Where'd that come from!?"

Soon all except for Jack slowly turned to the direction where the gunshot had came from, and saw a lone man from a small staircase above, as he blew the smoke from the pistol, saying in a deep and warning tone, "The Code is the Law."

"Who is that?" Vincent whispered, as the other Pirates returned to their seats.

"Maybe he's Captain Teague." Skuld guessed softly. Captain Teague in the meantime descended the stairs and was coming towards the main table, coming behind Jack who still hasn't moved and looked even too terrified to even do so. When the man stepped into the light, Sora and his friends and allies outside of this world were surprised.

Because despite the red coat and completely different Pirate attire, with a larger hat, he strongly resembled to an older version of Captain Jack Sparrow, and immediately Sora and the rest of his travelling companions felt deja vu as they remembered how Cassim looked like an older version of Aladdin in Agrabah.

"Unless I'm mistakin', I'm guessin' he's Jack's dad." Lea whispered.

"I think you're right." Roxas nodded in agreement.

"Me too." Ven agreed.

Teague in the meantime, stopped behind the younger pirate, and told him, "You're in my way, boy." which Jack just silently slithered to the side without argument or even attempting to make one. Teague gestured behind him, and two ancient pirates hobbled forward, carrying between them a massive book.

"What's with the Book?" Terra inquired.

"The Code." Pintel breathed in awe.

"You mean Parley?" Goofy asked, curiously. Teague in the meantime whistled and a dog carrying a key came forth. Almost immediately Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Pintel and Ragetti recongised it; it was the same Dog left behind on Cannibal Isle!

"No way!" Lea exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief. "How'd that dog get here!?"

"Sea turtles, mate." Teague answered with a mere shrug while taking the keys, unlocked the lock and then opened up the book while the Dog barked and then left. The older Pirate then scanned through the book until he found what he was looking for and said, "Ah, Barbossa is right."

"Sea turtles?" Tseng inquired, surprised.

Reno rolled his eyes, having heard that story before. "At least it's more convincin' with the dog then it is with Jack and Will standin' on two of them."

"Now I'm certain I don't want to know." The Wutaiian Turk sighed.

"Hang on a minute." Jack mumured as he moved over as Teague stepped back to allow the younger man to read through the book to make sure himself. " _'_ It _shall be the duties, as the king, to declare war, parley with shared adversaries_ _..._ _'_ Fancy that."

"There's not been a king since the first Court." The French Pirate Lord said. "And that's not likely to change."

"Not likely." Teague muttered in agreement as he moved away from the table, picked up a guitar and sat against the wall behind Jack.

"Why not?" Xion asked, puzzled.

"You see, the Pirate King is elected by popular vote-" Gibbs began.

"And each Pirate only over votes for hisself." Barbossa finished.

Ven sighed as he muttered while folding his arms, "Guess we're stuck." and his friends nodded in agreement.

However, Jack didn't seem to be giving up as he called up, "I call for a vote." which made the other pirates groan but knew that they didn't have much of a choice for that matter, while Teague then played a tune which was immediately pleasent.

An Arabian Pirate Pirate then started, "I vote Ammand the corsair."

"Capitaine Chevalle, the penniless Frenchman." The French Pirate Lord spoke next as he stood up.

"Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee." The Indian Pirate beside Sri Sumbhajee spoke for his Captain.

The chinese female Pirate Lord stood up as she spoke, "Mistress Ching!"

"Gentleman Jocard." The African Pirate Lord spoke next.

Elizabeth shrugged, then decided to play along and spoke next, far less enthusiastically, "Elizabeth Swann."

"Barbossa." Barbossa said next.

"Vallenueve!" The Spanish Pirate Lord said next.

A pause, and when it came to Jack's turn, his answer surprised and shocked everyone else except for Teague in the room.

"Elizabeth Swann." Jack concluded.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, astonished.

"What?" Sora echoed, equally shocked.

"Huh?" Donald asked, dumbfounded.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Jack smirked.

Lea shared at him, before asking suspiciously, "Who are you and what have you done to Captain Jack Sparrow?"

Not liking Jack's popular vote, the other seven Pirate Lords protested and demanded Jack to vote for them or at least that's what Jack and his travelling worldly companions thought was what they said. So many people spoke up all at the same time that it sounded like gibberish at this point.

"Am I to understand that you lot will not be keeping to the Code then?" Jack finally spoke up loudly to get everyone to shut up.

The combination of Serah clearing her throat loudly and scoldingly, followed by a loud sharp twang of a guitar string breaking and Teague looked up sharply with a dangerous gleam in his eyes gazing at the rest of the Court who, all remembering both Serah's terrifying outburst and Teague shooting dead one of the Indian Pirates, slowly and scaredly returned to their seats.

All except for Mistress Ching who was the first to ultimately agree with the vote, being a woman herself. "Very well." She responded, before turning to Elizabeth and inquired, "What say you Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?"

Elizabeth felt nervous, but she knew what she had to say, and stood tall and bold, "Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn, we are at war." and Jack smiled approvingly. It seemed he finally had the heart to forgive her. It was the same determination that had him exiled from this world in the first place, and it was going to take that same determination to end the darkness that was Davy Jones and Beckett.

Sri Sumbajee rose from his seat, and, for the first time since the entire Court began, spoke...in a much higher voice higher than Mickey's, " _And so, we shall go to war!_ " if not around the same pinch.

Jack, Sora, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Serah, Mog, Strelitzia, Skuld, Myde, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Vincent, Tseng, Rude, Reno and Elena all shared at Sri Sumbhajee incredulously while most of the other pirates cheered in agreement, while no one noticed Barbossa jerk his head at Pintel and Ragetti who both hid the bowl full of most of the nine Pieces of Eight and innocently skittered away.

"How much helium did that guy suck into his throat to make that tone permament?" Reno half-jokingly asked to Rude who shrugged.

"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow's the big day." Terra suggested, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Great, looks like we're going into war after all." Myde grumbled as he followed the others out.

"At least it's not the Keyblade War." Goofy pointed out.

Sora made to follow, but stopped as he looked back to Jack who in turn faced Teague who just stared at the younger Pirate.

"What?" Jack shrugged, approaching his father whom he hasn't seen in a long time. "You've seen it all, done it all, and you survived. That's the trick, isn't it, to survive?"

"It's not just about livin' forever, Jackie." Teague shook his head as he set the guitar aside and stood up. "The trick is, livin' with yourself forever."

Sora listened in to the conversation, and realised that this was indeed Jack's father. Despite that the teenager felt that this reunion was awkward, Sora decided that he should leave them both be and headed out the door to follow the rest of his friends to get some sleep, leaving the two men into their conversation. As Terra said, tomorrow's the big day, and while this wasn't the Keyblade War, it was still a war that they were all going to participating.

Jack considered his father's words. It's been years since they were this close, and considering how the younger man always had an awkward relationship with Teague, Jack didn't know what else to say.

Except for one thing; "How's Mum?"

Teague didn't answer straight way. Instead, he held up a shrunken head for Jack to see.

An awkward silence.

"...She looks great." Jack said nervously with a failed smile.

Tomorrow would be the big day of war, and as everyone knew, many lives were going to be lost. And a sacrifice was going to be made.

* * *

 **A/N: While Snow isn't my favorite character, since Commodore Norringtion does not exist in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, I'd thought I'd stick to the franchise's canon a little bit and stick in Snow instead.**

 **Sorry for the delay of posting this chapter. Had trouble in how to write it up.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	41. CH40: Pirate War

**Author's Note: As Pokeball645 informed me before I rechieved the reviews from Guest 1 and KingdomWarrior125, Port Royal is returning for the real KH3 and using the concept of At World's End with Luxord also returning.**

 **I'm thinking, in order to keep the storyline of KH3 close to the main story, they'll have Organization XIII not only also look for the Black Box, but also replace the East Indian Trading Company in using the Heart of Davy Jones to prepare Sora for the upcoming Keyblade War.**

 **Just my theory on this part, but Barbossa became an ally in the third film. I don't see why he can't become an ally like Lea/Axel did. Plus, a bit unreleated, but still Square Enixy, Cloud Strife is set to return for Super Smash Bros Ultimate as well.**

 **Well, that's all the news from E3 regards to KH3 for now, so I say we move on with the possible conclusion of Port Royal in this KH3 story.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH40: Pirate War.**_

As the Brethren Court meeting was underway, in the brig of the Black Pearl, Tia Dalma, or rather, Calypso, sat alone in sadness as she listened to the music being played by her Locket before gently closing it and the music chimed to a stop. Or so she thought, until she heard it continue on and it came from behind her. The Voodoo woman turned to the source of it, and no sooner she did, she immediately recongised the monsterous figure of Davy Jones who stepped out from the shadows, not having made a sound upon his arrival.

"Davy Jones...You have come." Calypso muttered as she stood up.

"You were expecting me." Davy Jones replied, still holding his own locket that played the same music. Both had the identical lockets with a broken promise of their 'love' many years ago and had kept with them for that long.

"It ha' been torture, trapped in human form, cut off from de sea, from all t'at I love, from you." Calypso muttered, loathing those who had imprisoned her as a human for centuries.

Davy Jones stood there, thinking about what he just told Beckett, Maleficent and that wrenched boy Will Turner who, much to his chargin, revealed that Jack Sparrow was still alive and Beckett, Maleficent and that useless lug Pete hadn't told him anything about that. Though Will did come in handy as he'd been rescued by Beckett and having possessed Jack's magical Compass, the young former Blacksmith bargained for the freedom of his father and the safeties of Elizabeth Swann as well as Sora, his friends, allies and Will himself. How Davy Jones told them that he'd been the one who told the First Court how to imprison Calypso due to the hurtful and hateful betrayal.

Yet he still mentally asked himself why he came here in the first place, to see the Goddess he...foolishly fell in love with.

"Ten years I fulfilled the duty you charged to me, ten years I looked after those who died at sea." He replied, bitterly as he closed the locket, abruptly cutting off the music. "But, after ten years, when we could be together again, you weren't there. Why weren't you there?"

"It was in my nature." Calypso replied, shaking her head in sadness. "Would you love me, if I was anything but what I am?"

Davy Jones scoffed, taking a few steps back as he hissed, "I do _not love you_." but stopped as Calypso followed him in her cage.

"Many things you were Davy Jones, but never cruel. You have forgotten your purpose and so yourself, become corrupted by the darkness, and you did hide away what always should have been mine." Calypso responded, her eyes never leaving his as she reached out from the bars.

The moment her hand touched his chest, Davy Jones almost instantly went into a transformation that caught him by ultimate surprise. He ultimately transformed from his current never-ending form into the form he once lost and once was; a human. The coldness from his cursed body and within him vanished, replaced by the shockingly familiar pressence of what it felt like to be a human.

"Calypso..." Davy Jones breathed, reaching out his hand at her in return.

"I will be free, and when I am, we will be together always, and I will give you my heart..." Calypso told him, then frowned as she pulled away, "If only you had a heart to give in return." and the moment she did, Davy Jones returned to his cursed form, much to his anger. "Why did you come?"

That question made him stop from reaching out his claw to grasp her throat, and decided not to do it anyway. Only problem is, his claw is stuck in the hole of the bars due to him having reached out his hand to Calypso when he briefly returned to his human form. To get himself unstuck, Davy Jones morphed himself through the bars and was now in the Brig with Calypso who took a couple steps back.

"And what fate have you planned for your captors?" The cursed Pirate questioned.

"De Brethren Court." Calypso growled as she approached the bars of her prison, continuing, "All of d'em, de Keybearers, especially Ventus and de other Foretellers, and de destroyers of Bhunivelze and Chaos, last d'ing dey will learn in this life...is how cruel I can be. Bhunivelze will return, and unleash his wrath, to punish all mortals. Yet, Chaos and his followers fail to see de path d'ey have chosen."

Well, at least he wasn't the only one who wanted the Keyblade wielders punished. Davy Jones knew little of Bhunivelze, only that the God created a war against humanity but was ultimately defeated though not destroyed. He couldn't care less of what became of Sora and his friends other than he would prefer them and Jack Sparrow dead.

As he made to leave, he paused when Calypso questioned for the final time, "And what of your fate, Davy Jones?"

"My heart will always belong to you." Davy Jones answered in sadness, before disappearing through the wall to return to the Flying Dutchmen, leaving behind Calypso who smiled in sastifaction.

* * *

Early the next morning, all Pirate vessels lined up while the fog filled the air that was slowly clearing. Soon, the Flying Dutchmen came into view as did the Endeavor and the pirates all cheered for war. But that soon stopped and silenced as more and MORE fleeting ships appeared, which, given the count as the Pirates, the worldly travellers, and the Midgar residents soon looked on in quick dawning shock and horror, outnumbered the Pirate fleet.

"Ah crap. We're so screwed." Reno muttered, eyes wide.

It didn't help as a large number of Heartless hovering over the Dutchmen appeared as well.

"We're dead." Myde muttered, scaredly.

Cotton's Parrot quickly flew off his master's shoulder, fleeing to Shipwreck Cove for safety to wait it out on a tree, squawking, "Awk! Abandon Ship! Abandon Ship! Awk!"

"...Who wants to go and follow the bird?" Roxas asked, nervously. Donald, Goofy, Myde, Lea, Reno, Pintel and Ragetti slowly raised their hands, while everyone else slowly turned to stare at Jack who grinned nervously at their angry glares.

"...Parley?" He muttered sheepishly.

* * *

Parley said and done, Jack, Sora, Elizabeth, Mickey, Riku and Barbossa walked to meet the six figures on the long sandy bar, out beyond where the two fleets were anchored. On the other side waiting for them were Will, Dulor, Beckett, Pete, Maleficent and Davy Jones who was in two buckets of water, since he is unable to set foot on land, and if the situation was different, Sora would've laughed.

Apparently even Vanitas found the sight amusing, because there was no stopping him from laughing, yet Sora chose to ignore it and focus on meeting with the six enemies. Barbossa frowned at Will who stared back. Riku glared at Maleficent who smiled cruelly. Mickey glared at Pete who smiled sinisterly at his archenemy. Elizabeth glared daggers at Beckett who smiled evilly. Sora glared at Dulor who grinned in return. Finally, Jack screwed up his face slightly in disgust at the mutant-undead Pirate who raised an eyebrow at Jack's disgusted and slightly scared look.

"Will...how could you!?" Sora demanded angrily and hurt. It was bad enough that his friend attempted to sell him and the others to the enemies, and he hadn't forgotten what Will had told him days before.

"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door." Barbossa stated to Will who said nothing.

Maleficent smiled, "No need to blame the young man. He was simply a pawn to the betrayal. If you wish to see the true traitor, I suggest you look to your left."

Barbossa, Riku, Mickey, Elizabeth and Sora turned to look at Jack who looked to his left and saw nothing, before realizing that the others were glaring at him.

"My hands are clean at this." Jack told them.

"My actions were to my own and my own purpose. Jack had nothing to do with it." Will spoke this time.

"Well spoke!" Jack praised, which made Sora and Riku roll their eyes.

Elizabeth though didn't care who betrayed who. All that mattered is now that Will was here, he needed to hear what she had to say. "Will, I've been aboard the Dutchmen with Isa, Serah and Aqua. I understand your burden now, but I fear that cause is lost."

While Elizabeth's words stunned him and gave him some relief, Will replied, "No cause is lost, if there is but one fool left to fight for it."

"If Turner wasn't part of your plan, how did he give me this?" Beckett inquired, holding up Jack's compass, and Barbossa rolled his eyes in irritation while Riku sighed in exasperation, and both Sora and Mickey groaned and facepalmed themselves. Jack cringed, knowing that he was caught redhanded. "You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates, and here they are."

He tossed the Compass back to Jack who caught it, as Beckett continued, "Don't be bashful. Claim your reward." gesturing at Davy Jones, while Jack shuddered again, realising that Beckett never made to honor his agreement. Of course that lying Lord would go against his word.

"Your debt to me is still to be satisfied, Jack Sparr'a. One hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman, as a start." Davy Jones declared, glaring at Jack.

"He already died, so why does he still have to pay it?" Sora pointed out, folding his arms.

"Yes, that dept was paid. With help." Jack added in agreement.

"But he did get away from death." Dulor pointed out.

"It still counts of having died." Riku stated.

Elizabeth watched on the small argument, until she had an idea and came to realise what Jack's intentions were. Even though it would hurt to lose him again, he was willing to do this for the future of her and Will, and Will's father. Maybe this could work out to their advantage.

So she spoke up, "I propose an exchange. Will leaves with us, and you can take Jack."

"What!?" Sora, Riku and Mickey exclaimed, shocked.

"But why!?" Mickey demanded.

Even Barbossa objected, "Jack's one of the Nine Pirate Lords. You have no right."

"King." Elizabeth pointed out with a smirk.

"King?" Maleficent repeated in confusion. She turned to Pete who shrugged, just as clueless as she was.

"I ain't got no clue what that pipsqueak's talkin' about." Pete admitted.

Jack, while shocked at first, realised what Elizabeth was doing and while he knew that it would be complicated, this was part of his and Will's plan earlier. So he removed his had and bowed to the woman grandly, "As you command, your majesty."

Barbossa, seeing Jack's piece of eight, immediately swung his sword while forcing the three Keyblade Masters to back off a bit, and Jack's beads were cut off. The monkey then went to pick it up while Jack gazed in disgust before his rival approached him.

"If ye have something to say, I might be saying something as well." Barbossa sneered.

"First to the finish, then?" Jack replied, before stepping forward as did Will, the two of them circling and eyeing each other, the glint in their eyes confirming that this was exactly what they had wanted to do. But when Jack looked to his new position, Pete, Maleficent, Dulor and Beckett moved over, smiling evilly as they gestured for the man to stand next to Davy Jones.

"You will be standing with him." Dulor told him, smirking.

Jack cringed in disgust as he was forced to stand next to Davy Jones, while Sora moved aside to allow Will to stand next to Elizabeth.

"De you fear death?" Davy Jones questioned, and Jack's face fell.

"You've no idea." The younger man replied, putting his hat back on.

Maleficent turned her gaze to Mickey, and spoke, "Perhaps you will be more truthful in what I want."

"We know what you want, Maleficent." Mickey replied, glaring at the evil witch. "And we don't have it."

"Not even in your home?" The witch replied, suspiciously.

"Nope."

"Well, if you do know it, then where is it and that Black Box?" Pete demanded this time.

The King folded his arms, answering, "I don't know, and even if I did know, I wouldn't tell ya's. That's the truth."

"Then maybe that old Yen Sid might know. We can get answers outta him." Pete suggested.

Mickey tried not to flinch, despite that it was possible that his mentor was gone, but he tried to hold onto the hope that Yen Sid was still alive. So, he replied, "Sorry, but Yen Sid's disappeared and I don't know where he is either."

"Looks like you guys are back to square one." Sora said to Pete and Maleficent with a bit of a smirk and Riku echoed that expression.

"Hmph." Maleficent scoffed and said nothing more, as did Pete and Dulor.

This allowed Beckett to have this meeting come to it's conclusion, "Advise your brethren; You can fight, and all of you will die, or you can not fight, in which case only most of you will die."

"Don't see a difference if you just want to kill all of us anyway whether we fight you or not in your opinion." Riku pointed out with a scoff.

"The kid has a point." Pete whispered to Maleficent who resisted to roll her eyes.

Elizabeth approached Beckett, growling so deeply that she looked like a lioness to attack her prey or opponent. "You killed my father."

"He chose his own fate." Beckett responded, unfazed.

"Then you have chosen yours. We will fight, and _you_ will die." Elizabeth declared, before turning and began to walk away, with Will, Sora, Riku, Mickey and Barbossa following, the decision being finalized. The monkey returned to Barbossa's shoulder and handed him Jack's piece of eight.

"So be it." Beckett whispered.

"King?" Will asked Elizabeth and their friends about his lover's new position.

"Of the Brethren Court." Riku answered.

Sora shrugged, adding, "It was Jack's idea."

That made sense, Will thought. "Maybe he does know what he's doing."

"Not if they lock 'im up, though." Mickey pointed out. Jack had been taken prisoner and given the situation, it wasn't a change of sides exhange. It was for Will's freedom and Jack's imprisonment.

"I wouldn't worry. If there's one thing I know about Jack, he can get himself out of any sticky situations." Sora ensured.

* * *

This was sticky situation Jack didn't have in mind as he was locked up in the brig on the Flying Dutchmen, stripped of his hat and accessories. The only thing he wasn't stripped off was his Keyblade which thankfully no one but his wordly travelling companions knew of. Still, he had yet to use his Keyblade to unlock or lock any lock as he mainly used it as a weapon.

"Bravo!" A voice spoke startled him, causing him to turn and, to his shock and surprise, was another him who was with a coat and hat. Jack blinked in confusion. Was he hallucinating for real this time? Must be. "You came onboard the Dutchmen with success."

Deciding that it was all in his head and possibly the effects of the Dutchmen itself, Jack began to argue with...well, himself, "Look-" but was cut of by another hallucination of himself who stood by his left.

"Oh yes, congrats, mate. Except for this sojourn in the brig, it's utter clockwork." The second hallucination said.

Somehow Jack remembered that Kronk had been talking to himself and wondered that if that baffoon had been talking to hallucinations of himself back at Kuzcotopia. Made sense considering how even Yzma had no clue either, and now it was happening to Jack Sparrow, and he didn't like it.

"Go away." He told the hallucinations.

"Where, to the Locker?" The first hallucination asked sarcastically.

"Not without you, Jackie." The second hallucination told the real Jack who cringed.

Then all three of them were startled by a third hallucination who was one of Jack's worst nightmares. Himself bound to the Dutchmen and attached to the wall, as the third hallucination said, "Stab the heart. Live forever as Captain of the Flying Dutchman."

The third hallucination then pulled out his brain as Jack and the other two hallucinations approached him. "But then, how can you, when you're in the brig?" The third hallucination asked before licking the brain, much to the real Jack's disgust.

' _Yuck._ ' He thought. He hoped he'd never end up doing that for real.

"It does put immortality out of reach." The second hallucination agreed, while the first one fiddled at Jack's hair.

"Oh! Peanut." The first hallucination squealed before eating the peanut.

* * *

 _Back with Sora's group..._

"Welp, looks like we can use the Black Pearl to fight the Dutchmen." Mickey said as he, Sora, Elizabeth and Will climbed onboard the Black Pearl and rejoined their friends, only for all of the worldly travellers, the Midgar residents, Elizabeth and Will freezing at the sight before them as they stood behind Barbossa.

"Were we now?" The Pirate Captain inquired.

Before them were most of the crew guiding a tied up Tia Dalma up onto the deck slowly and carefully.

"Tia Dalma's Calypso!?" Sora exclaimed, shocked.

"You've got to be kidding me." Cloud muttered, eyes wide.

Lea gasped, horrified, before protesting at Barbossa, "Are you crazy!? She's too dangerous!" unable to believe that the Pirate Captain was still willing to set Calypso free.

"This is a mistake! You can't do this!" Strelitzia objected in agreement with the redhead.

"They're right. You can't release her!" Will agreed. But he, Elizabeth, Sora, Riku, Mickey, Lea, Strelizia, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Serah, Mog, Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Zack, Tseng, Elena, Reno, Rude and Myde were held by some of the crew to stop them from stopping Barbossa's plan.

"We need to give Jack a chance." Elizabeth added.

Barbossa turned to her and snarled, "Apologises, yer majesty. It was too long for me fate to not be in my own hands. But not anymore." before pulling Sao Feng's necklace off, and dropped both it and Jack's beads into the bowl along with the other items.

"I knew you were still bad!" Donald growled angrily.

"Gawrsh, I don't think this is such a good idea." Goofy added, worriedly.

"Should have known you would still attempt to free her." Vincent hissed dangerously.

The pirates ignored the trio, and instead Gibbs inquired, "There be some kind of incantation?"

"Aye." Barbossa replied. "The items brought together must be burned, and someone must speak the words ' _Calypso, I release you from your human bonds_ '."

"That's it?" Myde asked, dumbfounded. "That's the simplest thing I've ever heard.'

"Ah, but it is said it must be spoken as if to a lover." Barbossa grinned, while Gibbs poured some rum into the bowl.

"Ugh." Zack groaned, disgusted. He couldn't imagine Barbossa being a romantic kind of guy, let alone being able to speak like a guy in love. Neither did his friends, because they held similiar and or worried looks themselves.

Barbossa did not comment on Zack's disgust. Instead, he hollared like a king, " **Calypso! I release you from you human bonds!** "

He then attempted to light it with the fuse Ragetti gave him, and the pirates winched while bracing themselves. Tensed few seconds...nothing happened, much to their confusion, especially Barbossa's.

"Oh yeah, that worked _real_ well." Isa commented sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Cloud facepalmed himself while everyone else not from this world share glances.

"No, no. You didn't say it right." Ragetti pointed out to Barbossa who turned to him questionly. "Y-you have to say it right."

Sora and the others held at gunpoint were unable to move or to anything to stop this from happening as the very nervous Ragetti leaned over to Calypso, saying correctly, "Calypso...I release from your huma' bonds."

As soon as he said this before moving away, Calypso snapped her head forward and instantly the items bursted into flames on their own, alarming everyone and on top of that, the bowl floated in the air as though enchanted by the words. The crew then had Calypso inhale the smoke.

"Tia Dalma!" Will exclaimed, struggling against the pirates holding him captive. "Calypso..."

Calypso opened her eyes and sharply turned to face him, causing the bowl to lose it's levitation and fall onto the deck.

"When the First Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it that told you how to do it?" Will questioned.

"Name him." Calypso demanded, as she had no idea who it was.

But Will did. "Davy Jones."

Calyspo was shocked and dismayed that the one she had loved had not only turned into a mutated Heartless, but was also the one who told the Brethren Court how to imprison her. Fury and sorrow made her yell in agony before she suddenly began to grow in size, much to everyone else's shock and horror.

"This is it! This is it!" Pintel exclaimed as he and everyone else quickly backed away as far as they could while Calypso continued to grow in size until she was taller than the mast of the Black Pearl.

Sora and Riku had Kairi behind them while Lea and Isa did the same with Roxas and Xion, Cloud and Zack with Tifa, and Tseng with Elena. Skuld, Strelitzia, Terra and Aqua had Ven, Serah and Mog behind them. Reno, Rude, Mickey, Donald and Goofy shook in fear.

"Dear Ifrit." Reno whispered, horrified at the sight.

"Dear Odin." Rude echoed, his eyes widening behind his sunglasses.

"HOLY KINGDOM HEARTS! She just-just grew into a giantess!" Myde exclaimed in fear.

"Shhh!" Aqua shushed him, while her heart hammered wildly at this horrifying display.

Barbossa though, not allowing his fear to show but knew respect would possibly work, stepped forward in front of everyone else and knelt before the Goddess.

"Calypso!" He called as he bowed, with everyone else, even the terrified worldly travellers, Midgar residents, Elizabeth and Will who all shared a glance, kneeling as well to avoid in getting into more trouble. "I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I've fulfilled me vow and now as yer favor. Spare meself, me ship, me crew...but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves yer masters...or mine."

But Calypso wasn't keen on doing as the man requested. Instead she began to hollar in a completely different language no one seemed to understand which made everyone stand and back off again. Almost instantly afterwards, she then dissolved into hundreds of Crabs which fell into the ocean, some landing on the deck of the Black Pearl as everyone quickly braced themselves.

"Wak!" Donald screamed as one crab pinched onto his tail feathers before he pulled it off and tossed it into the ocean, yelling, "Get your claws off me!"

"Is everyone okay?" Sora called out.

"Apart from nearly havin' a heart attack, yeah." Reno replied, panting.

"Well, that didn't work." Cloud commented, shaking his head. He then turned accusingly at Barbossa, quiering angrily, "So what's the plan now?"

"Nothin'." Barbossa replied, simply. "Our final hope has failed us."

Lea, growling angrily, stormed over to Barbossa and yelled, "Did you really think releasing her was going to make things easier!? Do you realise what you just did!? Not sure if you heard of another legend, but she was on another bad God's side that caused major problems to humanity even before this mess with that Fish-Captain even started! We already have enough problems with Chaos and the risk of that same God from before waking up. Now thanks to you, history's gonna repeat itself!"

"Calm down, Lea!" Strelitzia rushed over, pulling at the redhead's arm. "Calypso isn't the only Goddess to worry about joining Bhunivelze or Chaos! There is another and...while Captain Barbossa's actions is reckless and put everyone in danger, you can't blame him for not having seen this happening."

"She's right." Serah agreed, approaching the others. "But we can't give up hope. There still is a chance that Bhunivelze and Chaos and all who follow them can be defeated. Either way, the fight isn't over yet, but that doesn't mean we should just stop now."

"We still have to fight our enemies." Kairi pointed out, as Lea sighed in frustration but calmed down none the less.

"But we still have the armada." Donald pointed out, worriedly.

"Aye, and with the Dutchmen, there's no chance." Gibbs added.

"It's only a fool's chance." Elizabeth muttered.

Terra shook his head as he approached her. "Even if there was a way to bring your father back, revenge isn't one of them, and he probably doesn't want to come back. He's in peace, and he wouldn't want you to die just for vengence. Hate, rage and revenge only strengthens the darkness inside you."

"If you let Beckett anger you further, especially for revenge, that only feeds the dark fires within you. You'll go astray. How does that honor your father's memory, Elizabeth?" Aqua added.

The blonde-haired young woman thought the words over, before turning to the two Keyblade wielders. "You're right."

She then turned to everyone else with renewed but different determination, "You will listen to me. LISTEN!" as the winds began to pick up, as though a storm was coming. "The Brethren will still be looking to here us, to the Black Pearl to lead, and what till they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No, they will see free men and freedom! And what the enemy will see will be the flash of our cannons, they will hear the ring of our swords and _they will know what we can do!_ By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs, and the courage in our hearts!"

As everyone listened and absorbed her courageous words, Elizabeth concluded, "Hoist the colours."

"Hoist the colours." Will agreed, and was soon added by the worldly travellers, Pintel and Ragetti.

"We made it this far, and we're not backing down now!" Sora declared with determination.

"Aye, the winds on our side, boys, that's all we need!" Gibbs agreed and the crew cheered.

Elizabeth turned to her own crew and hollared, "HOIST THE COLOURS!"

Tai Haung unsheathed his sword, rose it to the air and repeated the words in Chinese and the rest of the crew repeated it in the same language, as did all the other Pirates in their own language and soon all of the ships, including the Black Pearl, rose their flags, preparing for war.

* * *

Onboard the Endeavor, Beckett and Maleficent were sitting at a table on the deck, having a cup of tea when the winds began to pick up.

"Hmm? It seems we have a chilling but favorable wind." Maleficent commented.

"Oh, so we do." Beckett agreed, having already ordered his crew to their stations. He then signaled another soldier and ordered him, "Signal Davy Jones to give no quarter. That should brighten his day."

"Yes, sir." The soldier nodded.

"It seems things are coming along nicely. I believe I shall leave things to your hands. But do be warned not to take this lightly." Maleficent decided as she stood up, preparing her leave.

"I doubt even Sora and his friends can put an end to this. I do hope you will find what you're looking for, Lady Maleficent." Beckett smirked cruelly.

Maleficent smirked in return, before opening a corridor of darkness and stepped into it, taking her leave. Once she was gone, Beckett shook his head and grumbled under his breath, "At least I'm not stuck with that over-sized baffoon Pete."

* * *

Onboard the Flying Dutchmen, both Pete and Dulor noticed a flag signal and the latter knew what this meant, which made him grin. He turned to the crew and Davy Jones, calling out, "We give no quarter! To arms!"

"In this weather? You're crazy!" Pete protested, but was ignored.

Davy Jones in the meantime, while the crew of both human and mutant fish-pirates were preparing for battle, gazed up at the sky as the clouds swirled and formed a circle, thunder and lightning boomed and roared and flashed. Instantly, he knew what it was. This was no ordinary storm.

"Calypso." He muttered, knowing that she was freed, and as the rain began to pour, he felt the coldness of her anger and learned of his betrayal and wasn't going to forgive him anytime soon. In response and wanting more death, Davy Jones roared.

* * *

Both the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchmen sailed towards each other as the storm kicked in and already soaking everyone to the bone, while Gibbs made orders as Sora and the others helped while Aqua, Skuld and Donald made spells to keep the Gun Powder dry.

"You're kiddin' me!" Reno groaned as the rain was flattening his spiky hair.

"At least you have hair." Rude muttered sourly.

"Aw! My hair's getting ruined." Myde whined as he tried and failed to keep his hair dry.

"'Ave you noticed on top of everythin', it's rainin'!?" Pintel yelled.

"That's a bad sign." Ragetti said, as he had put an eyepatch over his eyesocket.

As the two ships raced towards each other, a great bolt of lightning struck the exact center of the sea between them, and instantly a giant whirlpool was being created and everyone soon began to notice.

Gibbs was the first to react as he exclaimed, "MAELSTROM!"

"We're not goin' in there, are we?" Lea asked, eyes wide in disbelief and horror.

"Probably." Riku muttered.

Sora and the others stared, before they turned to Barbossa who was gazing at his hand once more, until Elizabeth shouted, "Captain Barbossa! We need you at the helm!" and he turned to face her, quickly agreeing.

"Aye, that be true." Barbossa replied, with his own determination and resolve before shoving Cotton away from the wheel and took over, yelling out orders to the crew, "Brace up yards, ya cack-handed deck apes! Dyin' is the day worth livin' for."

As Barbossa sailed the Black Pearl into the dangers of the whirlpool, it appeared he wasn't the only crazy Captain willing to do this.

Pete was clinging on for dear life as he trembled in fear at the sight of the Maelstrom, screaming almost girlishly, "Let's get outta here!"

"Rear out, now!" Dulor ordered, hanging on as well, not as panicked but wasn't willing to risk this insane whirlpool fight.

"She'll no' harm us!" Davy Jones yelled, shoving a soldier away and took over, yelling out orders, "Full-bore and into the abyss!"

"You're insane!" Dulor shouted in disbelief.

"What are you, nuts!? That whirlpool's gonna swallow us up!" Pete added, terrified with wide eyes.

Davy Jones turned them and mocked, "Ha! Ye both 'fraid to get wet?"

Seeing that they were not going to get out of this, Pete couldn't help but muttered, "We're all gonna die." as he and Dulor turned back to gaze at the whirlpool which the Dutchmen just entered and was now going after the Black Pearl.

It wasn't long before cannon fire attacked the Black Pearl, though the Keybladers quickly used barrier spells to block most of it away, as both ships continued on further within the dangerous giant massive pool of water. It wasn't long before both ships were side to side and soon enough once they were in the firing range of cannon fire as all Pirates and non-pirates waited for the order, Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth and Gibbs gave the order on the Black Pearl, while Davy Jones did the same on the Flying Dutchmen.

The great leaden shots flew through the air, impacting upon mast and hull, the shrapnel flying in a dozen directions, burying into flesh and bone, causing damage as both ships attacked each other, sharing the insults and casualties.

"It be too late to alter course now, maties!" Barbossa declared at the helm, laughing manically as though he was enjoying this, driven deep into the heat of battle.

* * *

Within the brig of the Flying Dutchmen, as the war raged on outside, Jack and one of his hallucinations were pacing back and forth while the other two hallucinations just either stared out or in the mutated hallucination's case, still licking his brain.

"Think like welp, think like welp." Jack repeated over and over, trying to figure out how to get out of here. It wasn't until an idea came into mind, which, given the most logical thing, he would've thought of trying this sooner.

"Unlock any lock." The first hallucination muttered which made Jack and his hallucinations stop in realization.

"The Keyblade." Jack muttered, turning to face the door once more and despite the lock being outside, maybe he could try it in a different way. So, summoning his said Keyblade, the pirate wedged it into the cell door. Pushing downward on the weapon, the cell door gave a creak and a groan came free.

As soon as he kicked it down and was now free, Jack dismissed his Keyblade before racing out as he farewelled his hallucinations, "Wish us luck, boys. We'll need it."

A pause.

"I miss him already." The first hallucination of Jack muttered sadly.

"He's quite charming, isn't he?" The second one said in agreement.

"Maybe that's why Sora chose him to wield the Keyblade." The first one added.

The third hallucination then noticed something missing from his hand and his eyes widened in horror, shouting in panic, "No one move!" which startled the other two hallucinations to turn to him, as he added, "I dropped me brain."

' _Uh oh._ ' Both first and second hallucinations thought, worriedly.

* * *

It didn't take long for Jack to navigate his way into the Captain's Quarters while the tail signs of the battle raging on became obvious as cannon fire rocked the ship and he narrowly missed in being blasted himself. It didn't help that the Heartless appeared in his way and he had to get rid of them with the only weapon he had until he reached his destination.

He finally entered the room where both his accessories and the Dead Man's Chest were, only to stop when a voice, quite familiar in fact, shouted at him, "Halt there, or we'll shoot!"

There stood guarding the chest with two small cannons were two British soldiers, whom Jack recongised as Mourtogg and Mullroy as they turned to stop him. But a cannon fire behind them made them stumble and look more terrified than anything else.

"Good one." Jack smirked before going over to his weapons, slipping them and his hat on, "I've just come to get me effects." before pausing as he inquired to the two dimwitted men whom he outsmarted a year ago, hours before he met Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Admirable though it may be, why are you here when you could be elsewhere?"

"Someone has to stay and guard the chest." Mullroy answered. As if noticing that their cannons were still pointed at Jack, they quickly pointed them back at the Chest, only to begin a conversation.

"There's no question. There has been a breakdown of military discipline aboard this vessel." Mourtogg remakred.

"I blame the fish people and the giant ants." Mullroy muttered, while referring the Heartless as giant ants.

"Oh, so fish people and giant ants. By dint of being fish people and giant ants, automatically aren't as disciplined as non-fish people and non-giant ants."

Jack tried to say something, but the two dumb men were deep into their conversation that they hadn't even noticed he walked up to them and the chest. Feeling awkward and deciding not to get into this, Jack silently took the Dead Man's Chest and simply walked out, turning behind him once with a dumbfounded look at the reminder of how stupid those two guards were before simply deciding to forget about them and continued on leaving to continue his own plans without getting killed or Davy Jones noticing.

"Seems contributory, is all I'm suggesting." Mullroy said.

"True. If there were no fish people and giant ants, we wouldn't need to guard the chest." Mourtogg replied.

"And if there were no chest, we wouldn't be here to guard it."

Suddenly, it occurred to both of them that maybe something was not quite right. They looked at the pedestal that was between them and saw that the Chest was gone. They shared an incredious look.

Whoops.

* * *

The fight continued on and on with soldiers falling dead on the Dutchmen and Pete still clinging on for dear life while looking green in the face and feeling seasick.

"I'm not feelin' too good." Pete moaned.

"Just shut up and prepare to board!" Dulor yelled, getting more and more agitated by the second, only to be pushed down by Davy Jones who covered him just as another cannon fire made at the helm. While the two were fine, the same wouldn't be said for a couple of the soldiers who were fatually injured.

Unable to take it anymore and noticing the dark aura surrounding Davy Jones, Pete groaned before snatching the key around Dulor's neck and all but shoved it into Davy Jones' tentacles while cringing at the sliminess.

"I've had it! You two can go on with this fight, but I'm gettin' on outta here to look for that book and box!" Pete declared while using his dark magic to poof away to safety to another world.

"FINE! I will handle Sora and his friends myself! I've wasted enough time with Maleficent." Dulor growled angrily, storming down the stairs and prepared to board the Black Pearl himself, leaving a slightly surprised Davy Jones who then smirked.

That at least allowed him control once again as he hit his key within his tentacled beard. All he had to do now was finish off his enemies and things would return the way he wanted.

Jack in the meantime, fighting off Heartless on his way out, exited the cabin and saw the intensed fight, while also shocked that he and both ships were in the middle of the giant whirlpool. Where did this come from?

A moment too late, Jack nearly bumped into Davy Jones who noticed him and chuckled, soon surrounded by his crew as they slowly advanced on Jack who slowly backed away.

"Lookie here, boys. A lost bird. A lost bird that never learned to fly!" Davy Jones mocked while drawing out his sword.

"To my great regret. But," Jack shrugged before he darted up to the railling, continuing, "Never too late to learn, ay?" and then he struck the release as his feet, and the locks holding the ropes came loose, sending Jack into the air as he screamed before landing on the main mast above it all. Jack quickl straightened himself only to frown in horror as Davy Jones somehow managed to beat him there and was approaching him.

"Give me the chest, Sparr'a!" Davy Jones bellowed.

Forging his Keyblade unless it was an emergancy, Jack instead drew out his own cutlass, and said, "I can set you free."

"My freedom was taken away long ago!" Davy Jones growled before yelling and made to kill Jack who quickly blocked his attack and the two began to fight viciously, trying to overpower each other, both of them having each goal in mind that would be the end result of the war happening below them. The two pirates fought in an heated one on one battle despite that Jack was at the disadvantage due to being immortal, he had the advantage because he had the Chest. It still wasn't easy, though.

* * *

In the larger scale of the battle, things had been taken to the next level. Now, crewmembers from each ship were swinging across the maelstrom, boarding to try and take each other over. Soon the real fight began, even as Tseng, Vincent, Elena and Will fired a gunshot each at four mutant-pirates who were forced to let go of the ropes and fell into the abyss of the Maelstrom below. Serah did the same with her arrows and bow. No sooner had the enemies boarded, the Heartless made their move and attacked without mercy.

It left everyone to fight now. Even Barbossa seemed to forget completely about steering the Black Pearl as he became overwhelmed by the mutated fish men of Davy Jones' crew.

Sora took on as many as he could, blocked the attacks of the mutant fish-pirates before hacking and slashing at them, knocking them over the railing where they fell to their demise. The heartless soon swarmed at him but Sora was ready for it, as he quickly changed into his Valor form to bring up his second Keyblade, double wielding it as this increased his speed. He then shot out orbs of blue light at the Pirate-Heartless who didn't stand a chance in getting near him at all even though they gave him a couple of scrapes, but this hardly phased him.

"Back off!" He yelled as he tried a new skill, double tossing his Keyblades the way Lea would with his Chakrams, suceeding in having the two Keyblades fly and hit as many enemies as possible before they returned to him.

"Farewell!" Aqua yelled as she blasted rainbow lights from her Keyblade that hit the Heartless and the British soldiers, defeating them with ease. She then cartwheeled out of the way to avoid another Fish-Pirate as he tried to slice her in half, only to be slashed against the chest before she shoved him over another two, finishing them off with a Dream Weaver Spell that engulfed all three in the power of her light. She then turned and blocked another Heartless before destroying it and repeated the process.

"Riku!" Mickey called out, holding out a hand after he took out several Heartless with the Kingdom D Keyblade.

"Time's up!" Riku said to the enemies as he joined hands with his close friend and the two spun around and around, sending out their attacks of Light which hit and defeated their enemies, before they nodded and the two leaped up before descending down, smashing away several enemies that were knocked by the clash of their weapons. Mickey and Riku then turned their attention to other enemies that came onboard the Black Pearl.

"Light!" Kairi chanted as she held out her Keyblade and sent out three pink orbs of Light that sent the Heartless flying, before she flipped backwards to avoid either their swords or claws and when she had the chance, she swiped at them before blocking a soldier's sword, struggling against him until she had an idea. She quickly kneed him in the gut which caused him to lean over and his power over her dimmed before she whacked him on the head and pushed him over. She jumped out of the way when a Fish-Pirate attempted to attack her, only for him to be knocked over by Skuld who nodded and turned her attention to the rest of the enemies.

Skuld held her Keyblade up the air and summoned a Gravita Spell which absorbed the Heartless, Fish-Pirates and British Soldiers into the vortex before she leaped up and attacked in full assault of the enemies before landing safely on the deck while those she thought fell overboard, defeated and dead. She jumped to avoid another Heartless but was hit from behind and would've met her hand had Ven not toss his Keyblade at the Heartless and the Fish-Pirate that attacked his friend, defeating them and saving her. The two then nodded and stood back to back before joining hands and spun their Keyblades in mid-air before leaping and shot down rain of light onto the Fish-Pirates and Heartless who had no chance in escaping.

Terra, Cloud and Zack ended up teaming up as the trio cleaved their weapons down upon their enemies and while Terra thrusted his Keyblade with a full throttle at the Bulkly Heartless before using Ghost Drive to increase his power and somewhat speed at the Heartless as well as three Fish-Pirates, Zack thrusted his sword down with his strength before dodge-rolling out of the way and then spun around while killing the Heartless and British Soldiers that came his way, Cloud sped forward while stabbing several enemies with his Fusion Sword and then leaped before slashing onto the deck, while not creating holes, it still created three shockwaves that killed the Heartless and the British soldiers while knocking away the Fish-Pirates instantly.

Roxas, Xion, Donald and Goofy joined their weapons together in the air which resulted in having Donald's Fireworks spell that absorbed and destoryed the Heartless and British soldiers before they used the combination of Keyblade tossing, slashing and whacking, magic spells and Goofy's Shield attacks all in random and they were soon joined by Strelitzia who had her Keyblade glowing in light as she conjoured up a Triple-Blade skill that had her waving her hands while her Keyblade and the two Blades of Light knocked away as many enemies that came by, stunning her allies who quickly continued the fight as they went.

Isa, Tseng and Vincent joined forces as they delivered a combo of the slashing and whacking with Isa's Claymore and Keyblade, as well as Tseng and Vincent's fist and kicks skills before Isa thrusted his first weapon upon several enemies while Tseng and Vincen reloaded their guns despite running low on Ammo but still used them none the less. Tifa, Elena, Reno and Rude used their martial art skills by kicking and punching away their enemies. Tifa grabbed a Fish-Pirate by the collar, tossing him the air before she leaped up and grabbed him again before she thrusted him down into the abyss below before landing safely on the deck. Elena shot dead another British soldier before punching another in the face, knocking him out and then kicked a Heartless away, finishing it off with another gunshot.

Reno and Rude in the meantime had six Fish-Pirates trapped in the middle between them as Reno swiped his EMR in the air which unleashed electricity while Rude punched the deck creating a shock-wave, both attacks hitting their enemies before the two Turks then punched and kicked them in intensed speed and power before knocking them over-board.

Serah fired several arrows at the enemies before rolling out of the way as another tried to ambush her, turning her bow into her sword which she then clashed against other enemies with swords of their own before she slashed at them when she found openings to finish them and the lingering Heartless off while saving the lives of some of the crew who were about to get killed when they were knocked over.

Myde used his Water Elements to wash away the Heartles and many enemies while smacking and whacking the Fish-Pirates and the British soldiers, chanting, "C'mon, get to the beat!" and then had them swallowed up by his water pillars which he then commanded them to wash the bad guys overboard and crash into other incoming enemies who fell with them. Yet more just kept coming along with more Heartless.

Lea was slashing and slicing the Heartless and other enemies into pieces until a sight of a large card caught his attention. He quickly sliced it in half to avoid in becoming absorbed before he turned to face one of his worst enemies who stood there, chuckling.

"This is the day where you and all of your allies die, Axel." Dulor declared sinisterly, his own Sword and his Cards in hand.

"Not unless I get rid of you again first!" Lea hissed as he tossed his Chakrams at the man who blocked them with his sword, but was knocked back. None the less, he launched himself forward by turning into a piece of giant die to attack him. But Lea was ready as he leaped out of the way while catching his weapons before switching them out with his Keyblade and blared him a huge spinning Fire at him, swallowing Dulor up as he screamed while being burned, but wasn't enough to get rid of him easily.

As soon as the redhead landed, he quickly chanted another Firaga Spell to burn another summoned Card before he clashed a heavy clash against Dulor who now held an insane look that reminded Lea of when Saix would look like that in his berserk mode. Their fight continued on.

Will stabbed and sliced at many of his enemies despite feeling that the situation was only about to get worse as the wave of enemies and Heartless didn't seem to be ending. His gaze turned to Elizabeth who was fighting and killing many enemies as possible on her own and knew, if they had any chance to get married, even for a short time, he would die a married man no matter what.

"Elizabeth!" He called out, reaching out to his lover, requesting unexpectedly, "Will you marry me? I love you."

This not only caught Elizabeth by surprise, it also caught their friends by surprise despite all of them still fighting against the enemies.

"I don't think now's the best time!" Elizabeth stated incrediously.

"Don't you think it's better to have the wedding a more safer and peaceful place?" Myde suggested while knocking away another Heartless.

"Now may be the only time!" Will pointed out to Elizabeth, ignoring Myde. "I've made my choice. What's yours?"

Elizabeth didn't hesitate to answer, and, mentally agreeing that now may be the only time, knew there was only one man who can marry her to Will. So she cried out to Barbossa, "Barbossa! Marry us!"

"What!?" Zack exclaimed, confused and shocked, while slashing at another Heartless.

"Even Pirate Captain can be ministers and marry people!" Sora answered everyone else's unasked question, blocking another Fish-Pirate with his Keyblade.

Barbossa knocked away another Fish-Pirate and slashed and killed another Heartless, before yelling down at Elizabeth, not in the mood to preform or even attend a wedding ceremony, "I'm a little busy at the moment!"

"JUST DO IT!" Sora and Kairi shouted in unison, before sharing a glance when they found themselves standing next to each other and blushed, before Sora quickly pulled Kairi out of the way as he then blasted a Firaga on another Heartless, sending it overboard.

"Barbossa, now!" Will added.

Barbossa rolled his eyes as he sliced another Heartless in half and stabbed a soldier Heartless in the head, shouting in exasperation for having to fight as well as preforming a wedding at the same time, "Fine then!"

He clambered up onto the board which held firm the wheel to the Pearl's deck, so that he could be clearly seen. Barbossa then began grandly, "Dearly beloved, we be gathered here today..." only to be interrupted when another Heartless attempted to ambush him, which he quickly attacked until Mickey came up and smacked it away before he landed on the deck and finished it off, allowing Barbossa to continue, "To join these two lovers in matrimony!"

"This is the weirdest wedding I'm seeing!" Roxas commented as he tossed his Keyblade at Dulor when he noticed the villian giving Lea trouble, knocking the former tenth member of Organization XIII back slightly to save his best friend.

"No argument there, Rox'!" Lea commented while nodding his thanks and then moved to continue the fight against Dulor while Roxas was quickly forced to fight another horde of Heartless that stopped him from joining Lea into fighting the Card wielder.

Will and Elizabeth both had to fight many enemies that came up towards them until they found a brief moment of no interruptions, with Will asking as part of the ceremony, "Elizabeth Swann, do you take me to be your husband?"

"I do!" Elizabeth squealed happily.

"Great!" Will said, grinning, before they had to fight more enemies again, though they eventually joined hands and just continued with it as they teamed up at the same time.

"Will Turner, do take me to be your wife?" Elizabeth began before she and Will slashed another enemies away, allowing to continue, "In sickness and health, with health being less likely?"

"I do." Will replied once they faced each other once more, before being forced to fight again.

Barbossa clashed against two enemies on both sides, while all that was needed to complete the wedding was the kissing part, "As Captain, I now pronounce you husband and wife!" before being interrupted again and killed another flying Heartless that came by him and then shoved a Fish-Pirate against the helm.

He then tried to finish, "You may kiss-" though he had to break off and shot dead anotehr British soldier. He then tried again, "You may kiss-" but was again interrupted when a Heartless nearly knocked him over but was saved by Goofy who tossed his Shield and knocked the Heartless away which was then destroyed by another member of the Black Pearl crew.

Will and Elizabeth in the meantime tried to kiss but were interrupted themselves into fighting interrupting enemies when their swords unexpectedly met each other and they stared into each other's eyes in surprise.

"Just _kiss_!" Barbossa yelled, exasperated before continuing the fight to fend off the enemies.

The two lovers did so and Will and Elizabeth shared the deepening passionate kiss, finally married and for once not bothered by the battle as they were seemingly uninterrupted. The worldly travellers and the Midgar Residents couldn't help but smile as they caught on the kiss despite still fighting the enemies themselves.

Yet the fight was not yet over, and things were about to soon change.

* * *

 **A/N: Had to cut the fight into two halves, so the next chapter(when I'm able considering how my computer will probably die very soon, T^T) is definitely the last chapter of Port Royal. Sorry about the cliff-hanger guys.**

 **See you soon!**


	42. CH41: Farewell to a Companion

**Author's Note: This is definitely the last chapter of Port Royal, yet the main story is not yet over, and this will definitely be my longest fanfic story on record. Get ready for it!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH41: Farewell to a Companion.**_

The battle was getting so intensed that no one really payed attention to either helms of both ships anymore. All that mattered at the moment was who would win and survive and who would lose and die, but it didn't seem to be ending in anyone's favor as it came to the fact that this was a fight to the death. It didn't help mattered that Dulor had now been hellbent on just simply attacking anyone that came near him even as Lea continously sliced up his cards into pieces, he conjoured up more.

And no matter how many cure magics or potions the worldly travellers used, they were becoming dangerously exhausted and that wasn't a good thing.

Dulor send out shooting cards right at Lea who tried to block them with his Chakrams but several eventually hit him and he was sent flying backwards, crashing into the stairwell and his weapons dismissing themselves. The former No.10 laughed as he now had the advantage to finish the former No.8 off once and for all. The redhead panted, nearly out of energy and couldn't move even though he tried to will himself to move, but knew that as Dulor prepared for the final attack to either kill him or imprison him in his cards, it was no use.

"NO!" Roxas' voice exclaimed as Dulor stopped what he was doing, turning only to meet Roxas' double-Keyblades in attacking him and shoving him away from Lea who was shocked as Xion then approached and used her Curaga Spell while Isa quickly joined Roxas in dueling with Dulor now, avoiding the enemy's attacks as well as attacking him in return.

"Remind me to thank all of you guys later if we live through this." Lea commented to Xion who helped him stand up.

"We wouldn't live without you, Axel. You're family to us!" Xion pointed out with a warm smile.

Lea smiled in return, before the two friends hurried over to help Roxas and Isa to finish off Dulor once and for all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jack and Davy Jones continued their brutal fight against each other, even though the former was in very deep trouble as he fought and struggled with Jones over the Chest. Jack may have had more balance and poise than a lot of other people, but even he was hard-pressed to keep up the pretence in the middle of a violent storm, and it didn't help that his opponent was an undead monster who appeared to be in a murderous rage.

Eventually the two locked swords and their eyes met, though Jack tried very hard not to let his opponent's monsterous gaze faze him, no matter how terrifying they were.

"You can do nothing without the key!" Davy Jones stated.

"I already have the key." Jack blurted out, thinking that the immortal Pirate was talking about the Keyblade, and mentally smacked himself for revealing that.

However, it seemed Jack didn't need to worry at the moment, because Davy Jones didn't think of the Keyblade, and instead showed him the key to the Dead Man's Chest, pointing out smugly, "No, you don't."

A short pause.

"Oh, _that_ key." Jack replied, realising his misunderstanding. No problem at all then. The two then spun around their swords, and this was the opening Jack needed. First he caught his enemy off guard by slicing the tentacle with the key off while it fell onto the deck somewhere as Davy Jones roared in pain.

He then tried to attack again, but this time Jack successfully knocked his sword out from his grasp where it landed onto the deck as well, before whacking him in the face with the iron chest. However, Jack's victory couldn't last. He made to slice off Davy Jones' clawed arm only for the immortal pirate to cut the blade into a short dagger with his claw.

' _Bugger._ ' Jack thought as he glanced at his broken sword. Even though Jack could still use his Keyblade, he knew that Davy Jones was dangerous because of his body, and that he was worried that Davy Jones could easily destroy the Keyblade as well.

Onboard the Black Pearl, Barbossa was having trouble of his own as he struggled against a Fish-Pirate as the two locked swords, though the former cursed Pirate was cornered and knew that he was stuck. Fortunately, Cloud sliced the Fish-Pirate in half at the last second and the two men then tossed the two pieces of the enemies overboard before they were forced to fight more enemies.

Unfortunately, the swirling waters of the maelstrom had gradually brought the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman closer and closer together. But no one had been really paying attention to just how close until it was too late. The masts of the two ships collided in a bone-jarring jolt, becoming tangled with each other and making the war far more dangerous. It caused several pirates who were still swinging to land onto either ship to swing out of control. At least the ones who were higher, but still.

The force of the impact caused Jack to lose his balance and would've fallen to his death had not only he held a tight grip on the chest, but also Davy Jones, in his panic, grab onto the chest as well to save his heart(and himself), but was very annoyed that Jack was hanging on and refused to let go.

Sora, who had dismissed his Valor form, had just finished off another Pirate-Heartless by thrusting his Keyblade down on it when the jolt nearly made him lose his balance but managed to stand up. When he looked to see what happened, his eyes widened in horror as he saw Jack dangling for dear life on the Chest, with Davy Jones holding a grasp on it.

"Jack!" Sora cried out worriedly, which Riku and Kairi both noticed, before the trio shared a glance and Sora told them, "I have to help him!"

"We'll be fine. Go!" Kairi told him, while she and Riku both quickly finished off two more Heartless.

The spiky-haired teen nodded and mouthed 'be careful' two his best friends who did the same and then he raced over to grab a rope before swinging himself towards the Flying Dutchmen while praying that his friends onboard the Black Pearl would be alright. The moment he landed, Sora was quickly surrounded by more of Davy Jones' crew which made him block each of their attacks as well as the attacks from the Heartless.

"No time for you!" Sora shouted, tossing his Keyblade as it spun around and knocked away many enemies as possible before he caught it again and then continued the fight with many opponents while trying to make his way to Jack.

He then gasped in horror as Davy Jones then flinged Jack into the air as the mortal Pirate screamed. Fortunately, Sora breathed a sigh of relief when Jack was unexpectedly saved when another Fish-Pirate caught him and he held onto the rope while swung around. Jack then noticed a familiar pistol on the Fish-man's belt.

"Oi! My pistol!" Jack pouted as he yanked it before clubbing the enemy in the forehead, knocking him down to his demise while Jack now had the rope to himself.

This done, Jack carefully aimed as he swung towards Davy Jones. He aimed carefully while Davy Jones, who was relieved to have his Chest back, then noticed too late as his most hated enemy fired a gunshot, hitting Davy's hand and causing him to drop the chest where it landed onto the deck. Only two seconds did that happen came Will, who also noticed that Jack was in trouble and having seen Sora swing over to help.

Though when he saw the Chest, he quickly grabbed it and knew what to do. But Will was quickly blocked when a familiar Fish-Pirate noticed him and hissed, "Turner!" before attacking him, yet Will used the Chest as a shield to avoid in getting sliced into pieces.

Fortuantely, Sora noticed and gasped that Will came onboard the Dutchmen as well and that he was in trouble. After quickly finishing off another Heartless and before he himself ended up ambushed himself, the Keyblade Master aimed and fired another Orb of Light which knocked over the Fish-Pirate overboard, saving his friend's life.

"Thank you, Sora!" Will said to his friend.

"We owe each other apologises later when we get out of this!" Sora replied, giving Will a thumbs up before finding himself forcing to fight more enemies again.

Will nodded, knowing that he did owe Sora and his friends an apology. Right now, though, he had to get the Chest back to Jack in order to make things work and to end this war once and for all. But as he neared the doors to the Captain's Cabin, he was attacked and ambushed by Bootstrap who, his mind completely bound to the ship, did not recongise his own son who dropped the chest onto the deck. This left Will with no choice but to fight his father, despite his pleads to make him stop and recongise him.

Jack in the meantime kicked away a flying Heartless before eventually landing on the deck in front of the chest just as Davy Jones, who landed on the deck earlier, neared it. But when Jack reached for his cutlass, he forgot that it was nothing more than a small dagger until it was too late. He then ran when Davy Jones cackled until the two were on both sides of the crank wheel. Davy Jones phase his way through it, though Jack quickly spun it, giving the immortal Pirate a spinning ride.

However, it hadn't worked out well as Davy Jones once again faced Jack and yelled monsterously and his tentacles spasming out in response.

"AAHHH!" Jack screamed, terrified, before running for his life but was blocked when Davy Jones came at him again.

Just as Davy Jones was about to attack again, he was knocked to the side when Sora whacked him with his Keyblade and rejoined his friend's side, asking incrediously, "You didn't think of using your Keyblade!?"

"Didn't think it would be good idea...until now." Jack admitted, as he and Sora turned to face Davy Jones again who growled like a dangerous animal. This left Jack now with no choice but to use his Keyblade in this fight. So he quickly summoned it and the two Keyblade wielders stood for another round.

This only increased Davy Jones' fury as he attacked, swiping his sword at the two Keyblade wielders who blocked his attack and again the clashes once again occured, this time Sora was added and it was three-way battle. Sora quickly chanted Firaga which burnt off parts of Davy Jones' tentacles, before he was slashed on the arm by an unexpect attack of the immortal Pirate. Jack quickly blocked the enemy's attempts to stab his friend and the two men clashed again, Sora returning the favor in saving Jack. The two kicked Davy Jones in the stomach which made him stumble back a little, but he whacked them back with his clawed hand as they landed on the deck.

Sora used Curaga on himself and Jack before the two stood up again and dodge-rolled out of the way when Davy Jones fired a gunshot at them which missed. The teenager then chanted Thunderaga, though it didn't do much damage and he and Jack both blocked Davy Jones' sword again, the duo struggling against the immortal Pirate's brutal strength. Eventually Sora and Jack shoved him back and hit several hits on Davy Jones who blocked most of them. It didn't help that Heartless appeared which forced Sora and Jack to divert into fighting Davy Jones and the Heartless.

Jack sliced three Heartless at different times while ducking to avoid Davy Jones' sword, and Sora used his Omninish burrowed from Cloud due their connections of their Hearts, and glowed in light before he dashed around the deck and took out as many Heartless as possible before going for Davy Jones who screamed when he was hit before the attack wore off. Instead Sora soon used his Strike Raid and attacked Davy Jones who somehow managed to block most of the attack while Jack shot five more Heartless with his pistol before quickly turning and blocked another Pirate-Heartless's sword. He kicked it in the stomach to push it back and finished off in a slash with his Keyblade.

However, Davy Jones proved too much for them even with Sora's status as a Keyblade wielder. The evil Pirate successfully stuck him and Jack violently on their heads and the two wielders dropped to the deck, unconscious and their Keyblades dismissed themselves.

While the battle raged on, Mourtogg and the terrified Mullroy, holding a tight grip of a rope together, swung straight towards the Black Pearl, Mourtogg giving out a battle cry which turned into a worried cry, and Mullroy giving out a blood-curdling scream, only that they were too low from the deck and smacked face first onto the side of the ship, but it wasn't enough for them to fall into the abyss. Seeing the two of them, Donald and Goofy quickly pulled them onboard the Black Pearl to safety despite that they were with Beckett, but they were unconscious for now.

In the meantime, Roxas, Xion, Lea and Isa continously destroyed and/or avoided Dulor's attacks until Roxas and Xion both tossed their Keyblade towards Dulor who tried to shield himself with his cards, only for Isa to capture him with the power of his wind from his Keyblade, causing their former co-work to scream in agony when he was hit by the teenagers' weapons. Finally, Lea dashed forward and to Dulor's horror, the redhead sliced him through the chest with his Keyblade which not only fatually wounded him into the heart, but also knocked him over towards the railing, where he stumbled and fell.

"Nooooooooooooooo!" Dulor's dying screams filled the air until it faded while he vanished into the abyss below. Dulor was now definitely gone for good.

The four of them looked over the railing as the battle was finally going into the Black Pearl's favor, though the fight won't be over until Davy Jones and Beckett are dead.

"Well, that's that." Lea muttered, panting. He and his three friends then sensed movement and quickly stepped out of the way to avoid more Heartless before the four of them were forced to continue the fight, this time aiding the rest of their friends and allies.

Elizabeth in the meantime, seeing Will, Jack and Sora in trouble, despite worrying about the rest of her friends, swung over at Gibbs' encouragement. The female Pirate King swung over and landed in front of the chest just after Davy Jones knocked down Sora and Jack and blocked him from getting to the chest, much to the evil Pirate's fury.

"Go ahead! Ye'll see no mercy from me!" He bellowed.

"That's why I brought this!" Elizabeth replied as she pulled out her sword and fought against Davy Jones herself despite the cursed Pirate being stronger than her.

Both Sora and Jack soon regained conscious as the two groggily awoke and not only did they see Elizabeth now fight against Davy Jones, which Sora quickly shook away the dizziness and hurried to help her when she was knocked down onto the deck, unconscious, but Jack saw the the tentacle that he had sliced from Jones' face, crawling across the deck right in front of his face. Clutched in the tentacle was the key to the Dead Man's Chest.

That was when Jack knew what he had to do, and now the time had come to make his sacrifice in order to save his friends.

Sora attempted to slash down at Davy Jones, but was caught by the neck by the latter's claw and then tossed to the side, knocking the wind out of the Keyblade wielder. Will in the meantime was still fighting his father until he finally knocked away the latter's sword and had him cornered and exhausted. He then turned and saw, to his horror, that both Elizabeth and Sora were knocked down and knew there was only one way to save them.

He turned back to his father, and struck the dagger into the wood beside him. Bootstraps' unthinking eyes were alight with confusion.

"I'm not going to kill you. I made you a promise." Will told him, before stabbing his father's knife onto the board next to Bootstrap, and then rushed over behind Davy Jones who attempted to finish off Elizabeth first. The young man quickly thrust his sword right through the evil Pirate's chest. Davy Jones let out a roar, though its origins were more from surprise than from pain. Except that Davy Jones didn't die.

"Missed." Davy Jones told him, and it was now that Will forgot that the man's heart was in the iron chest, not where it should be. "Did you forget? I'm a heartless wretch."

Davy Jones reached up and twisted up the metal blade of the sword so that Will couldn't pull it out. He then rounded upon Will while also swinging at Sakura. Will tried to stay behind Jones, ducking away But Jones was swift, and got Will right where he wanted after only a few seconds. He kicked Will savagely in the gut, knocking him against the side of the Flying Dutchman's railing just as Sora stood near him, and Elizabeth regained consciousness, and she locked eyes with Will, which caught Davy Jones' attention.

He then realised what this meant and smirked coldly, "Ah. Love. A dreadful bond. And yet," He turned to Will and walked towards him, the sword outstretched, hovering only inches from Will's body. "So easily severed. Tell me, William Turner, do you fear death?"

Sora's eyes widened in horror, and was about to strike at Davy Jones when Jack's voice stopped him while challengingly asked the evil Pirate, "Do you?"

All four of them turned to see Jack standing there behind Davy Jones, with the latter's heart in his left hand which was inches close to being stabbed by Jack's broken sword, having used the key to open the Dead Man's Chest. Sora's eyes widened, realising that this was what he and Will planned all this time; Jack was going to sacrifice his own heart and become the new Captain of the Flying Dutchmen, in order to free Bootstrap as well as having Will to have a future with Elizabeth, togther as a married couple. Sora's own heart ached, but he knew, this was their only chance now. Jack had made his decision to avoid anyone else to do it.

Yet Sora couldn't help but know that he was going to lose a friend, and that's what Jack was-pirate or not.

"Ironic, isn't it? Holding life and death in the palm of one's hand?" Jack mused with a smirk.

"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparr'a!" Davy Jones growled vemonously.

"Cruel is a matter of perspective." Jack pointed out.

"Is it?" Davy Jones asked with a deadly look in his eyes. Before anyone else could react, he turned and plunged the sword into Will's chest. Will let out a strangled, agonized gasp, the incredible pain flooding through his body. Elizabeth gasped in pure horror.

"WILL!" Sora screamed out, horrified, his heart and blood freezing cold.

Even Jack gasped in absolute shock and horror. No. This supposed to happen! He stood frozen, unable to move while Davy Jones took pleasure in twisting his sword deeper into Will's chest while the younger man felt his strength quickly leaving him. Davy Jones eventually let go of the sword while Sora hurried over and tried to use Curaga and healing Potions to save his friend, but none of them worked.

"No, no, no, no, no! Curaga! CURAGA! C'mon, work, Curaga! You did it for Axel! Why can't you save Will now!?" Sora cried out, on the verge of tears as he continued try and save Will, but it was far too late. It was already bad enough that he would've lost Jack. Now Davy Jones just made things worse and Will was quickly fading from life before the teenager's eyes. And just Sora's, but also Elizabeth who went over, pleading him to stay strong, as well as Jack's who now didn't know what to do, unable to keep to his promise.

"Will, stay with me! You'll be alright...!" Elizabeth pleaded as her hands cupped her husband's face, willing to do anything to save his life. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not when they've only been married for fifteen minutes.

Bootstrap had witnessed the whole thing, and when Davy Jones had stabbed Will, and Sora and Elizabeth spoke their dying friend's name, the bond over him finally faded and in horrifized realization as his memories finally returned to him, Bootstrap's heart froze.

"William...my son!" Bootstrap muttered, and in agonized scream that his son was now dying, he jumped and attacked Davy Jones who was caught by surprise before he was forced to fight against his own crew member who now remembered everything and was furious and devastated.

Jack saw what was going on and mentally fought with himself. Should he still become Captain of the Flying Dutchmen, or sacrifice his immortality to save his friend? It was tempting to do the former, but soon as he gazed at three of his close friends, memories of everything they went through together, along with the rest of the worldly travellers, flooded his mind. Even though Jack had been on exile, that adventure had been worth it. He learned so much about companionship, more than ever, even from last year's adventure.

Plus, as Mickey had said, helping others always come before asking others for help. Jack did not think nor hesitate in saving Sora from Caius' attack, because he cared for the teenager as a friend. Not only that, either way, it became clear that Will would lose Elizabeth, either by death or as replacement of Davy Jones, but if Elizabeth had to choose, she would rather wait for him for ten years rather than having to wait until she died to rejoin him in the Afterlife.

That was then Jack made his decision.

Davy Jones by then knocked Bootstrap to the railing, bellowing, "You will not forestall my judgement!" and made for the killing blow...

Only for Will's weakened hand holding on Jack's broken dagger to stab right into the heart, which Davy Jones gasped as he felt the agony instantly. Shocked and horror filled the evil Pirate's expression, he turned to see what happened. Jack had helped Will to stab the Heart and was kneeling by his three friends' side.

Dying as the prophecy has been fufilled, Davy Jones weakly gazed up at the stormy sky, whispering in sorrow and, perhaps guilt and apology, mentally asking for forgiveness for everything he'd done. "Calypso..."

With that, he fell over the side of the ship and into the whirlpool, disappearing into the abyss, never to be seen again.

But Sora, Jack and Elizabeth payed no mind of Davy Jones falling to his death. Instead, their eyes turned to the dying Will who layed there. Yet there wasn't anything more they could do, as Will Turner's strength at last left him, and with a final breath, his eyes closed and he went limp.

"Will...Will, no!" Sora sobbed, lowering his head and cried, his face soaked by not just the rain, but by his hot tears mixing in. He never even got the chance to say he was sorry for being angry at him, or to say that he now forgiven him for his actions.

"No, no... _NO_!" Elizabeth screamed, heartbroken and devastated.

Jack stared in devastated disbelief. He did what he could, but maybe it wasn't enough. To think that Will's death effected him badly wrenched his own heart. If only he acted sooner, then none of this would've happened.

They were so glued to the fact that Will was dead that neither three of them even would've thought of escaping as both the Flying Dutchmen and the Black Pearl were both dangerously close into falling into the abyss of the Maelstrom, even as the battle finally ended.

"She's taking us down!" Barbossa shouted, having taken the helm once more and knew that if they didn't do something now, they were all doing to die. "Make quick or it's the Locker for us all!"

"But what about Sora, Jack, Will and Elizabeth!?" Goofy exclaimed hysterically as he and the rest of his friends gazed at the quickly sinking Flying Dutchmen, while Ragetti and Pintel placed iron-chained balls into the cannon which was pointed up towards the two tangled masts.

"We can't just leave them!" Ven added.

Cloud gasped as he shouted loudly over the other ship, hoping against hope that his friend could hear him, but deep down knew that Sora couldn't, no matter how much the young swordsman wanted. "Sora!"

"Sora! No!" Kairi screamed out as she was about to use a rope to swing over to the Flying Dutchmen, but was pulled back by Tseng and Elena who held her tightly to stop her from doing anything reckless. "Let go! I'm not leaving without Sora!"

Too late as the pirates fired the cannon and freed the Black Pearl, allowing Barbossa to steer the ship to the right and towards safety away from the Maelstrom, despite the worldly travellers' protests.

Though Aqua, unable to leave four of their friends behind, nodded and tossed her Keyblade into the air which transformed into her Glider, yet she used her connection and magic to guide it down towards the Flying Dutchmen to allow Sora to temporarely use it to get himself, Jack, Elizabeth and Will out of there, calling out, "Sora!"

The Keyblade Glider successfully reached the sinking Flying Dutchmen and hovered behind the trio which a tearful Sora and a sorrowed Jack noticed when they looked behind them, instantly recongising Aqua's Glider and realised that she sent it to help them and Elizabeth to escape. Then they noticed another problem.

The mutated members of Davy Jones' crew were approaching now that the ship was without a Captain, as they chanted hauntingly, " _Part of the crew, Part of the ship, part of the crew, part of the ship, part of the crew_."

"We have to go!" Jack told Sora.

"But-"

"There's nothing more we can do, mate." The pirate cut him off, and his eyes held the serious but sorrowed look which told Sora that he was right. As much as they didn't want to, they and Elizabeth had to leave now, for Will's sake, and had to use Aqua's Glider to leave.

Still not wanting to leave, Sora hesitatedly nodded, before he and Jack both grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her away from Will's body despite her struggling against their grip.

"No, no! No! Will! Won't leave you!" Elizabeth screamed, but soon stopped as she was placed into the strange vessel, along with Sora who had a fair idea how it worked and Jack soon climbed onboard.

The crew by then surrounded Will's body, one of them holding the empty chest, and Bootstrap holding his knife and knelt over his son, knowing that this was the only way to save him.

"The Dutchmen must have a Captain." With a thrust of the knife that Will gave back to him, he slashed at Will's cut.

"Hold on tight!" Sora and Jack both yelled, as Sora willed the Glider to fly, which, under the younger Keyblade wielder, it did as it was told and soon the trio flew up into the sky and as soon as they made their escape, Sora, Jack and Elizabeth could only watch as the Flying Dutchmen tipped to the side before it was swallowed up by the whirlpool which soon began to stop and fade as the storm finally calmed and disappeared.

Sora lowered his head slightly, his eyes closing for a moment in the guilt for not having to save his friend. It was like losing Jack when he sacrificed himself to save him from Caius, but this time, there was no coming back and no rescue. Will was gone.

As the storm finally passed, Sora opened his eyes before guiding the Glider towards the Black Pearl and landed gently onto the deck, before he, Jack and Elizabeth got off. The Glider then returned into it's Keyblade form and Sora sorrowly handed it back to the relieved but quickly concerned Aqua, as everyone else gathered with mixtures of relief.

"Sora!" Kairi cried out in relief, hugging her friend. But Sora didn't have the heart to return it.

"Where's Will?" Tifa asked, noticing that Will was missing. Realization then quickly dawned onto her and everyone else, given Sora's slight shake of head and silence, and on the verge of tears again before he finally hugged Kairi, that Will had perished. Upon this realization, Tifa, and soon Kairi, Elena, Skuld, Strelitzia, Xion, Serah and Aqua soon sobbed silently as their tears began to form, while Riku, Cloud, Zack, Vincent, Myde, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Terra, Ven, Roxas, Lea, Isa, Mickey, Donald and Goofy all lowered their heads at the loss in sorrow.

"No way..." Myde muttered, horrified and sorrowed.

"Kupo..." Mog moaned in sorrow, slumping in sadness. Goofy and Donald both took off their hats and placed them to their hearts in sadness to honor Will's memory.

Though they couldn't be sad for long, as while Davy Jones was dead, everyone still had the East Indian Trading Company to worry about.

"Thank goodness, Jack. The armand's still out there, the Endeavor's comin' hard to starboard an' I think it's time we embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions." Gibbs told Jack almost hurriedly.

"Never actually been one for tradition." Jack muttered, gazing out at the ocean and at the enemy ships.

"What're you doing, Kupo?" Mog asked, confused.

"Hoping for a miracle." Jack replied, before turning and shouted out orders to the Crew, "Close haul her, luff the sails and lay 'er in irons."

"Belay that, or we'll be a sittin' duck!" Barbossa objected.

"Hey!" Donald yelled at the former cursed Pirate, feeling insulted. But he was ignored.

"Belay that 'belay that'!" Jack stated.

"But, Capt-" Gibbs tried.

"Belay!"

"The arma-"

"Belay!"

"The Endeav _-_ "

"Stow, shut it!" Jack finalized firmly.

It became clear that nothing was going to change Jack's mind and so with no choice, everyone stood waiting, while Jack, Gibbs, Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Barbossa stood by the helm as the Endeavor sailed closer.

Onboard the said vessel, one Elite Soldier noticed something odd, and asked Beckett next to him, "What are they waiting for?"

"He expects us to honor our agreement." Beckett replied slyly, much to his employee's confusion as the other man held a dumbfounded expression.

Under his direct command, the cannons of the Endeavor were prepared and extended, aimed at the Black Pearl. Not only will Beckett destroy all Pirates, he will also honor his agreement to eliminate Sora and all of his friends and allies and give Maleficent half control of all worlds.

"Nothing personal, Jack. It's just good business." Beckett smiled.

But as the Endeavor made to approach and attack the Black Pearl, the sea parted and with a great breach of water, the prow of the Flying Dutchman flew into view, having returned. Everyone's eyes widened in confusion and shock, though some did notice something happened to it: it changed it's appearence from it's terrifying monsterous form into almost like a normal ship, magnificent and somewhat beautiful.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Zack groaned in dismay.

"I thought that thing sunk!" Lea grunted.

That's when Mickey finally noticed a definite change and he called out with wide eyes of disbelief, and some hope filling up his heart, "Wait! Look at the crew!"

True to the King's words, everyone onboard the Flying Dutchmen, the Fish-Crew that did survive the battle, all lost their monsterous and sea-life appearences. Instead, they now looked completely human and even they were stunned and amazed by this transformation. They could even feel their human emotions and souls and hearts once more.

Especially Bootstrap who removed the starfish that had been stuck on his face for many years until now, before he and the crew turned to look up at the helm. There stood their new Captain, revived and very alive.

"WILL!" Sora's group, Elizabeth, Serah, Strelitzia, Tifa, Zack, even Cloud, and Vincent exclaimed in relief and happiness. Will was alive!

"Holy Shiva! Now that's what I call a miracle!" Reno exclaimed, shocked and almost immediately relieved. Rude, Tseng and a very happy Elena shared those feelings.

"Ready on the guns!" Will commanded his new crew, and hearing their new Captain's more passionate personality compared to their previous one's, they immediately did so with new excitement.

Even Jack grinned happily to see Will alive after all, and knew what had to be done.

"Full canvas!" Jack ordered the Black Pearl crew.

"Aye, full canvas!" Barbossa, for once, agreed after a moment of shock and disbelief, until he realised that the situation changed in their favor.

The dark sails of the Black Pearl were let down and a wind seemed to spring up from the very sea itself, propelling forward to the Endeavor, which was being boxed in by both the Pearl and the Dutchman. So much so that Beckett hadn't realised until it was too late that the situation has changed against him, and now, in complete shock and disbelief, his ship was soon sandwiched by the two Pirate Ships.

"Orders sir?" The Elite Soldier immediately asked, quickly panicking. But Beckett said nothing. "Sir?"

"Cap'n?" Gibbs inquired to Jack.

"Fire." Jack ordered with a grin.

"Fire!" Gibbs shouted.

"Fire!" Will shouted.

"Fire!" Barbossa shouted.

"Fire all!" Elizabeth shouted.

Soon enough both the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchmen's cannons fired at the Endeavor, destroying and shattering it as they sailed past by, leaving behind the British vessel into it's flaming demise, and still Beckett could not move or even give orders to his own crew who tried and failed to request his orders. All he could do was stand there, feeling himself shattering on the inside. All his work, all of his goals...were blown away into nothing. Just like the Endeavor.

"It's just...good business." He muttered.

"Abandon ship!" The Elite Soldier finally ordered the crew himself, seeing no alternatives. "ABANDON SHIP!" he shouted before leaping off the ship himself and soon almost everyone else who did managed to do so did, while those who couldn't, along with the Heartless that lingered, were all eliminated themselves.

Beckett did not abandon ship. In the state of shock, he merely descend from the helm and onto the deck, while the stairs behind him was destroyed, not hitting him until he paused, stood waiting for his end. All he could do was stare out before the final explosion rocked the ship, turning it into nothing but rubble, the flaming inferno engulfing him and his vessel.

The remaining armanda, having seen what become of the Endeavor, were terrified of what would happen to them if they foolishly tried to attack the priate vessels, especially since now the Flying Dutchmen was on the Pirates' side. So to save themselves and admitting defeat as Beckett's reign of terror was now finally over forever, the armanda quickly turned tail and began to sail away.

"They're turnin' away!" Marty shouted when he saw this. Soon everyone broke out into wild cheers of relief and celebration. They all knew what this meant. They had won! All of the pirates threw their hats in the air in the celebrations, even as Mullroy and Mourtogg, who had discarded their Royal Navy clothes and now wore Pirate attires after deciding to become pirates themselves, joined in, much to Pintel and Ragetti's confusion before they just shrugged it off and rejoined the celebration.

Even Cotton's Parrot, who sensed that it was safe now, returned to his master's side on his shoulder, squawking, "Awk! Wind in the sails."

All the other pirates of the Brethren Court cheered as well in victory, as the nightmare of Davy Jones and Beckett was finally gone. Even Teague onboard his own ship, while he didn't cheer, he smiled as he threw his hat into the air happily. More than anything, he was proud at his own son who, having made Elizabeth, who guided them through this battle, King of all Pirates, had made all this possible.

"Mr. Gibbs." Jack told his First Mate, handing him his hat. "You may throw my hat, if you like."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n." Gibbs said happily, throwing Jack's hat into the air, cheering, "Hooray!"

"Now go and get it." Jack ordered, which Gibbs then looked at the deck worriedly before he quickly went down the stairs to do his next hard task.

Though despite the celebrations and miracles, there was a sacrifice that most knew, and while Will was alive, his destiny and path have already been fufilled.

* * *

Two hours later, as everything calmed down, while the other Pirate Ships sailed back to their domination oceans, the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchmen sailed side by side, and on both decks, Elizabeth and Will could only gaze at each other, knowing what this meant as soon as the sun would set.

Bootstrap came up to his son, asking, "Orders, sir?"

Will turned to look at his father, saying "You're no longer bound to the Dutchman. You're free."

"Aye, that's a fine thing, but..." Bootstrap began. "...By my reckoning, I still have a debt that needs paying, if you'll have me."

Will smiled, knowing what he meant. "On the wheel then, Mr. Turner."

"Aye, Captain Turner." Bootstrap replied, taking the helm, before saying once he noticed his soon gazing out back to his now daughter-in-law, knowing in regret of this came to be. "This ship has a purpose again, and where we are bound, she cannot come. One day ashore, ten years at sea, that's a steep price for what's been done."

"Depends on the one day." Will replied when he turned to him again.

* * *

On the Black Pearl, Elizabeth's heart ached, knowing she would have to wait for ten years to see her husband again, but it was the only to see him again. Unlike Calypso, Elizabeth Swann Turner vowed to keep to her promise, and she was going to do it. No matter how long she would have to wait.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Gibbs came up to her, gesturing at the longboat that was ready for her to use to sail towards Port Royal, to a village where Elizabeth decided she would stay for the rest of her life. She nodded before heading down the stairs onto the deck, where everyone, her friends and allies stood respectfully in line to stay their goodbyes.

"Mrs. Turner." Barbossa nodded respectfully, for once without his usual sarcasm.

Elizabeth smiled at the man who, despite his bad ways, had been the one who along with Jack made this possible in her life. Without either them, Elizabeth wouldn't even be married to Will.

She then went down to everyone else who all said their own goodbyes, even as Cloud smiled with a nod of a goodbye himself. Finally Elizabeth went up Sora's group, saying to them, "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Kairi, Riku, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Myde, Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Skuld, Strelitzia, Mog, Serah. Thank you for everything."

"Glad we could help." Kairi replied as the others nodded.

"And Lea, you really are a good man. You make a wonderful brother." Elizabeth added to Lea, while gazing at Isa, Roxas and Xion who smiled while Lea blushed heavilly in embarrassment.

"Uh...Thanks. I guess." Lea replied, awkwardly which made everyone else smile and/or laugh a little.

"Hey, um, Elizabeth? Could you, tell Will that I'm sorry and that I forgive him for everything?" Sora requested, awkwardly. He would've done it himself, but he didn't want to drag away Elizabeth and Will's time alone before the latter would have to leave to fufill his duty for the next decade.

"Of course. I'm glad that you found what you were looking for, Sora." Elizabeth replied, gazing at Kairi and Riku who both smiled.

"Thanks. See you soon." Sora waved a sad farewell.

Elizabeth nodded, and finally approached Jack who looked a bit self-conscious. Jack wasn't exactly what one could call sentimental, and he was not partial to long, sloppy goodbyes. Both had made it this far, and despite they put each other through, in the end they were still friends, and now their world has been saved from the darkness.

"Jack...it would never have worked out between us." Elizabeth told him.

Jack smiled. Even if that woman had put him on exile, he had to admit he'd seen what no other pirate has seen, and he was more than thankful and forgiving now.

So he replied, "Keep tellin' yourself that, darlin'."

"Thank you." Elizabeth replied, before she boarded the longboat and began to row herself away from the Black Pearl for the final time and onto the shore where she would spend the day with Will before he too would leave.

"I guess it's time for us to get going too." Cloud announced softly to his friends and the Turks who all nodded. "We still have Chaos, Aced, Caius and Ardyn to worry about."

"Yeah." Sora nodded, sad to be leaving but knew that the journey was far from over.

"Best of luck, mates. You'll need it." Jack told them, much to everyone else's surprise.

"You're not coming?" Xion asked, saddened.

The Pirate Captain shook his head, "It had been fun and all, despite all the other dangers, but now we must partways. Besides, don't you lot think it would be best to have at least one Keyblade wielder in this world in case those bloody Heartless come back again?"

"How the blazes did you get yer Keyblade, Sparrow?" Barbossa inquired, having briefly seen Jack use his mystical weapon.

"Long story." Jack replied.

Terra snorted and turned to Barbossa, saying apologetically, "And sadly, Keyblades are picky for their users."

"Ye can all keep those blades. They be not treasure to me." The former cursed Pirate declared, shaking his head and decided he didn't want to really know the long and complicated story.

"Well, at least you're not cursed anymore. We already dumped that stupid other chest of the cursed gold into the ocean last year." Sora pointed out with a shrug.

"Good riddence." Barbossa replied, nodding in agreement.

"Uh, hate to break the mood and all, but how can we get outta here?" Reno asked, pointing out the obvious that they were stuck. Or so he thought.

Strelitzia smiled, "Don't worry. I can take you and the other Turks back to your world. Plus, Serah, Mog and I still have our own investigation to continue."

"I think I'll head back there too. I know I can take Zack and Tifa with me." Cloud shrugged.

"But what about us? We left our transport back at the other world before we went to save Jack." Myde reminded, which the rest of the worldly travellers realised that they had indeed left the Gummiship back at Olympus Coliseum.

"Use your Keyblades to take you back. They will create portals to take you where you need to go or where you want to go." Strelitzia advised, causing the others to turn to her as she continued, "May your hearts be your guiding keys."

"May our hearts be our guiding keys..." Mickey repeated, before nodding as he realised what she meant. "You got it, Strelizia!"

"I like that saying." Ragetti said to Pintel who blinked, not understanding what that comment really meant.

Before anyone else could say anything, to their surprise, Jack's Compass glittered in light and a deja vu hit him when it floated in the air, much to the other pirates' and even the Midgar Residents' surprise and amazement. Even Strelitzia, Serah and Mog were stunned in awe, while the rest of the worldly travellers knew what this meant.

Sora nodded as he summoned his Keyblade before holding it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Compass. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"Wow!" Serah breathed.

"That was really amazing, Kupo!" Mog exclaimed in awe.

"I have to admit, I never knew Keyblades could do that before." Strelitzia said, gazing at Sora in amazement.

"How did you do that?" Tseng asked, awestruck.

"Well, it's hard to explain. I guess it happens when certain world's really big problems are solved." Sora shrugged, sheepishly.

"This means this world is safe again and it's time for us to go." Kairi said.

"If you happen to be around the next time we make port, you're welcome for a ride of an adventure on the Black Pearl, mates. Send my regards and wishes to Noctis and his allies and whomever else you come across with." Jack told his friends, his former travelling companions. He was going to miss in travelling with them, but his heart belonged here in this world, especially now that he had the Black Pearl back. The only downside was that Barbossa was alive, but he's nothing compared to Beckett and Davy Jones.

"Farewell, lads and lasses." Barbossa said, and the other pirates said their goodbyes to their non-pirate allies.

"Thanks, guys." Sora replied, and his companions and other friends waved a farewell to the pirates as well, and farewelled a travelling companion who was finally home and free to sail the seas of his own world once more.

"We'll meet up soon in either Radiant Garden or Midgar." Cloud told Sora who nodded. "Be careful."

"Right." Sora nodded.

With that, Strelizia summoned her Keyblade and held it out, creating a portal of light which amazed the Pirates and almost everyone else. She, Serah and Mog then led the Turks and Vincent into the Corridor of Light back to Midgar, while Cloud, Zack and Tifa headed to ashore before leaving on Cloud's Motorcycle for the Lanes between.

Finally, Sora then attempted to copy Strelitzia and smiled in relief when another Corridor of Light opened up. He nodded to the rest of his companions and once more waved a goodbye to Captain Jack Sparrow before they entered it, back towards Olympus Coliseum as their adventures in this world was now once again over, and Jack was no longer on exile.

He was finally home.

 _{_ _PORT ROYAL_ _}  
 **{THE CARIBBEAN}**_

* * *

Back at Olympus Coliseum, Hercules, Meg, Phil, Pegasus, Noctis, Prompto, Gladio and Ignis were still waiting just outside the Coliseum's doors to the lobby for the return of Sora and the others, as it's been a week and a half since they left to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from the Locker, and couldn't help but fear for the worst.

The Heartless had been a bit fewer, but that didn't ease their minds.

Just then, a strange tingling sound echoed in their ears and a glow of light caught their attention near the gates. When Noctis and everyone else turned to see what it was, a Corridor of Light suddenly appeared, and to their shock, amazement and relief, most of the worldly travellers stepped out and onto the field while it closed behind them.

When Sora and the others noticed that they were back, they shared a relieved and excited expression.

"We did it!" Sora cheered happily.

"We're back at the Coliseum!" Goofy cheered.

"Where've you guys been?" Hercules asked, relieved as he and the others approached their friends who noticed and also sighed in relief.

"Where're Jack, Strelitzia, Serah and Mog?" Noctis asked, noticing that the four of them were missing and couldn't help but fear the worst.

Thankfully, the Prince didn't need to worry, as Sora replied, "Well, Jack's back in his world, alive and all, and well..." before he and his companions, minus Jack Sparrow, explained what had happened in the Locker and at the Caribbean. Then, at Lea's nod since things were slightly calmer now and given that Sora had intended to tell them once Davy Jones and Beckett were killed, nervously revealed his own secrets and, to his friends' shock, told them about Vanitas stuck inside him and what that embodiment of darkness showed him.

"WHAT!?" All except Lea exclaimed, shocked.

"Vanitas is...inside you!?" Ven asked, shocked.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kairi demanded, hurt and shocked.

Sora sighed, guilty for having kept it for so long. "Because...I didn't to worry you guys and think I was crazy. I was gonna ask Master Yen Sid about this problem when I found out earlier and...I just didn't know how to explain it. I'm really, _really_ sorry for not telling you guys sooner."

"Wait a minute. Who in Zeus' name is Vanitas?" Phil demanded, dumbfounded.

"My darkness." Ven replied this time. "He...was stripped from my heart by Master Xehanort sixteen years ago and became his own being. Me and Vanitas were part of Xehanort's evil plans and...when he took over my body, I had to fight him within my heart. He's the reason why my heart left me and landed in Sora's heart, and I ended up asleep until recently. I thought I destroyed him when that happened."

"What did Vanitas do to you, Sora?" Terra asked, firmly.

"Just trying to talk me into darkness, most likely. I've been ignoring him even though he just couldn't keep quiet when he felt like it." Sora replied, "There were a few times I fought him in my nightmares and won. I'm not sure if he's getting stronger or not, and...I thought it was best to try and fight him off until I had an idea how to get him out of me without reviving him."

"You can't blame the kid for havin' that guy stuck in him." Lea spoke up firmly, adding, "I had a similiar problem last year when I realised the fusion between me and my Nobody hadn't been fully completed and I didn't say anything until just before me, Roxas and Xion managed to stop the Brotherhood of Darkness."

"I guess we all have own worries and secrets, for many reasons. Why it's not a good thing to keep it for so long, none of us really noticed any difference in Sora. I could sense a familiar darkness, but even now, it's really weak. In fact, I think it's getting weaker, but it's stronger in voice too." Aqua informed, causing everyone to look at her.

"Why do ya' say that, Aqua?" Mickey asked, now worried.

The blue-haired woman sighed, saying, "While Serah, Isa, Elizabeth and I were on Sao Feng's ship, just before he died, I had...I'm not sure what it was, but I had a vision; I saw you and Riku, Mickey. You both looked horrified, as if I...gave into the darkness, and what I said in that vision, I had said, ' _I had no choice_ '."

"Or maybe it was some kind of a weird vision of what could've happened if Sora and Roxas didn't save me." Lea muttered worriedly, mixing in what Vanitas showed Sora and what Aqua had seen earlier together.

"I can't really blame Sora about Vanitas. Not when I had my own secrets." Riku said, understanding why it happened. He turned to his best friend and said, "We'll keep an eye on you, just in case Vanitas does try and attack you."

"Right." Sora nodded. "I'm really sorry, guys."

"Gee, Sora. Ya' don't hav'ta apologuise. Of course we were gonna worry. We'll figure out how to that mean o'l Vantitus, er, that Van feller outta your heart without hurtin' ya'." Goofy pointed out optimistically, and to Sora's surprise everyone, even Kairi as she calmed down but was a bit miffed for not being told about this, yet she understood now why Sora hadn't said anything much since before Jack's exile, all nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and plus, with eveything else going on, we understand that you didn't want to add another problem on our list." Roxas said.

"I'll say. Given that Sora's still himself and hasn't changed a bit means that that Van-whatever it was is just an annoying little voice in Sora's head." Myde agreed.

" _I heard that too._ " Vanitas grumbled, but Sora again ignored him. To his surprise, he sounded weaker this time and wondered that maybe telling his friends about Vanitas somehow managed to weaken the embodiment of darkenss.

"Don't worry, fellas. I'm sure Sora and Aqua will be okay. The darkness hasn't gotten to them yet, and if they do, we'll be right there to get 'em outta it." Mickey added.

Kairi approached Sora and said, "Next time you have that kind of thing or something else, you tell me first, okay? I want to help you stop Vanitas."

Realising that his friends had taken this a lot better than he dreaded, Sora smiled emotionally at all of them, saying, "Thanks, guys."

"This...is really complicating." Gladio admitted.

"Yeah, they pretty much lost me." Prompto nodded in agreement.

"With everything else happening, I understand why Sora had hesitated in revealing something like this when there are other more important matters to worry about." Ignis pointed out.

Even Noctis, Hercules, Meg and Phil nodded in agreement, as Noctis said, "You got that right. We still have to figure out how to stop Chaos and the other bad guys."

"Right." Isa agreed. "We should move on to continue with our journey."

"I agree. Plus with Calypso free, we should be more careful now." Skuld informed.

The others nodded, just as suddenly the entire Coliseum building glowed in light and instantly Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand, which made the worldly travellers realised that again he was going to lock this world's keyhole.

Nodding, the teenager held it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Coliseum Building. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"That was a fancy light show." Gladio admitted, amazed.

"That never stops being amazing." Noctis smiled, still amazed, as were Prompto and Ignis.

"You guys be careful out there and come back soon." Hercules told Sora and his companions who all nodded.

"We'll meet up again soon, right?" Noctis asked.

"Yeah, you bet." Sora nodded.

Mickey, knowing that they still had more worlds to attend to as well as figuring out how to solve the current situation, said, "C'mon, fellas. Let's get goin'."

With that, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Myde and Skuld promised to meet up with Noctis' group, and Hercules's group again really soon before they boarded the gummiship and once again left Olympus Coliseum, to continue their adventure in hopes of finding the Book of Prophecies and the mysterious black box, as well as the whereabouts of Yen Sid, Genesis and Angeal and stop Aced, Chaos, Arydn, Caius and if they had to, Bhunivelze and now Calypso.

Even though they didn't know about this other goddess that Strelitzia, Serah and Mog knew about, but they would find out soon enough.

 _ **{Olympus Coliseum}**_

* * *

 **A/N: And where finally done with Port Royal/The Caribbean and even Olympus Coliseum. The next chapter we'll be heading to another world which I think I have a fair idea where our heroes will go next.**

 **Sad that Captain Jack Sparrow isn't travelling with them anymore, but he was bound to return and stay in his homeworld eventually. Yet we're noe done yet.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	43. CH42: The Tangled Adventure

**Author's Note: So many news and interviews of KH3 from E3 and even a few days afterwards is coming from left to right. It's crazy!**

 **Anyway, after careful thinking, I've finally decided which disney we're visiting next. Read on to find out! Though it probably won't be as long as most of the other worlds. By the way, I'm using the original name "Blaine" from Union X since "Brain" doesn't seem right to me.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH42: The Tangled Adventure.**_

Back at their base, Aced, Lamuria, Arlene, Shelke and Shalua were having another meeting regards to the recent events, and from what they discovered, it wasn't good news, and Aced was more furious than ever.

"The Goddess of the Sea has been released." Aced hissed angrily, clutching his fist tightly.

"Goes to show that those kids really messed up this time." Arlene smirked, throwing her arms about. "And they thought they can do the right thing."

"It wasn't their choice to release Calypso." Shelke pointed out, her eyes having glowed orange briefly before returning to normal. "It was that Pirate Captain Barbossa who believed the Goddess would destroy Beckett and Davy Jones. Sora and his friends tried to stop him, and even Captain Jack Sparrow had his doubts."

Lamuria leaned forward a bit in his chair, stating, "Many had doubts of the Goddess being forgiving or caring. To be fair, though, Davy Jones is finally destroyed. Yet the price was an ultimate sacrifice. There was no changing that."

"Despite that, the situation is now worse. With Calypso as well as Eris the Goddess of Chaos on the loose, both can easily side with Chaos himself as they have cruelty against mortals." Shalua pointed out gravely. "Who's to say that the enemies we'd seen earlier are not recruiting candidates to join Chaos's side and reawakening Bhunivelze?"

"And then there's Strelitzia. Cosmos has revived her even before Xehanort has been destroyed. She was meant to be the fifth Dandelion chosen by Ava, but was killed before she even met with her fellow leaders." Lamuria added in agreement. "Yet, her memories are supressed on who had actually killed her."

"Not to mention Maleficent wants that Book of Future tales or whatever it's called and some black box." Arlene scoffed. "Good luck to her trying to find them. It won't happen."

"Indeed she won't. Neither will Sora and his friends." Aced nodded in agreement. "While I know not of the 'Black Box', I know of the Book of Prophecies, as well as the Lost Page. Both are hidden in a secret place. We need to find them before our enemies do."

"And the Princesses?" Lamuria inquired.

A pause.

"Seven Lights...Thirteen Darknesses. The second Keyblade War may have been prevented, but Chaos could still use them to his advantage, to bring about Kingdom Hearts, and Sora is only making the situation more dire." Aced replied. He then stood up and made his decision. "Arlene, see to Sora and his friends in the next world they are approaching."

Arlene grinned as she half-saluted, "Yes sir." before saying, "Though they're tricky to find and need I remind you, I busted their Gummiship which made them crash land in Romanov Empire to stop them from entering Olympus Coliseum."

"I can sense their next location. You should go there now while you have the chance." Shelke informed her.

"Hopefully you're right this time." Arlene grumbled as she stood up, "I want to throw many knives at them as I want. Especially on Axel and Demyx."

"Shalua, Shelke. See to Strelitzia and her companions." Aced commanded to the two sisters, ignoring Arlene's statement.

"Yes, Master." The two Rai sisters nodded.

"Lamuria, find the Book and the Box, and make sure Maleficent and her cohorts do not get to them first." Aced continued.

Lamuria nodded, "As you wish, Master."

"I will speak with our prisoners before I infiltrate Radiant Garden." Aced concluded. "I'm counting on all of you."

The group then began to make their move, yet as Lamuria walked down the passage after he opened up a Corridor for himself, he grinned as he pulled out a book with an old pattern from his coat pockets. Finding the original book would be easy now that he had the chance. As he opened it, he grinned when the familiar name was on the first page.

"Perhaps soon the time will come for us to meet again, Ventus, Skuld, Ephemer...Strelitzia." Lamuria muttered to himself. "Pity that Blaine isn't here to see this."

* * *

As the group sailed through the Lanes Between towards their next destination while trying to figure out the situation, for some reason they felt a bit empty considering that Jack wasn't travelling with them anymore. Well, Myde had once again fallen asleep.

"Gawrsh, I can't help but feel like somethin's missin'." Goofy muttered, a bit sad.

"Yeah. It feels a bit weird that Jack's not with us now." Sora sighed, placing his hands behind his head. "I miss him already."

"I think we all do. But it's for the best, and it is Jack's decision." Riku reminded, having understood the pirate's decision to stay in his home world. "He probably already made up his mind before Davy Jones and Beckett died."

"Yeah, probably. But you gotta admit, he really did do a lotta good things, considering what happened back in his world." Lea said.

"It'll be quiet without him around. But it's bound to happen sooner or later. When this adventure is over, we most likely have to go our own seperate ways as a group." Terra informed, and everyone realised that he was right, making them sad now that he mentioned it. Some of them sighed.

Sora nodded, "Yeah, but even though we're apart, we'll always be connected in our hearts. Leon once told me, _"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other"_. As long as we have each other in our thoughts and memories, we'll always be together."

"Except that one time last year when we forgot, no thanks to Organization XIII." Donald groaned. "I still don't remember Castle Oblivion."

"Maybe it's because those chains haven't connected yet." Xion suggested with a shrug. "I mean, I remember everything that's happened to me, but maybe it's because Roxas, Namine and I were made human."

"She has a point." Roxas nodded.

"Chains?" Ven asked, puzzled.

"The chain of memories. That's what Xi's talkin' about." Lea spoke up. "Our hearts hold our memories with chains hookin' them up together. Then we forget certain memories, the chains disconnect. But deep down, those memories we forget are still in our hearts, sleeping."

"Even if memories are not safe from the darkness." Aqua stated, shaking her head. "Being alone in the darkness makes you forget a lot. Makes you lose yourself until you're one with darkness."

Skuld frowned in concern as she turned to face the blue-haired woman. "Even though I was lost in the Realm of Darkness, I still have certain memories of my past. Yet, neither of us had fallen into the Darkness. Must be what Master Ava said when she chose me and others for the Dandelions. But now, I'm beginning to remember a bit more of the past. I remember meeting someone from a different Union who also met Ephemer and those two were friends, despite being from different Unions. How I was lost in the Realm of Darkness, it's still a blur."

Ven sighed, "Yeah. I still don't remember much of my past either."

"It'll take some time. Not everyone can remember everything." Kairi pointed out. "I didn't remember being in Radiant Garden until two years ago."

"She's right. Gosh, forgetting and remembering is part of life. Everybody knows that." Mickey agreed.

"You can say that again." Isa nodded.

Aqua was about to say something when she softly gasped as the familiar sudden spark hit her before everything around her turned black and again, she soon found herself in a vision or a nightmare.

* * *

 _It was the same vision as before, but this time, Riku seemed to have been defeated in battle, while Mickey is caught in some kind of vortex that is preventing him from moving. They were in the Realm of Darkness, at the shore where she first met and was rescued by Xion. Aqua's gaze then turned to a strange looking Kingdom Key, dark in appearence with a resemblence of the Star Seeker, with the same golden Hidden Mickey Keychain as the Kingdom Key-D. A shadowed her picked it up, covered in darkness._

 _"_ _ **You're too late, Mickey.**_ _" She heard herself say in the dark voice._

 _"Aqua...?" Mickey asked, sounding horrified and shocked._

 _Aqua soon discovered the darkness faded, but her clothes took on a different appearence. She found herself turning to face the other two, saying as she said in the previous vision, "_ _ **I had no choice.**_ _"_

* * *

"Aqua!"

The familiar and very welcoming voice brought Aqua back to reality and she gasped again, and panted a little. She then realised that almost everyone else had gathered around, and looked very worried. She realised it was Terra who called out her name.

"Are you alright?" Lea asked, worriedly.

"I-I'm sorry." Aqua replied, lowering her gaze, frowning in concern. "That vision...it happened again, and it advanced. I somehow did give into the darkness. There was also this...mysterious Keyblade, shaped like Sora's and the Keyblade of Darkness. It even had the same chain as the latter. It was coloured dark and similiar to Mickey's. I'm not sure where it came from."

"Another Kingdom Key?" Mickey asked, confused. He then asked again, "Y-you are okay, right?"

Aqua nodded, "I feel fine. I just don't know why I'm having these visions all of the sudden."

"That's really weird. It happened back in Jack's world, right?" Sora replied, worried as he folded his arms to think. "On my second visit, that's when Vanitas showed up in my head."

"And since it was the rest of our second visit, the visions began in Aqua's mind." Skuld continued.

"But why Sora and Aqua?" Xion asked, worriedly.

Everyone shared a very concerned glance, thinking about it when a loud snort startled them before they all groaned and turned to where Myde was slumped in the chair, snoring his head off. Again.

"What was that you said about quiet?" Isa sarcastically asked Terra.

Donald, very annoyed, stomped towards the sleeping mullet-haired man and took a deep breath before yelling with in his ear, "WAKE UP!" which scared Myde wide awake as he screamed.

"Huh-wha-wha!?" Myde blinked, wondering who rudely woke him up, before he groaned as he fiddled with his ear that was badly ringing from Donald's yell, whining at him, "What was that for?"

The others shook their heads, while the scanner beeped, causing everyone to hurry to it, as it blinked to let them know that they had arrived at another world, which that had a tall tower, and magnifent Kingdom.

"Another new world?" Sora muttered, not recongising it.

"Wonder what's there?" Kairi asked, curious.

"Well, the only way to find out is to take a look." Lea shrugged. "Given the Heartless, I wouldn't be surprised that there're problems there too."

Once it was agreed, even as Myde still complained for having his beauty sleep ruined, Mickey and Donald sailed the Gummiship to hover before they activated the teleporter to teleport them and their friends into the new world, unaware that another familiar enemy was already there, waiting for them.

* * *

 _ **{Kingdom of Corona}**_

As soon as the worldly travellers disembarked, their eyes widened as they looked around to see they landed in a beautiful green forest clearing with a crystal clear waterfall and pond, and the ground had multiple coloured flowers. In front of the waterfall was a tall tower that had a purple roof, but for some strange reason, it had no door.

"So beautiful." Kairi breathed in awe.

"I've never seen a forest so lovely before." Xion added.

"And I thought Snow White's and Cinderella's worlds were beautiful." Aqua agreed.

"What a lovely place." Skuld concluded.

"Seems deserted to me." Lea shrugged, before asking skeptically as he pointed at the tower in the distance, "And what's with that Tower if it doesn't have a door?"

"Maybe it's there for decoration? Or maybe somebody who build it forgot to add a door and has to use a ladder to get in and out." Myde suggested lamely.

"I think we can agree that the latter makes more sense." Sora pointed out.

Donald gazed at both Myde and Sora skeptically, asking, "How can anyone do that with a tower that high?"

It wasn't until they heard an unfamiliar voice sequelling close by which startled them.

"Sounds like trouble!" Roxas exclaimed, only for Mickey to grab his wrist and stop him.

"Actually, that kinda sounds like somebody's excited. It's probably best not to rush in and just take a look carefully, just in case." Mickey suggested.

"Gawrsh, the King's right. We should look before we leap." Goofy agreed.

"Who would be out here in the middle of nowhere?" Isa asked.

"Guess we're about to find out." Riku said.

That sorted, the group ventured off to find out whoever was sequelling, and when they did and peered through the bushes, their eyes widened as there were two people, a young man and a young woman, along with a small green Chameleon who was sitting on a rock. The man was wearing a green vest with a white shirt underneath and brown khakis pants with brown boots. The young woman was wearing a long purple and pink dress with no shoes or even socks or stockings, and, to everyone's surprise, was a long blonde hair that was possibly 60 or 70 inches long.

And another strange thing, she seemed to go from happy to shock to happy again and then to guilt and depression, and this went on back and forth.

"I can't believe I did this!"-Happy.

"I can't believe I did this."-Worried.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS-" Excitedly.

"...Mother would be so furious."-Worried.

"Well, that's okay! I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her, right?"-Optimistic.

"...Oh my gosh...It would kill her!" Worried.

"THIS IS SOOOON FUN!"-Excitedly.

"I'm a terrible daughter. I'm going back."-Guilty.

"I'm never going back! WOO-HOO!"-Excitedly.

"I'm a horrible person."-Guilty.

"BEST DAY EVER!"-Happily.

"Worst day ever!"-Sobbing.

By then, the young man sighed, "You know, I can't help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here."

"What?" The girl asked, turning to face him as he leaned against a tree.

"Now, I'm only picking up bits and pieces here, of course. Overprotective mother, forbidden road trip. I mean, this is serious stuff. But let me ease your conscience. This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure, that's good. Healthy, even." The young man explained.

"You think?" The girl asked.

The worldly travellers shared a glance as the conversation went on, as the young man continued, "I know."

"Am I the only one thinking she came from that lame tower?" Myde whispered.

Before anyone else could answer Myde's question, or the young man talking to the girl to continue, the duo-er, sorry, I meant trio, counting the Chameleon-were surrounded by Flower-like Heartless, causing the girl to scream and raise up...a Frying Pan?, to defend herself, while the young man flinched and even nearly screamed.

"Oh, come on! As if things aren't complicated enough!" The man complained.

"What are these things?" The girl asked, terrified.

"You're askin' me!? I don't think anybody's seen these weird-whatever they are-before!" The young man exclaimed.

"That's our cue!" Sora exclaimed to his group who nodded and bursted out of the bushes, weapons in hand and knocked away several Heartless from the quickly stunned trio whose eyes widened at their sudden appearence.

"We'll handle this!" Ven told the two people, quickly tossing his Keyblade at two Heartless that destroyed them instantly.

"I'll take that offer!" The young man quickly said and pulled the girl aside behind a tree along with the Chameleon, leaving the worldly travellers to handle the Heartless problem.

Sora dodge-rolled and avoided the attacks from the monsters before he chanted Blizzaraga that froze them and he finished them off with an Orb of Light spell. He then teamed up with Donald and Goofy as the trio worked together with their usual teamwork efforts, while Kairi teamed with Xion and Skuld to take out the Shadow Heartless, as did Ven, Terra and Aqua, while Mickey teamed with Riku, Roxas and Lea as the King preformed his triple-air-somersault to take out the Soldier Heartless, leaving Riku to slice them into oblivion, Roxas to take out the annoying Flying Heartless and Lea to burn the Flower-Heartless into crisp. Isa eliminated the bulky Heartless with his Claymore and Myde had his water-clones to drown the rest of the Heartless.

Eventually the coast was clear and as the worldly travellers dismissed their weapons, the young woman and the young man approached them again.

"Thank you so much. You saved us." The girl said.

"Are you okay?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"Ah, we're fine. Nothing to handle. I could've easily taken them out like a dime." The man waved off, only to flinch when the Cameleon, who went up to the girl's shoulder, and the girl glared at him. "What?"

The girl shook her head and before turning her gaze back to the group with a smile, saying, "Anyway, I'm Rapunzel. This is my best friend Pascal." gesturing at herself and the Chameleon, before adding to the man, "And this is Flynn Rider."

"Hi, how ya' doin'?" Flynn waved, unenthusiastically.

"Hey there. I'm Sora." Sora introduced himself with a smile, then introduced his group, "This is Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Skuld and Myde." and each of them gave their own greetings of hellos and waves as he said their names.

"So, what were those things you guys fought?" Flynn asked, referring to the Heartless.

"They were the Heartless. Nasty bad guys who like to cause trouble." Myde explained, which quickly made Rapunzel grip her very long hair in sudden fear and panic.

"They weren't after my hair, were they?" Rapunzel asked, worriedly.

Flynn rolled his eyes, "Seriously, Blondie. Why would anyone want your hair?"

"I was just about to ask the same question." Lea commented, placing his hands behind his head. "Sure, none of us have seen hair so long before and it is really amazing, but stealing people's hair is a waste of time."

"Lea!" Xion, Roxas, Aqua, Skuld and Kairi scolded.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. That was rude of me." Lea quickly held his hands up in surrender and apologetically.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Riku asked this time.

"We're going to see the lanterns!" Rapunzel said excitedly. "Every year, they appear on my birthday, but I could only see them from the tower. It's been my dream to see them up close!" She then added sheepishly, "Sorry. I'm really excited. This is the first time I've been out of the tower, and it's thanks to Flynn here."

"Excuse me, but I thought you were in a war with yourself a few minutes ago, and considering you're worried about your mother, I'm letting you out of the deal." Flynn pointed out, before smiling smugly, "How 'bout we turn around, get you home and I get my satchel back while you get back a mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust, and violà, we part ways as unlikely friends."

Rapunzel glared at him heatedly, "No, I'm seeing those lanterns."

"Well, ask them to take you! They're more bodyguard material." Flynn argued.

"I have a better idea: We all go together, and that includes you! Besides, they're probably not from around here." Rapunzel beamed happily, turning to the group and asking, "Will you come along too?"

Sora and his friends shared a glance, until Terra said, "I don't see why not."

"It would be a good idea, considering the Heartless around." Skuld agreed.

"Sure. We can go with. Besides, it's not very nice of Flynn if he breaks his promise to a girl, right?" Mickey replied happily.

This made Flynn groan in dismay, "Oh, come on! What is it going to take for me to get my satchel back?"

"I will use this." Rapunzel warned as she held up the Frying Pan again.

This made Myde and Donald try not to laugh, which prompted Flynn to pout at them, "Don't laugh! She hit me with it earlier when she tied me up with her hair in a chair! It's even worse when the Frog was too close to my face!"

"He's a Chameleon!" Rapunzel reminded.

"Just face it. You're not getting out of this one." Roxas said to Flynn who sighed dramatically.

"Fine, you guys win." Flynn grumbled. "So, who's hungry?"

* * *

Besides the Heartless that the group took care off, with the aid of Rapunzel and Flynn, the latter lead everyone to what it looked like a building in the middle of the forest, and, immediately, Flynn was the only one who wasn't suspcious about the place.

"Here it is. The Snuggly Duckling." Flynn told the group.

"We're not goin' in there, are we?" Goofy asked, worriedly.

"What's so bad about it?" Flynn shrugged. "This is the safest in the whole forest!" He then looked at Rapunzel. "Don't worry, it's a very quatint place, perfect for you. Don't want you scared and giving up the whole lantern thing now do we?"

"Well, I do like ducklings." Rapunzel admitted with a smile. The rest of the group though still looked uneasy and/or suspicious.

"I...don't know about this place. Sure it looks normal, but it's the inside I'm worried about." Sora muttered, giving Flynn a suspicious glare.

Myde groaned, as memories of Mudka's Resturant filled his mind. "Plus, the last time we went into a normal-looking resturant, they served cooked large beetles with yellow, gross gooey stuff in it."

This made Skuld moan softly and she began to look a bit green in the face, "Please don't remind me, Myde. I still get nauesous just thinking about it."

"What did you want me to say? The last cook we were served gave us Beacon Grease?" Myde grumbled sarcastically, even though just thinking about that made his stomach groan in dismay and he shared that feeling. He then yelped Isa tugged his ear again.

"How about keeping your mouth shut?" The blue-haired man suggested in annoyance.

"Not to worry, this place has amazing food too." Flynn replied, before cringing, "And who would eat cooked bugs and Beacon Grease anyway? That's disgusting."

"Well...it might not be that bad." Mickey hesitatedly replied, shrugging.

"Great!" Flynn grinned, pushing the door open and guiding the group in. Immediately, Rapunzel and the Worldly Travellers softly gasped as while the outside wasn't too bad, the inside was the opposite; it was dark, lit up by candles, and from one side to another, were thugs and thieves seated at tables, some missing limbs and having hooks or peglegs, some were short, some were tall. Immediately, Rapunzel held her up Frying Pan in defense, terrified.

"I was right." Sora hissed, having Kairi stand behind him as she looked terrified herself. Lea and Roxas both kept Xion close to them.

"I was wrong. It _is_ that bad." Mickey shuddered.

"Why did you bring us to this criminal place!?" Donald demanded to Flynn who held his hands up.

"Hey, it's not as bad as it looks." He replied, and when one thug made a comment about Rapunzel's hair, he quickly replied to the guy, "She's growing it out."

Aqua looked really peeved, already helping to guide Rapunzel out of the place, "I say we leave and continue on to the Lanterns. The Kingdom is most likely a far better place than this!" The rest of the group nodded in agreement as they glared at Flynn.

But before they can even step out and leave, one of the thugs who noticed them immediately stood and slammed the door shut and forcing the seventeen of them to step back in completely alarm. But what alarmed Rapunzel and the worldly travellers even more was the man holding up a wanted poster of none other than Flynn, only with a very long and fat nose.

"Is this you?" The Thug asked dangerously at Flynn who gazed at the picture.

"Oh! Now they're just being mean." Flynn groaned at the picture of himself.

"You're a criminal!?" Xion exclaimed, angered at Flynn as where her friends.

"Okay, I confess. That's why I didn't want to go the kingdom in the first place! I stole the lost Princess's Crown!" Flynn argued, only to be grabbed by the shirt and quickly pinned to the wall by the Thug as other Thugs began to gather around.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted him!" Donald growled, only to cry out in alarm when all of the thugs pushed him and the others aside and became busy with how to deal with Flynn.

"Someone call the guards! The reward money will get me a new hook!" The Thug proclaimed.

By then, all of the thugs began arguing and then fighting each other into an all rally brawl while Flynn was still pinned against the wall. Rapunzel and the worldly travellers stood leaning against a corner, unable to decide what to do.

"This is like the Brethren Court all over again." Roxas groaned.

"Where's Serah when you need her?" Lea groaned, remembering how Serah managed to stop the Pirates from fighting by just yelling and lecturing them. Heck, she even scared them into listening.

"What do we do now?" Kairi asked.

"I say we leave Flynn and get the heck outta here." Myde suggested.

"I agree!" Donald was the first to agree.

Rapunzel disagreed, "But we need him! Otherwise will be lost and end up missing the lanterns!" and before the group can stop her, she took a deep breath and mustered up her courage, before taking out her frying pan and hurried over despite the group's protests to stop. She then whacked the thug holding Flynn on the head which made him grunt in pain before he and everyone else stopped what they were doing before turning to face her in confusion and disbelief.

"PUT HIM DOWN!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. She then gulped nervously as the thugs glared at her. "Okay, I don't know where I am and I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I've been dreaming about them my entire life! FIND YOUR HUMANITY! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?"

A complete silence spread in the entire tavern until the Hook Thug hung Flynn onto a nearby Hook on the wall before approaching Rapunzel with a battle axe, approaching her until she was cornered which spread fear in the hearts of Sora and his companions, worried for the girl's safety.

"I had a dream once." The Hook Thug replied, which made everyone else drop their jaws in shock and surprise. He noticed this and turned around, asking in annoyance, "What? Just because I look mean and scary, I can't have a dream?"

"N-No! Of course you can have a dream!" Mickey quickly answered, holding his hands up. "Everybody's just really surprised. So um, w-what was your dream?"

The Hook Thug's expressioned turn to that of someone having a nice dream, as he replied, "I've always wanted to be a concert pianist. I always wanted to stand on stage and preform Mozart." which surprised Rapunzel, the worldly travellers and even Flynn.

"Hey, I dreamed of preforming on stage too, but with my Sitar." Myde grinned happily.

"That explains everything." Lea commented to the Mullet-haired man.

Then a short Thug with a large nose came up, commenting, "I have a dream too! I want to find true love!"

"That's so sweet." Kairi said with a smile, and Xion, Skuld and Aqua nodded in agreement.

"Oh, thank you! I'm a lover, not a fighter." The big-nosed Thug replied, and by then, the other Thugs began to exclaim their own wishes and dreams.

"I want to quit being a thug and become a florist!"

"I make cupcakes!"

"I preform a Puppet show!"

"I want to do interior designs!"

"Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns!"

"What about you guys?" The Hook Thug turned to the rest of the worldly travellers.

Sora and his friends shared a look before shrugging and deciding to reveal parts of their own dreams, with Sora going first while gesturing at himself, Riku and Kairi, "Our dream is to see and explore different places together." with his two best friends nodding in agreement.

"My dream is to have a romantic picnic with Daisy at night." Donald admitted, blushing.

"My dream is to see everybody happy." Goofy added.

"Mine is to watch the stars with Terra and Ven." Aqua replied, with both Terra and Ven smiling warmly at her.

"Mine is similiar to Aqua's, except I want to watch the Sunset with Lea, Roxas, Isa and our other friend Namine and eat ice cream." Xion said, and three of her said friends also smiled.

"Mine too." Roxas said.

"Mine was to be a big brother, and these guys are my family." Lea said, gesturing at Roxas, Xion and Isa who smiled at him as well.

"My dream is to protect others and discover new mysteries." Isa admitted.

"My dream is watch the sunset too, but with my gal' Minnie." Mickey admitted, bashfully.

"My dream is to have a normal life and have friends where we can hang out together and have fun." Skuld admitted.

"What about you?" The Hook Thug turned to Flynn.

"I'm sorry, me?" Flynn asked.

"What's your dream?" The Big Nosed Thug asked.

Flynn just smiled as he folded his arms and said, "No, no no. Sorry, boys. I don't share my thoughts." only to have all of the Thugs' swords pointed at him. "Okay, okay! My dream is to live on my own island surrounded by huge piles of money!"

"Oh, how real exciting." Lea commented sarcastically, and the Hook Thug rolled his eyes in agreement with the redhead, before the latter brought Flynn onto the ground.

"Okay, listen guys." The Hook Thug said to Rapunzel and the worldly travellers. "You don't have a lotta time. We sent a guy to get the guards, so they'll be here in any minute. We gotta get you all outta here!"

"And how can we do that?" Riku asked. The Thugs lead him and the others to the corner of the tavern as the Hook Thug pulled down a leverl with a duckling on it. It then opened up to reveal a trap door leading into a secret passage.

"Go. Live your dream!" The Hook Thug told the group.

"I will." Flynn smiled.

"Your dream stinks." The Hook Thug said to Flynn in annoyance. "I was talking to them." He added, pointing at Rapunzel and the worldly travellers who smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, dude!" Myde grinned.

"Thanks for everything." Rapunzel smiled, before kissing the Hook Thug on the cheek which made him blush before she and her companions hurried into the secret passage to avoid the guards, and continuing their way to see the Lanterns.

* * *

As the worldly travellers, Rapunzel and Flynn ventured into the secret passage away from the Snuggly Duckling, lit up by lined up torches, Flynn took the hold of one while Lea flared a fire in his hand and Donald used his magic on his Staff to help light up the tunnel.

"You know, I gotta say. I didn't know you had that in you back there. That was pretty impressive." Flynn said to Rapunzel.

"I know! To think we made friends with those guys is amazing. They were really sweet and kind too." Rapunzel said excitedly.

Sora laughed, "Actually, making friends with those thugs is nothing compared to who we made friends with."

"You can say that again. We've met weirder guys with good hearts." Myde added.

"Andwe had a friend who was a pirate but a good guy who went back to sailing the ocean when it got his ship back a little while ago." Goofy added, referring to Jack.

"Yep. We've made so many friends in our adventure together." Mickey nodded.

"Wow, you guys sure travel a lot." Rapunzel said, before turning to Flynn and asked, "So, Flynn, where are you from?"

Flynn stopped short as he quickly said defensively, "Whoa, whoa. Sorry, blondie, I don't do backstory. But I am becoming very interested in yours." before adding, "Now, I know I'm not supposed to mention the hair."

"Nope." Rapunzel shook her head.

"Or the mother."

"Uh uh."

"Frankly, I'm too scared to ask about the frog." Flynn concluded, shuddering slightly at Pascal.

"Chameleon." Rapunzel corrected again.

Flynn shrugged, "Anyway, here's my question; If you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven't you gone before?"

"I was about to ask the same thing." Ven admitted.

"How come you never went before?" Skuld added.

Rapunzel looked nervous as she began while sharing a glance with Pascal, "Uh, heh, well..." but didn't get the chance to finish as she and everyone else noticed small rocks rumbling. They all turned to see that, to their shock, the guards and a horse running towards them.

"Uh oh...!" Lea muttered, eyes widening in panic.

"Run! Run!" Flynn cried out, and no one argued with him as they all hurried and made a run for it and would've been relieved as they saw the light at the end of the tunnel if it wasn't for the fact that they appeared on a small piece of elevated land with a huge dam to their side which made them stop and gazed down to the lower ground, where coming out another tunnel were two muscular men and the moment the two noticed Flynn, that sent him a death glare.

"Who're they?" Roxas asked.

"They don't like me." Flynn replied, nervously. They then turned and saw the guards emering from where they came from.

"Who's that?" Rapunzel asked.

"They don't like me either." Flynn answered, knowing the guards.

Just then, a majestic white horse came out from behind the guards, pushing them out of the way with its massive body mass, holding a sword in it's mouth, which, if Jack was here, he'd be commenting the unsual sight. In fact, Sora and his companions could practically hear the pirate say, ' _That is a very terrifying horse._ ' and he wouldn't be wrong.

"Who's the horse?" Myde asked.

"Let's just assume for the moment that everyone here doesn't like me!" Flynn exclaimed. They then looked over at the guards as another figure who, to those who remembered, had short blonde hair and cruel looking eyes as she grinned at them. "Who's that lady?"

"She doesn't like me." Myde shuddered, recongising her.

"Or me." Lea added, then gestured to Sora, Donald and Goofy, "Or even the three of them." which made the said trio confused.

"I don't think she likes anybody." Isa pointed out.

"Well, it's about time I finally caught up with all of you." Arlene greeted with a nasty smirk. "Nice to see you all again; Roxas, Xion, Axel, Saix, Demyx, Sora, Donald and Goofy."

"Did she just call Lea, Isa and Myde those names?" Rapunzel asked Flynn.

"Yeah, and for a moment I thought she said something different." Flynn replied with a shrug.

"It's a long story." Roxas muttered, answering the two's unasked questions.

"Nice seeing you again too, Larxene." Lea replied sarcastically. "Lemme guess; you're with Lamuria and causing problems again, aren't you?"

Arlene snickered, "You're half right, and it's Arlene now."

"Well then, my real name's Lea, and he's Isa and this is Myde. Got it memorized?" Lea responded while tapping the side of his head.

"She was with Marluxia?" Sora asked, not remembering Arlene as Larxene at all, and Donald and Goofy both shrugged, just as clueless. Sora then realised as he and the others glared at the woman, "That means she was with Organization XIII!"

"Slow as always but always managing to figure it out. I have to admit, you're a lot quicker this time." Arlene chuckled evilly. "Now then, how about you all come with me while the rest of these guys take your new friend, Flynn Rider?"

"Hey, wait a minute, blondie-no.2! I didn't do anything to you and we only just met! Besides, what'd these guys do if you're a bad guy yourself?!" Flynn pointed out.

"Shut it, loser!" Arlene snapped, her patience running thin. "I'm here for my revenge on these guys, so you and your girlfriend with the ridiculously long hair stay out of it!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Flynn defensively replied.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Rapunzel defensively pointed out at the same time, which then made both of them share a surprised glance.

"Why would we go with you?" Skuld asked, glaring at Arlene.

"So that I can take you all down in a single hit. It's thanks to all of you that you ruined everything I ever wanted, and it really gets on my nerves that you escape alive, EVERY, SINGLE, TIME!" Arlene yelled this time, before electricity sparked on her hands and she summoned her infamous knives which were cluthces between her fingers. "But since you won't come willingly, I'll have to take you out myself!"

"Like that will happen!" Sora retorted as he and his travelling companions all summoned their weapons to prepare to fight, even if it meant fighting the guards and the two thugs down below. They had to protect Rapunzel and Flynn was their only guide into getting to the lanterns.

This made Arlene grin again. "I'll be roasting all of you into crisp!"

Myde shuddered, still terrified of the woman. "Man, even though she's back to her normal self, some things never change."

In response, the guards held up their weapons threatingly while the Horse glared heatedly at the group, mainly focused on Flynn and not caring on whether Sora's group and Rapunzel were unheard crooks or not. Rapunzel tried to thinkk of a way of how to get herself and the others out of this mess until she had an idea.

"Here!" Rapunzel exclaimed, tossing Flynn her frying pan. She then took a handful of her hair and began to swing it like a rope to lasso something. She then threw her hair, which wrapped around one of the wooden pieces holding the dam up. She then grabbed on to her hair and swung from it, and flawlessly landed on the other side of the elevated area.

"You're not getting away easily!" Arlene hissed, tossing her knives at the group, but the Keyblade wielders quickly used their barrier spells to protect themselves and the rest of the group, before she then made the said knives grow which forced the worldly travellers and Flynn to back up a bit to avoid in getting spiked. She then retrieved them and clawed at the group who did their best to block her attacks as well as her Thundaga on their platform until she successfully pushed Lea, Sora and Kairi over the side of the cliff.

"Sora! Kairi! Lea!" The rest of the group cried out, horrified.

"Guys, here!" Rapunzel called out before dropping her hair down to where three of her new friends were falling. Sora and Lea both grabbed hold of it while Sora caught Kairi around the right with his right arm and held her close to him. She blushed and smiled warmly in contact upon being rescued, and Sora smiled a little in return. They and Lea then swung themselves over to another area of land, lower than the piece of land they were on before, but higher then the ground below them. They let got of Rapunzel's hair while she hurriedly pulled it back up despite it being slightly heavy.

This made the Lightning Nymph furious as she casted another Thundaga at the group who screamed while being briefly paralyzed before she raced off and leaped down to take out her anger on Sora, Lea and Kairi first, leaving the others to handle the guards after Aqua, Skuld and Donald casted Curaga on themselves and the rest of their friends.

"I have been waiting a long time to do this," One of the guards said, glaring at the group who stood ready. The rest of the worldly travellers were about to fight the guard when Flynn quickly whacked the guard on the head with the frying pan, knocking him unconscious. Isa knocked away five other guards with a Wind Spell, sending them to the lower ground. Riku, Terra and Roxas blocked the other guards' swords and spears before they defeated them with ease.

Donald, Mickey, Aqua and Skuld casted Sleepza to put the other guards to sleep before hurriedly tying them up, and Goofy knocked another guard with his shield. Xion and Ven paired up and clashed against the other guards and Myde casted a huge amount of water with his Sitar to make a mini-waterfall which washed down the guards he was fighting to the ground below, and even soaked the two men who aren't guards.

"Man, I have got to get me one of these!" Flynn exclaimed, looking down at the frying pan very impressed, since he was done attacking the guards on his own while the worldly travellers were still busy with the other guards themselves, only for the horse to pick up one of the swords and ran at Flynn with it, before the two of them were quickly engaged with a sword and frying pan fight.

As soon as Sora, Kairi and Lea landed on another piece of elevated land, Arlene landed on the same piece of land herself, growlig as she stood to complete her work. This made the trio stand ready, while Lea decided to use his Chakrams for this battle.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I used to really like you until you betrayed us, you jerk!" Arlene hissed at Lea who glared back.

"Yeah, well, I didn't like you that much at all. Can't even imagine why Flower-Boy likes you a lot." Lea retorted while referring to Lamuria.

"Hmph!" Arlene snorted. "Well, in that case, this time you and Sora and his girlfriend are about to have a funeral!"

"Why does everyone say that!?" Sora and Kairi both exclaimed in annoyance, only to blush again when they realised they said it at the same time.

Lea sighed, and while normally he'd join in the teasing, now wasn't the good time. "Forget that! We have to take care of Arlene first!"

Quickly deciding that the redhead was right, and that they were thankful for the interruption, Sora and Kairi along with Lea stood in fighting positions while glaring at Arlene who then grinned and prepared to strike.

"Who are the losers now, huh?" Arlene mocked.

The fight against Arlene was on.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this chapter was shorter again, but I didn't want to make the next one even shorter. I'll try and make the Tangled world at least three chapters long, but I don't see that happening.**

 **We continue the fights the next time, though it'll have to wait as the next few days will very busy, so I won't have time to write for a little bit. I'll try and update again as soon as possible. See you then!**


	44. CH43: Feelings to Admit

**Author's Note: I managed to find time to get this posted today after yesterday being really busy. And(Spoilers so fair warning) it appears that in the real KH3, the Dead Man's Chest in the Carribean(formally known as Port Royal) is linked to the Black Box Maleficent and Xehanort are looking for.**

 **Anyway, sorry that the Tangled world isn't doing great so far, but I will try to make it better. So here's another chapter! By the way, I want to thank Bopdog111 for helping me with the battle against Arlene here. It really helped a lot! If you're reading this Bopdog111, thank you so much! ^-^**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH43: Feelings to Admit.**_

Arlene struck first by casting Thundaga at the trio who either dodged or reflected the attack before she charged forward and threw her attacks at Sora, Kairi and Lea who blocked all of her eight knives with their Keyblades and Chakrams. She then leaped back before attempting to claw them, but Lea expertly spun his weapons and caused them to rebel back to her. Fortunately for Arlene, she caught them with ease, but hissed when Kairi found the opening and bruised her hard on the side with her Destiny Embrace Keyblade, nearly knocking the former No.12 over, but she managed to save herself.

"That's how you want to play, huh? Fine, no more Ms. Nice Arlene!" Arlene snapped.

"Well, you shouldn't underestimate us at the first place." Lea pointed out, glaring before he grinned, "Got it memorized?"

This made Arlene even more furious before she held up her hands and Lightning strikes began to rain down on the trio and at Lea's warning, Sora, Kairi and Lea himself dodged and had trouble avoiding her attacks even though some managed to hit them and paralyze them briefly. This allowed Arlene to claw the trio who were nearly knocked over but the paralyze wore off and Sora and Lea both pulled Kairi back onto their platform, saving her from falling off, and despite running low on potions and magic, Sora and Kairi both casted Cure and Curaga on themselvse and their redhaired companion, restoring their health.

At that Sora charged in an attempt to hit Arlene at herside with his Keyblade, but Arlene managed to to avoid before vanishing, before striking Sora with her knives before throwing them at Kairi who ran to avoid them before using Fire at Arlene who done a back flip to avoid it before she was hit by Lea's Chakrams. While Arlene is recovering Sora charged, and managed to bash her at the back of her head as she kicked him at the nose, and then pushed him back with a Lightning bolt.

Lea then switched out from his Chakrams and summoned his Keyblade before he spun it around and created a huge ring of Fire. He blasted it at Arlene who gasped in shock and attempted to teleport out of the way, but Sora tossed his Keyblade and hit her again while Kairi casted Blizzard to trap her on the ground by the legs. By then the ring of Fire engulfed Arlene as she screamed while getting burned, but the instant it vanished, she vanished again, making the trio quickly look around on where she would appear next.

Seeing some knives Sora quickly blocked them away before Arlene ran over, and managed to catch the trio off guard with a surprising lightning bolt. While Lea is stunned Arlene struck him with her fast skills of striking distance, before finishing it with a huge kick while Kairi attempts to bash Arlene who jumped to dodge before striking her with her kunai knives, and threw them which Kairi dodged all but one which strike her on the leg which she screamed in pain knelling trying to pull the knife out while Arlene charged with a charged lightning bolt to finish Kairi off.

Sora gasped when he saw this and then without thinking he held up his Keyblade which glowed in light before he summoned the same pistols he first gained back in Romanov Empire and instantly fired several Light Shots at Arlene who saw this too late and was blasted away from Kairi while Lea helped pull the knife out and then tossed Kairi a potion to heal the wound and she nodded her thanks. Arlene in the meantime crashed onto the ground, but growled angrily as she pushed herself up and charged at Sora who's pistols turned back into his Kingdom Key.

Arlene created some Lightning Bolts which the three avoided as Arlene vanished, and reappeared at several spots where she threw knives as Lea, Kairi, and Sora blocked or bashed them away while avoiding the Lightning bolts being cautious on what she will do. Arlene soon appeared behind Sora who saw too late to avoid her next move which that she struck him with a Lightning Bolt at close range pushing him back as he struggled to remain on his feet.

"Why do you three still fight when you know you're out-matched?" Arlene questioned. "Surely you know by now nothing you do will save you from your deaths."

Before Sora could answer, Kairi tossed her Keyblade at Arlene's head which knocked her over, before Kairi, with little magic left, used Cure on Sora who jugged down two of his last remaining potions from his pockets and they and Lea glared at the crazy woman.

"Because we're stubborn, that's why!" Sora yelled.

"And if there's anyone that's gonna lose, it's you!" Lea added, smirking. "Thought you'd remember that by now, Arlene."

"And that kind of reason will lead to death!" Arlene yelled back as she charged.

When close she fired several bolts of lightning at close range which Lea, Kairi, and Sora used their Keyblades to block the assault before Arlene split to two dopplegangers who charged, and struck them with their knifes before the real Arlene fired lightning bolts which the heroes are having a tough time keeping track of both the dopplegangers, and the real Arlene attacking. Seeing a way Sora jumped up the walls while jumping on some rocks the the real Arlene who failed to noticed in time to see he bashed her to the ground before Lea used his Keyblade to bash her to one of the dopplegangers merging them back before Kairi bashed the other back to the real Arlene merging them back.

Finally having enough Arlene called on massive storm clouds which enveloped both her, and the heroes in a big stormy fog where they see numerous lighting coated knifes are ready to strike before they charged at them which them are quick the block them in a fast distance for a few seconds. When it was over they were tired before Lea was kicked up before Arlene attempted to severely wound Sora with her knives, but Kairi intervened with her Keyblade before Sora grabbed it at her offering, and struck Arlene hard, and fast with numerous strikes before finishing it with a dash slashing her with the two Keyblades at the same time as Arlene kneeled down, having been defeated.

Panting in exhaustion and unable to believe that Sora, Kairi and Lea had defeated her, Arlene hissed angrily before glaring up at the trio, and despite wanting nothing more than to kill them right now, she knew, in her condition, it was better off to retreat for now rather than risk in getting killed even though she would have to report to Aced in failing to kill them.

"Just you three wait...! All of you and your friends will end up dead before you know it! Next time, I'll shock you all into crisp!" Arlene hissed, before teleporting herself away for the time being.

While the trio panted and Sora handed Kairi back her Keyblade, they all then heard yelling as they turned to look up and see what was going on. Their eyes widened as they saw what happened.

* * *

While Sora, Kairi and Lea had been busy fighting Arlene, the rest of the worldly travellers were still fighting the guards as well as Heartless that appeared which the guards didn't know and now had to fight them as well, and Flynn was busy fighting against the Horse, which, if the situation was different, it would be the most embarrassing thing to see.

"You should know that this is the strangest thing I've ever done!" Flynn exclaimed, still fighting off the white horse. After trying to get the horse again, the horse used its sword and made the frying pan fly out of Flynn's hand, falling off the edge and hitting the bottom.

"How 'bout two out of three?" He asked the horse, who only pointed the sword at Flynn, making him put his hands up.

"Flynn! Guys! Here!" Rapunzel yelled from across the area. She then lassoed her hair again and threw it at Flynn's hand, which was still up in the air, and the hair wrapped around then pulled Flynn off the edge and he began to swing on the hair like it was a vine, while Terra, Ven and Aqua summoned their Keyblade Gliders while Terra had Roxas, Riku and Isa, Ven had Myde, Mickey and Skuld which was a bit awkward for the four of them, and Aqua had Xion, Donald and Goofy before they flew away from the guards and levitated in the air, seeing Flynn who was still swinging.

"Flynn, look out!" Rapunzel exclaimed after she saw that Flynn was riding right towards the two men at the bottom of the area. Thankfully, she quickly pulled up on her hair just in time for Flynn to fly right past them and continued to swing, which caused the two men to nearly crash into each other and held shocked expressions. This was what Sora, Kairi and Lea saw after Arlene left and while their expressions went un-noticed by Flynn, he certainly noticed the two other men.

"Ha! You should see your faces because you look-" Flynn was cut off when he crashed right into one of the wooden beams holding up the dam into the stomach, though he did finish in pain and strain, "...Ridiculous."

The worldly travellers and Rapunzel all cringed in sympathy as Myde muttered, "Oooh, that's gotta hurt."

"Uh oh! Here comes the horse!" Goofy quickly cried out in horror as he pointed to the said horse who knocked down one of the posts holding the dam up and began to walk across it, like a bridge to get to Rapunzel who gasped as did the worldly travellers.

By then, Flynn climbed onto the beaming while still holding Rapunzel's hair, calling up to her, "C'mon, Blondie! Jump!"

Despite hesitating, Rapunzel did so, just in time to avoid the horse while she swung down by her hair and landed at the bottom, though the two men turned their attention to her as they began to run up towards her. Thankfully, Mickey and Donald both casted Sleepza which made the two men slump over and fall onto the ground, fast asleep. Flynn and all of the worldly travellers by then landed on the ground with Rapunzel who sighed in relief, and Terra, Ven and Aqua dismissed their gliders the moment they were all safely on the ground with their friends.

"Is everyone alright?" Skuld asked, worriedly and was relieved when they all replied that they were, only for the ground to begin shaking which alarmed them.

"Uh...I don't think we're gonna be alright right now!" Myde squeaked in horror, and when they and everyone else turned to look, their eyes widened in horror as the dam began to creak before huge gushes of water began pouring out, destorying it in the process and swallowed up the guards, the two men who just woke up, and the horse.

"RUN!" Terra yelled.

Everyone hurried as they ran as fast as they could, but unfortunately as they all headed into the cave since there wasn't enough room for all of them to fit into the Keyblade gliders, the moment they made it a huge boulder came crashing down and blocked their exit, trapping them inside while the water slowly began to flood the cave.

"This is bad!" Lea cried out, panicking.

"This can't end like this!" Riku muttered, horrified.

All hope seemed to be lost, especially as Rapunzel began to cry, "This is all my fault. She was right. I never should've done this. I'm so-I'm so sorry, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Lea, Isa, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Skuld, Myde, and Flynn."

"Eugene." Flynn sighed in defeat, which confused everyone else before he admitted, "My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. Someone might as well know."

That made the others smile a little.

"We...well, I guess we all came from different places." Sora admitted, and his companions nodded.

"I have magic hair that glows when I sing." Rapunzel admitted.

"Wait, what?" Myde asked, dumbfounded. The others, especially Flynn or rather, Eugene, were twice as confused.

Rapunzel's eyes widened in realization, as a possible crazy idea came into her mind, as she repeated, "I have magic hair that glows when I sing!" before she began to sing, which sounded beautiful and sweet to Sora and his companions.

It was right when they were all underwater, to everyone's amazement, Rapunzel's hair glowed very brightly which lightened the room. They then noticed a tunnel and with a nod, thinking it may be a way out, they all began to swim towards it and the moment they reached more boulders at the dead end, Rapunzel's hair then pushed at the large rocks and with the aid of the worldly travellers, it finally gave way and they all went gushing out into another part of the forest, right outside where the dam was. Coughing and spluttering water, they all clinged onto the shores while gasping for air.

"We made it." Rapunzel realised, in relief and happiness.

"Fresh air and solid ground!" Myde sobbed happily, before pulling himself further on the shore and began kissing the dirt ground repeatedly, before spitting out the tiny rocks and dirt that got into his mouth and on his lips in disgust.

"We're okay." Sora realised in reilef, as he helped Kairi up while everyone else, except for Flynn, stood up.

"Her hair glows..." Flynn just barely let out, staring at Rapunzel who pulled her hair out of the water.

"We're alive. We're alive!" Rapunzel cheered happily.

Lea sighed in relief, "For a while there, I thought we weren't gonna make it."

"Why does her hair glow?" Flynn asked to Pascal, looking both stunned and a bit freaked out.

"Eugene." Rapunzel said to him when she and everyone else heard him and when he turned to look at her, she answered his question, "It doesn't _just_ glow."

"After what I saw, I can already see that." Isa muttered, remembering how the hair helped them push the boulder to free them.

Eugene blinked, before looking at Pascal who gave him a smug smile which made Eugene, Donald, Lea, Myde and Isa feel uncomfortable, before Eugene asked Rapunzel uncomfortably, "Why is he smiling at me?"

* * *

A short while later, the group found a small clearing and rested on a few logs while making camp for the night, and the worldly travellers were exhausted and running dangerously low on potions and they would have to wait for a few hours for their magic to recover. Even Eugene had a cut on his hand. What puzzled the sixteen of them was that Rapunzel had placed her long strands of hair on their injuries. They had no idea why she looked so determined or what she was doing.

"Um, why are you wrapping your hair on our injuries, Rapunzel?" Roxas asked, confused.

"You'll see." Rapunzel replied, taking a seat between Eugene and Sora who was sitting next to Kairi. "Please don't freak out."

"I'm sure we won't." Myde replied.

Isa gave him a skeptical glance, "You're the one to talk." which earned him a glare from the younger man.

Rapunzel ignored Isa's comment and then began to sing again, and as she did, her hair glowed once more, covering their wounds in a warm, soothing sensation. When she finished, her hair stopped glowing and healing stopped. The worldly travellers and Eugene sat frozen in awestruck before they all quickly removed Rapunzel's hair and found that all of the cuts and injuries were gone and they all felt like they were back to full health.

Eugene's jaw dropped before he began to began to hyperlate and freaking out, which made Rapunzel quickly plead, "Please don't freak out!"

"I'm not freaking out. Are you freaking out? No, I'm just very interested in your hair and the magical qualities that it possesses." Eugene spoke so nervously and quickly that it was all mumbled up and almost gibberish.

"That..." Myde began, before grinning, "Was totally awesome!"

"Incredible." Skuld breathed, amazed.

"Amazing." Aqua, Terra and Ven added.

Mickey nodded in agreement, "Gosh. I'll say. I've never seen a healing magic this powerful before!"

"Thank you." Rapunzel blushed.

"How long has it been doing that, exactly?" Eugene asked, still nervous.

Rapunzel shrugged, explaining, "Forever, I guess. Mother says when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves. But once it's cut, it turns brown and loses its power." before moving some of her hair to reveal a single brown lock. "A gift like that, it has to be protected. That's why mother never let me leave."

"And that's why you never left." Riku finished in realization, and Rapunzel nodded.

"So you never left, and you're still gonna go back?" Lea inquired.

"No! Yes." Rapunzel quickly said, before groaning, "Ugh. It's complicated."

Sora felt sorry for Rapunzel, and couldn't help but remember Quasimodo back in the City of Bells in the Realm of Sleep before he unlocked the keyhole to awaken the world up from it's never-ending slumber.

Ven sighed, remembering everything in the past twelve years ago, "Well, that makes the both of us. Me, Terra and Aqua had a Master named Eraqus who trained us to, well, in everything we know. But I wasn't allowed to leave home, to see other places, no matter how much I asked or even as I grew older. At first I thought it was because since I was the youngest, everyone treated me like a kid."

That statement made both Terra and Aqua sigh in sadness. The reminder of everything that they all nearly lost, and that Master Eraqus was gone.

"But it was more than that and, it's a long and sad story. He knew something that I didn't and wouldn't even tell me, because he...couldn't trust me even though I would've gone something to fix it. For a long time he kept making excuses to keep me imprisoned. I was angry with him at first, but...I realised that it was for a good reason and by then, he died and it was too late for me to fix it." Ven continued.

"But, if you could fix it, why didn't he tell you or trust you?" Rapunzel asked, confused.

"Because of an evil man named Xehanort." Terra answered this time, sighing. "And it wasn't just Ven he wanted. It was me because, well, he sought out something that would destroy many lives. I was stupid enough to fall for his tricks and helped him to...to kill Eraqus and by then I realised it was too late. That was mostly my fault...I couldn't contain the darkness within me."

"And I didn't know all of this until after our master was struck down. By then, it was too late and even though we saved many lives and stopped him, he still seperated us which left only Mickey left to survive that battle without a cruel fate." Aqua added, which made Mickey sigh in sadness in guilt. "For twelve years, Xehanort did what he wanted to continue his plans, and two years ago got everyone else with us involved."

"Hey, don't forget that Xehanort's the reason how me and Isa didn't get on so well a year after you guys disappeared. That guy just wanted to get what he wanted and kill whoever he could." Lea reminded.

"We all each got separated and/or kidnapped by Xehanort and the guys who worked with him. Sure we got together but we still had to stop him. Actually, it was recently this year that we defeated Xehanort once and for all." Sora continued the story.

"But that doesn't change on how much everything changed." Kairi said, sighing. "Because there are others who want to cause harm to many other people in whichever way they could. That's why we're all travelling, because we have to stop them before they cause more harm."

Skuld nodded, adding, "I only joined up with them recently and, well, I knew Ven from a long time ago, but our memories are supressed and he doesn't even remember our time together with another friend."

Ven looked away in guilt, "I'm sorry, Skuld."

"I only joined up before she joined up, and well, that's a long and pathetic story, so there's no point in saying anything much." Myde added.

"How 'bout you, Fl-I mean, Eugene? Why'd you call yourself Flynn Rider?" Mickey asked, curiously at the thief who shrugged.

"Well, I'll spare you the sob story of poor orphan Eugene Fitzherbert. It's a little bit of a... It's a little bit of a downer. Eugene shrugged, only to blink in surprise when everyone gathered up around him, eager to hear his story. So he continued, "There was this book. A book I used to read every night to all the younger kids, _"The Tales of Flynnagan Rider."_ Swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies, either. Not that he'd ever brag about it, of course."

"Was he a thief too?" Xion asked, curiously.

"Well, no. Actually he had enough money to do anything that he wanted to do. He could go anywhere that he wanted to go. And - and for a kid with nothing, I don't know. It just seemed like the better option." Eugene replied.

Goofy sniffled as tears began to leak even though he wiped them away. "Gawrsh, that's a great story." He muttered.

Eugene sighed, "Look, guys. You can't tell anyone about this, okay? It could ruin my whole reputation."

"Of course it would." Isa responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Don't worry. We won't tell anyone." Sora promised. The others nodded in agreement.

"We should get goin'. Before the Heartless come and attack us again." Lea suggested.

Everyone nodded, but as Eugene got up, Rapunzel told him which made him stop, "Hey. For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider."

Those words made Eugene's heart warm up which made him smile at the blonde-haired girl, "Well, then you'd be the first. But thank you." still smiling.

However, that peace is shattered as all of the sudden they heard the sound of a horse which startled to group. When they turned to their right, their eyes widened as the very same horse they encountered and Eugene fought earlier emerged from the trees, dripping wet from having taken an unexpected swim and was glaring heatedly at Eugene.

"Uh...ooooh." Donald muttered, worriedly.

"He doesn't look happy." Terra commented.

"Well, having having my hair all wet twice this month, I understand how that horse feels." Myde stupidly commented, which made his companions all groan in dismay and annoyance.

The Horse growled and made his way towards Eugene but was blocked off when Rapunzel, Kairi, Xion and Sora stood in front of him to block the animal from getting to him, before Rapunzel telling it, "Whoa, whoa! Easy there, boy! Calm down! Easy!"

To everyone's surprise, the horse seemed to have calmed down at the sound of Rapunzel's voice, while Pascal sat on the girl's head, making hand movements to repeat what Rapunzel said. "That's it. Now sit...Sit."

The horse sat on the forest floor, unable to help but listen to her. Rapunzel smiled as she began to pet him, which made him wag his tail like a dog as she cooed, "Oh, you are such a good boy! Are you tired of chasing bad men all over the place? No one appreciates you, do they?"

"Whoa...She tamed the crazy horse." Myde muttered, in total disbelief. Eugene's jaw dropped in shock.

"That is amazing. I've never seen anyone tame a horse with a wild personality before." Skuld said in awe.

"Wonder where the horse even came from?" Roxas asked.

"He's wearing a royal harness, so he must belong to the guards." Aqua guessed.

Eugene groaned, "Rapunzel, come on! Quit coddling him! He's a bad horse!"

"Oh, he's nothing but a big sweetheart!" Rapunzel replied, turning back to the horse and discovered what his name was on the name-plate, then asked him with a smile, "Isn't that right, Maximus?"

"Maximus?" Donald snickered before bursting into laughter. He then quickly covered his bill to stop himself into getting into trouble when the horse glared at him due to the duck finding his name funny.

"You've got to be kidding me." Eugene rolled his eyes, which made the horse, Maximus, growl at him in return.

"Whoa. He really doesn't like you." Lea smirked at Eugene.

Rapunzel sighed, before gazing at Maximus with a pleading look in her eyes, "Um, maybe you can put your gate aside and not get him arrested? Just for twentyfour hours, then you can go back to chasing each other to your heart's content? Okay?"

"It seems fair and reasonable, right, Maximus?" Kairi added as she approached the horse and petted him. "It would mean so much for Rapunzel."

"Plus, it is Rapunzel's birthday. Just so you know." Sora stated, and the rest of the worldly travellers nodded while Eugene held out his hand for a handshake. Maximus glared at him before sighing grumpily and held out his hoove, allowing the man to shake it and call it a truce. Sora smiled, "Great! Now that's settles, let's go and see those lanterns!"

Everyone else nodded and began to move out, with Maximus joining them even though the horse was still glaring daggers at Eugene. But as Rapunzel smiled, a movement caught her eye and she quickly turned around to see what it was. To her shock, coming face-to-face with a woman with black curly hair, wearing a long elegant red dress and a black robe. At the sight of the woman, Pascal hid within Rapunzel's hair, also recongising her.

"Those people really are something, aren't they? I'd thought they'd never leave." The woman cackled in a sinister voice.

"Mother!? What're you doing here? How did you find me?" Rapunzel asked nervously to the woman, known as Mother Gothel who grinned.

"Oh it was easy." Gothel laughed. "I just followed the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that." That made Rapunzel cringe in guilt, before she was grabbed by the wrist and started pulling her away back into the opposite direction. "Come on, Rapunzel. Let's get you back to the tower where you belong."

Rapunzel pulled her wrist away, protesting, "Mother, wait you don't understand! I've been on this amazing adventure and I met so many ingesting people! I even made new friends!"

"Yes, a mouse, a duck, a goofy dog, a pyromaniac, a bluehead with a berserk problem, a brainless mullet-haired goof, a serious motherly woman and her boyfriend, two golden-haired twin boys, five other teenagers and a thief. I'm so proud." Gothel replied sarcastically. "Come now, Rapunzel. We're going home."

"Mother, no wait! I made some real friends here!" Rapunzel protested again, before blushing as she added, "And Flynn...I think he likes me." while promising herself to keep Eugene's real name a secret.

Gothel scoffed, "Likes you? Please, Rapunzel, that's demented! This is why you never should have left! Dear, this whole romance that you've invented. This just proves you're too naive to be here. Why would he like you? Come on now, really. You think that he's impressed? Come with mommy."

"No!" Rapunzel shook her head stubbornly.

"No?" Gothel repeated, before smirking. "Oh. I see how it is. Rapunzel's so mature now. Such a clever grown-up miss. Fine, if you're so sure now, go ahead and give him this." before she pulled out a brown leather satchel out from her cape, which made Rapunzel gasp.

"How did you...?" Rapunzel trailled off.

"You hid it well enough from him, but not from me. Mother always knows best, dear." Gothel answered, grinning evilly as she pulled out a beautiful looking tiara. "THIS is why he's here! Don't let him deceive you!"

She put the tiara back into the satchel and tossed it to Rapunzel who caught and answered, determined, "I will!"

"Trust me, my dear, that's how fast he'll leave you. I won't say I told you so!" Gothel told her before turning as she made her leave, but not before saying for the final time, "If he's lying, don't come crying. Mothers... know best." and with that she vanished, leaving Rapunzel in the clearing.

Rapunzel heart sank a little, but she really wanted to believe that she could trust Eugene, Sora and the others. But what if Gothel was right? Yet, the instant she thought of it, Ven's words when he told his story filled her mind.

* * *

 _"Me, Terra and Aqua had a Master named Eraqus who trained us to, well, in everything we know. But I wasn't allowed to leave home, to see other places, no matter how much I asked or even as I grew older. At first I thought it was because since I was the youngest, everyone treated me like a kid."_

 _"But it was more than that and, it's a long and sad story. He knew something that I didn't and wouldn't even tell me, because he...couldn't trust me even though I would've gone something to fix it. For a long time he kept making excuses to keep me imprisoned. I was angry with him at first, but...I realised that it was for a good reason and by then, he died and it was too late for me to fix it."_

* * *

Making excuses...now that she thought of it, Rapunzel did find it odd that her mother was acting very distrusting and sounded even more unusual. So far no one really wanted her hair. They all had dreams of their own and even let her and the others escape. Maybe like Ven, Terra and Aqua's master Eraqus, Gothel was hiding something from her as well, making up excuses to keep her in the tower. Did that mean she lied?

Rapunzel felt trapped in the middle of the fork in the road in her heart. She didn't know what to do and it was scared her.

"Rapunzel?" Xion's voice called, which startled the blonde-haired girl who quickly hid the satchel in her dress and turned to see the black-haired girl and everyone else hurrying back towards her as Xion asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No. It's nothing. Don't worry." Rapunzel shook her head. She felt guilty for lying, but she didn't want to bring up the unusual encounter with her mother right now. She knew she had to be careful. Just then, there was the sound of bells coming from the direction that they were gonna do into.

This made the group to follow it and step out through the exit of the forest and into the clearing, seeing a long stone bridge leading into the Kingdom of Corona itself.

"Wow!" Rapunzel and the worldly travellers breathed in awe at the sight of the kingdom, even though it made Mickey, Donald and Goofy think of Disney Castle. Especially since the Lantern festival had decorations and fun activities. The streets were covered in banners, flags with a golden sun symbol and other things. Rapunzel dragged her new friends onto the streets and all over the kingdomm, taking in the amazing sights.

She wasn't the only one excited as Sora's group and Eugene were enjoying themselves as well. Even Maximus was softening up a bit, especially when the group and even Eugene bought him apples while the horse in return drove off the guards to prevent the group in getting caught, especially Eugene. Apart from lingering Heartless that appeared in more emptier parts of the streets which the worldly travellers took care of, it was a fun time for all of them.

They went from the Library which Rapunzel read more books than she ever read in the tower, to chalk drawings on the stone sidewalk which the young woman found she was very skilled at, and even the some of the worldly travellers took part in that. They even bought some sweets which Roxas, Lea, Xion and Isa shared while finding a perfect spot to gaze at the sky while the sun was starting to set.

Kairi, Skuld and Aqua then helped to put Rapunzel's hair in a braid with added flowers so that it went down to her ankles which she loved really much and it made it far easier now for her to get around without having to drag her hair all over the place. Though even as she gazed it, a wall mural of the King, the Queen, and, as she and her friends learned earlier, the lost Princess, caught her eye.

The young woman felt mesmerized into it, especially as she looked at the picture of the baby who disappeared 18 years ago. Somehow, and she had no idea why, the baby resembled strongly to Rapunzel herself, especially the long golden hair.

Later that afternoon, the group wandered down the street and found musicians playing beautiful music which made Rapunzel join in the fun as she danced, soon joined by Eugene who was blushing, especially when Maximus, having a time of his life, pushed the two young people together and made them blush hard even more, not having expected that. Still, they both smiled and danced together.

Soon Kairi laughed, and then dragged Sora by the wrist onto the dance floor, saying, "C'mon, Sora!"

"Hey-whoa!" Sora yelped, though he couldn't help but smile as his face warmed up a bit, which made Riku laugh with a smile.

Even Terra couldn't shake off the fun as he turned to Aqua, before bowing gentlemen-like and asked politely, "May I have this dance, Aqua?"

"Y-yes, of course!" Aqua replied, blushing as she took hold of Terra's hand and the two soon joined in on the fun, followed by Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Ven, a shy Skuld, Xion and a nervous Roxas while Riku, Lea and Isa watched them from the side, and Myde was busy buying all kinds of sweets and foods from the market stalls and stuffing his face on the junk food.

"Hard to believe that they grew up so quickly." Lea commented as he watched the rest of the group dance, especially Roxas and Xion who was happily laughing and talking. He then smirked as Sora and Kairi were doing the same thing, and even looked closer than before. "Those two really are close, huh?"

"Yeah, it's too bad they still won't admit it." Isa nodded.

"I hope they do soon, before things get worse." Riku muttered softly, so that only Lea and Isa could hear him. When the two older men looked at him questionly, he whispered, "Because if they don't, then when things go wrong they might never be able to."

Lea and Isa both softly gasped, then sighed and gazed out to their other friends again while realising that Riku was right. If Sora and Kairi didn't confess soon, thing they never will if Chaos and/or Bhunivelze attacked.

"Oh boy! I wish Minnie was here to see this." Mickey said as he and the others danced.

"Hey, check this out!" Donald called out as he was trying out a new dance move with had his legs dance quickly fast without moving the rest of his body. Unfortunately, he lost his footing and his feet were going too fast that he was starting to fall. "Uh oh! Whoa! Whoa! Waaak!" He screamed before tumbling and falling flat on his bottom.

This sight made everyone laugh, including those who weren't dancing, even as Lea, Isa and Riku facepalmed themselves.

"Not the brightest dance move." Lea commented jokingly.

* * *

For the entire time, Rapunzel couldn't stop smiling and it wasn't long before night fell and soon the lanterns were about to be sent into the sky. So Rapunzel and Eugene rented a boat and sailed into the water to get a better view, while everyone else split into groups to enjoy it in different perfect spots of the Kingdom. Donald and Goofy decided to keep Maximus company, Aqua and Terra along with Ven and Skuld went to the small hill nearby, Lea, Isa, Roxas and Xion sat on the edge of a building, and Riku kept on eye on Myde while Mickey decided to be on his own and promised to be careful.

As for Sora and Kairi, they returned to the bridge to watch the Lanterns fly from the kingdom and have a moment to themselves with a full moon rising and stars coming out.

"Hey, Kairi?" Sora began, still feeling a bit guilty about his secret earlier.

"Hmm?" Kairi mumured.

The spiky-haired teen shifted awkwardly a little, before sighing, "I'm sorry about not telling you about Vanitas earlier. I know I should've, but that's no excuse. I guess I was...afraid of losing you and everyone else."

The redhaired girl blinked, before saying, "Well, I am still a bit annoyed with you for not telling me. But you know, I can't be angry with you even though you should've told me. But since you were afraid and you're feeling bad about it, I can't really be mad. I would've done anything to help to beat Vanitas."

"Yeah, but, what if I hurt you and everybody else if he takes control? I wouldn't able to live with myself like that." Sora pointed out, sighing sadly. "I know you're tough, and always brave, even when you're in danger, I can't seem to protect you or save you on time. I don't want to lose you."

"I know." Kairi nodded. "I don't want to lose you either, Sora. When you...when you disappeared after you saved me, I didn't want to believe you were gone. I didn't want to let you go." She then sighed and said, "I feel bad for forgetting about you, and it hurt more than anything, especially when everyone else back at home thought you didn't exist until we all got our memories back."

"I don't blame you for that." Sora said, while he had been surprised on Kairi's feelings for him. "When this is all over, you, me and Riku, and everybody will be able to go home and everything will be alright."

Kairi smiled warmly nodded.

The two then had a comfortable silence for a few moments as they gazed ahead again, until Kairi spoke again.

"The festival was great." Kairi said, smiling. "I really had fun today."

"Yeah, me too. And I bet the others had a really great time as well." Sora agreed with a smile of his own. "But I think Rapunzel was the happiest out of all of us."

The Princess of Heart giggled, "Well, it was her dream to see those lanterns up close, and now she finally got her chance." before she gasped in amazement and pointed up into the sky.

Sora followed his friend's gaze and he too was amazed as rising from the kingdom and floating away above them into the sky were thousands and thousands of decorative glowing lanterns, and they weren't the only ones seeing this. Their other friends watched on in very similiar awe through out where they were.

"So beautiful." Kairi breathed, smiling. As she gazed at Sora next to her, though, her heart warmed up and, even though she had been denying it for so long, something within her burst and while it could very well disappoint her that Sora could never return her feelings, and she didn't know what it was, but she couldn't hold back anymore.

"Yeah." Sora replied. He turned to say something when he blinked in surprise as gently pressed a finger onto his lips to silence him, and as she gazed at him in the eyes, Sora suddenly found that he couldn't stop looking at hers and his heart warmed up. While it confused him on why it was happening now or it didn't bother him a bit, he couldn't hold back his feelings anymore.

Sora blushed heavily as Kairi leaned up while closing her eyes and kissed him on the lips. Surprised at first, Sora soon found himself returning it while closing his eyes and the two wrapped each other in their arms as they kissed.

" _Uooooggghhh...Now I'm_ _really_ _feeling nauesous. This is disgusting._ " Vanitas groaned in disgust, but Sora ignored him as he always did. Neither he or Kairi wanted this moment to end.

Though when it did, both of them sighed before Kairi snuggled up in Sora's chest, and he held her close.

Yet the moment couldn't last forever, as all of the sudden both Sora and Kairi sensed something and broke apart, just in time to see a large Heartless suddenly appear and even though Sora tried his best to shield Kairi, both of them were knocked back over the railing by the gust of wind the Heartless sent out and as both of them screamed, they fell into the river. With it's job done, the Heartless vanished, just as a disheartened Rapunzel was dragged by the wrist by Gothel back towards the tower, as the latter was smiling evilly and in victory.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mickey was sitting on the edge of a wall on the higher ground of the Kingdom, watching the Lanterns fly away. He had been keeping an eye out on the Heartless and for clues for any whereabouts on Aced, and even on Lauriam, the Book of Prophecies and the Black Box. So far, no luck.

As much as the sight of the Lanterns was beautiful, the King couldn't stop the sadness in his heart as his thoughts were once again onto Master Yen Sid. He even remembered the last time he spoke to his mentor before leaving for Radiant Garden.

 _ **Flashback: During the events of "Second Life: Secret Episode"...**_

 _"Be warned, all of you." Yen Sid cautioned, "The dangers are not yet over, and who knows what other kind of threat may pose to you all. Be vigilant."_

 _Everyone nods in agreement. Though as they were turning to leave, Mickey remembered something and told the others that he'll be a minute or two. Confused at first, the group nodded before heading out to wait for him on the lower floor._

 _"I sense there is another matter you wish to speak of before you go." Yen Sid spoke, apparently already having an idea on what his former Apprentince wanted to talk about._

 _"Nothin' goes by you, huh, Master?" Mickey shrugged sheepisly, before speaking what was on his mind, "I...I can't help but feel like somethin's about to go wrong and...I-I guess I'm scared of failing everybody. I really try to keep to my promises, and I won't ever give up. But...when Xehanort said how he lead Aqua, Terra and Ven into having their lives ruined, I realised that I made the mistake in not actin' sooner, when I found out about Ansem the Wise's newest apprentince, and that Xehanort even used Maleficent to kidnap and steal the hearts of the Seven Princesses."_

 _The King paused, and willed himself not to cry, especially not in front of the powerful Sorcerer. "It's my fault that Sora and everybody else had gotten involved. Even worse, Xehanort coulda finished them and even me off, and I couldn't do a thing about it. Now we got Chaos and maybe even Bhunivelze to worry about."_

 _Mickey dared to look at Yen Sid again, and asked, "Master, please tell me. Why do I make such awful mistakes?"_

 _"It is not your fault, Mickey." Yen Sid told him, his expression softening a little. "The future is always unpredictable, and even if it was, you cannot change the future. One can only do what they can, and unfortunately, not every tragedy can be prevented, nor can darkness striking at any moment. Yet, there is a loophole in time itself."_

 _"Huh? But I thought you said the future can't be changed." Mickey pointed out, confused._

 _"Every possiblities and outcomes exists in different realms and dimensions. Yet most share the same or similiar pasts and presents. Perhaps even I misunderstood and the future may change, either for the better or for the worse. For instance, should Keyblades not exist, nor should the worlds be as they are now, what do you believe a single world would be, Mickey?" Yen Sid explained._

 _Uncertain how to answer that, Mickey thought about it until he admitted, "Hmmm...Good question. Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it'd be sorta like Radiant Garden, or the Islands. Or even like my hometown or Midgar. Gosh, maybe all of those places could've been in the same world but seperated by a single ocean."_

 _"Yet it could be world where you would not have needed my guidence." Yen Sid added, then smirked a little. "Then again, you'd still be having difficulty in following instructions."_

 _"I-I didn't mean anything like that!" Mickey quickly said, holding his hands up in defense or surrender. "You and I both know I wouldn't be the way I am now without ya'."_

 _The old man nodded, "I know. However, there will be a day where you will no longer need my guidence. It was you who guided Donald and Goofy to learn more of the Keyblade and the Heartless, which led them to Sora. And you were the one guide them to me for further instruction and found out more of the threat Xehanort possessed on your own. One day, the time will come when I too will fade from life."_

 _Mickey's heart ached when his mentor said those last words in his sentence. Somehow he realised that possiblity slipped from his mind. A life without Yen Sid would hurt as much as losing Ansem the Wise._

 _"...I really don't wanna think about that future. I still have trouble accepting that Ansem, the real Ansem is gone. I-I know he isn't comin' back, but it...it still hurts so much." Mickey admitted, unable to gaze at him again and closed his eyes._

 _"I was once like you when my own master told me the same of a life without him." Yen Sid admitted, standing from his chair and approached Mickey who looked up at him. The sorcerer then knelt down to the younger Keyblade wielder's height, continuing, "However, I will tell you what he has told me; while the feeling of loss to friend or someone you trust will never truly fade away, you cannot let that sadness overcome you for your own future. Always remember what you had learned and been through in the best of times, and use your teachings to guide future generations, in a way that you see is right."_

 _"I'm not sure if I'll be as good of a teacher as you, sir." Mickey said, a little nervously._

 _Yen Sid just chuckled. "Teaching is not a simple task. You can only do what you can. But know this, Mickey; should I disappear or been abducted, though I doubt such an event would happen, do not rush in your quest. Seek out answers first while protecting many from the darkness. May your heart be your guiding Key."_

 _"May my heart be my guiding key." Mickey repeated, then nodded as his determination was renewed. "I'll do my best, and if ya' do get kidnapped, I promise I'll do everythin' I can to find and save you and keep Sora and everybody else safe!"_

 _"One ask at the time, Mickey." Yen Sid advised, placing a hand onto Mickey's shoulder. "And be sure to be on your guard as well. I must admit...even I have not fully recovered in the demise of Master Eraqus. He too was a friend."_

 _Mickey blinked, and realised that he also forgot that his own master and the master of Terra, Ven and Aqua were both good friends until Xehanort killed Eraqus. He remembered hearing the news, and also remembered the sadness he heard in Yen Sid's voice. That had actually frightened Mickey as he'd never seen his mentor so sad and upset before._

 _"I understand." Mickey replied, and before he knew what he was doing, he hugged Yen Sid who blinked in slight surprise. The king hugged him as tightly as he could as though afraid the sorcerer would just disappear as he answered the man's unasked question, "This is just in case."_

 _Yen Sid sighed, before slowly embracing his former apprentince in return. The moment couldn't last, as the two let go._

 _"I'd better get goin'." Mickey finally said, "We'll be back before ya' know it."_

 _"Be on your guard, Mickey. Trust your friends and your heart." Yen Sid told him for the final time._

 _Mickey nodded firmly, "Right. I'll see ya' soon." before turning and hurried out the door to meet up with the others._

* * *

End Flash-Back:

"...That was the last thing I ever said to 'im." Mickey said to himself in sadness. He sighed before gazing up at the sky, softly asking in a plea, "Master Yen Sid...please tell me. Are you still alive, or are ya' gone? I gotta know. I need your guidence, now more than ever." yet he didn't get an answer, knowing that his mentor couldn't hear him.

"Mickey!" Ven's voice called out from behind him, causing the King to turn and saw that his friend was running up towards him.

"Ven? What's the matter?" Mickey asked, worried as he leaped down from the wall and onto the safe solid ground.

"Rapunzel's missing and Flynn's been arrested! We have to find the others and save warn them!" Ven told him urgently.

"Oh no!" Mickey cried out, horrified.

* * *

Sora had pulled Kairi onto the shore as soon as they resurfaced, and both of them panted when they were back on dry land. "Kairi, you okay?" Sora asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine." Kairi replied, before grumbling angrily, "That wasn't very nice of that Heartless to attack us like that!"

While he was relieved that she was okay, Sora nodded in agreement and said, "I'll say. That Heartless sure had no manners and it almost drowned us! If we see it again, I'm gonna give it a good lesson."

" _Personally, I'm glad that the Heartless cut your new romance short. It was making me want to puke._ " Vanitas snorted.

Sora groaned as he placed a hand to his head, grumbling, "I wish Vanitas would just stay quiet too."

"What did he say?" Kairi asked, knowing that whatever Vanitas said in Sora's mind, it was annoying. She was glad that her friend-well, possibly boyfriend now, given how she'd kissed him and she tried not to blush on that realization-wasn't listening to Ven's former darkness.

"Said he was glad that the Heartless interrupted and ruined our evening." Sora replied, sighing. "But I'm just going to ignore him."

Kairi went to say something else when she and Sora both heard Riku and Xion call out to both of them and the duo turned to see the said two along with the rest of their companions and even Maximus run up towards them and they looked worried. What surprised and concerned Sora and Kairi though was that, Rapunzel, Pascal and Eugene were missing.

"Are you two okay?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, we're fine. Just had a rude welcome by a Heartless." Sora replied.

"Where are Rapunzel, Pascal and Eugene?" Kairi asked, confused.

"Rapunzel was taken by a woman in a red dress into the forest. I think she was her mother, though I didn't see a resemblence." Xion hurriedly said.

"And I saw Eugene about to head over the palace, possibly to return the crown he stole earlier since I believe, due to having feelings for Rapunzel, he has feelings for her. Then just as I was about to join him with Ven, we were both surrounded by Heartless while Eugene was knocked out and then when we were knocked out, by the time we woke up, he was gone!" Skuld added.

"On to top that, we think that since we saw him tied up to a boat, he got arrested!" Lea added.

"What!?" Sora and Kairi exclaimed.

Rapunzel was kidnapped and Eugene got arrested!? This was really bad news.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter is the last of the Kingdom of Corona since I didn't want to make this like two chapters only. Again, thank you so much Bopdog111 for helping me with Arlene's battle. Really appreciate it!**

 **I'll try and post the next chapter again as soon as possible. Until then, see you soon!**


	45. CH44: Resolved Secrets and Mystery

**Author's Note: I somehow managed to find time to post this chapter since I've been on the urge to write, but the last four days have been really busy. Thankfully, the conclusion of Kingdom of Corona is herem as well as the beginning of another Disney world I've been wanting to go to for a while! And thanks again for your help with another boss fight, Bopdog111. You've been a great help!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH44: Resolved Secrets and Mystery.**_

"Uh, am I the only one who thinks that the lady who supposed to be Rapunzel's mom isn't her real parent or something?" Myde asked, worriedly. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged while adding, "I mean, if Xion said that there was no resemblence, then the Heartless attacked and Eugene got arrested even though he was about to return what he stole, don't you think it's a bit suspicious that the lady somehow knew where we all were?"

The rest of the worldly travellers' eyes slowly widened in realization before sharing a concerned glance, then Goofy muttered, "Gawrsh, now that I remember, I saw a paintin' on the wall in the Kingdom and the lost Princess in that had long hair, just like Rapunzel."

"You're right. Plus, when I asked about the Lantern festival earlier before the dance, I was told that they send out the Lanterns in hopes that the King and Queen's daughter would return to them since it was her birthday." Terra frowned.

"While it's Rapunzel's birthday too and she did look just like the lost Princess..." Mickey gasped in realization and said firmly to his friends, "Because Rapunzel is the Lost Princess and her 'mother' isn't her real mother and had kidnapped her when she was very young! That's why she wasn't allowed to leave the tower, because she was a prisoner!"

Sora grunted as it finally dawned onto him. "So since Rapunzel's hair is magical, the woman who's supposed to be Rapunzel's mother is the one that started all of this eighteen years ago! She lied to Rapunzel so that she can keep the hair's powers to herself."

"Myde, you just helped solve the mystery and find the real answer." Isa praised with a smirk to the mullet-haired man who blinked, surprised.

"We have to save Eugene and Rapunzel!" Ven told everyone with determination.

"To do that, we need to get Eugene out of jail." Roxas nodded.

Lea nodded, "Right. And as much as doing so would get us on the criminal record, we're gonna do a jailbreak."

Even Maximus whined with determination and pointed into the direction of the castle dungeon, gesturing the others to follow him quickly which surprised the worldly travellers who all then smiled in realization. Apparently even he wanted to help rescue Eugene and Rapunzel after hearing what Sora's group had said.

"You wanna help us out to save them?" Sora asked the horse who nodded. The young Keyblade Master nodded in return before turning to the rest of the group with determination, "All right. Let's go!"

The group nodded and followed Maximus in hopes of saving Eugene and then save Rapunzel from Gothel.

* * *

Eugene sat miserably in the cell of the castle and hung his head low, worried about Rapunzel and the worldly travellers and wondering if they were okay or something bad happened. One thing for certain, starting tomorrow at dawn, he would never see them again, because he was being sentenced to death.

The doors then suddenly opened when heard the lock being unlocked, and to his shock and surprise, Sora appeared and silently gestured him to follow him. Relieved and puzzled, Eugene hurried over to him and was even more surprised that, once he was out of the cell, the rest of the worldly travellers were there.

"Sora! Guys!" Eugene whispered in relief, afraid that they'd end up getting attention. He then sighed and tried to explain, "Look, this isn't what it looks like. I-"

"It's okay. We already know what you were doing." Skuld interrupted kindly. "That's why we're here, to help you."

"Not your fault that that Heartless attacked and the bad lady who took Rapunzel caught us off-guard. Besides, we'd never leave a friend behind. Got it memorized?" Lea added with a smirk.

Eugene felt really emotional. This was the first time in his life he actually met people who he can call his real friends. "Thanks, guys." He said, before asking, "But how'd you get here? This place was crawling with guards."

"Aw, don't worry. Maximus let us in while keeping the guards busy." Mickey explained, before saying firmly, "But we'd better hurry on outta here, and fast and save Rapunzel."

"Yeah, that lady who's supposed to be her mom kidnapped her, and from what we found out, she's the reason how the lost Princess disappeared in the first place." Myde added.

Eugene clutched his fists, "I knew something sounded off with blondie's mother. Let's go rescue Rapunzel!"

The others nodded and hurried on out of the dungeons, but as they reached the outside, to their shock there were Heartless lingering all over the place and on top of everything else, Maximus was cornered and the guards were all turning into Heartless before their eyes. Except some who the Captain of the Guards noticed and hissed when he and the remaining men saw Eugene and the worldly travellers.

"Uh, oooooh!" Donald muttered, as he and the others grunted.

"Intruders! And they broke the prisoner out!" The Captain of the Guards yelled the alarm, and turned to Maximus, adding, "And this horse betrayed us! Seize them and make sure they ALL get executed by dawn!"

"Looks like we have to fight our way out." Riku grunted, summoning his Keyblade which prompted his travelling companions to summon their weapons as well.

Sora blocked one of the guards' swords and the two ended up clashing before the former knocked it away and knocked him out with his Keyblade, before dodge-rolling a Heartless shaped like tower who missed clobbering him with a sword-axe and hit the ground, creating a small crater. The Keyblade wielder then tossed his Keyblade at it which hit his target before he caught the weapon and changed Thundaga which destoyed it.

The rest of the worldly travellers and Eugene, along with Maximus who was saved by the others, all charged and attacked the Heartless and the guards as much as they could, blocking the opponents attacks and while they did get scrapes themselves, it was an all going-out battle in the dungeon field, though to their dismay, more guards began to appear at the Captain's signal, getting Sora and his friends cornered with swords, bow and arrows, and spears ready to kill them or make them surrender.

To their surprise, though, the guards were suddenly shoved and locked into nearby cells by the sudden arrival of the Thugs they and Rapunzel met back at the Snuggly Duckling.

"What is this? Open up!" The Captain of the Guards demanded as he reached the locked door from the cell he was trapped in.

The short Thug, with the help of one of the other Thugs, opened up the prison door's window and teasingly asked, "What's the password?"

"What?"

"Nope." The Short Thug shook his head and closed the window.

"Open this door!"

"Not even close."

As Sora's group, Eugene and Maximus stared in awe and surprise that the guards that cornered them were silently and quickly taken out by the Thugs one at the time until one of the Thugs whacked one of the remaining guards on the back of the head with a Frying Pan.

"Frying Pans!" Eugene exclaimed in awe, turning to the worldly travellers and the horse, asking, "Who knew, right?"

"You came to save us!" Roxas said in relief to the Thugs.

"We heard parts of what happened and well, we decided to help you so you can save Blondie." The Hook Thug told them, before saying urgently, "There's no time. You guys get on outta here." while pointing at the catapault they stolen earlier. "This will help ya's get outta here quicker; that includes the horse."

"Not that I'm lookin' forward to that, but I'll take it!" Lea nodded in agreement, and the others did the same, before they all hurried over and climbed onboard, though it was a bit of a tight squeeze and they hoped that it wasn't going to be a crash landing.

"Head down." Hook Thug instructed.

"Head down." Eugene repeated while and his friends and Maximus lowered their heads.

"Arms in."

"Arms in."

"Knees together."

"Knees together."

After the group did as they were told while shutting their eyes tightly as they braced themselves, the next thing Sora and his friends knew, at Hook Thug's signal, they were catapaulted right into the air and flying away from the castle and over the kingdom, screaming before they were out of the kingdom's sight and were descending towards the ground. As soon as they were about to land into the forest, Terra, Aqua, Skuld and Mickey quickly used the Gravita spell and the descend slowed to a soft stop before they landed on the ground safely.

"That was close." Myde panted, nearly hyperlating.

"No time to take a break! We have to save Rapunzel!" Kairi pointed out, already standing up.

"Right! Let's go!" Sora declared, and the others nodded.

* * *

While fighting their way through the forest while fighting the Heartless that grew in numbers the closer they got, the worldly travellers, Eugene and Maximus finally managed to reach the Tower where Rapunzel was trapped inside with Gothel.

However, just as they neared it, blasted appeared which almost knocked everyone away, but Sora, seeing this, successfully pushed both Eugene and Maximus further towards the tower while he and the rest of the group soon found themselves cornered by the same Heartless that knocked Sora and Kairi into the river earlier. The Heartless in question resembled to the tower, but it also had poison flowers growing on it's shoulders, sharp clawed hands and a massive jawed mouth that can easily swallow up someone.

"Guys!" Eugene cried out worriedly to the group, and Maximus whined horrified at the same time.

"Just go! Rapunzel needs you two!" Sora told the duo as he and his companions summoned their weapons once more and faced the Heartless once again.

Despite not wanting to leave them to this, Eugene shared a worried glance with Maximus who nodded and after telling them to be careful, they both hurried to climb the stone tower to rescue Rapunzel from Gothel while Sora and his friends were left into fighting the giant Heartless.

The Heartless attacked first by attempting to claw at the worldly travellers who all leaped out of the way and dodged the attack. However, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Skuld and Myde were forced to continue dodging it when it continued to claw at them, in a similiar way the Armored Heartless back in Traverse Town would attack, only this time it had more attacks, which was a bit of a problem for the group. They knew they had to be careful with this one.

Sora, Ven and Roxas all tossed their Keyblades at the Heartless' arms which knocked the clawed hands back and causing the Heartless to roar in pain at the sudden attack when they found an opening, but as the Keyblades returned to their owners, the Heartless then summoned huge bricks that began to rain down on them. However, Terra and Isa leaped into the air and knocked the bricks back to save the trio who nodded their thanks.

While it is distracted Terra charged, and whacked it's leg as it roared before trying to attack him, but he dodged while Aqua used fire magic at the face which cause it to roar from the burn as Mickey used Kingdom Key D to attack the Heartless in fast pace as the Heartless recovered, and fired couple of darkness orbs on the heroes.

Mickey summoned the Orbs of Light to counterattack it before sending more towards the Heartless' head, but was forced to leap out of the way before it claw poison him with the poison fluids from the flowers. The King then casted Firaga as did Aqua and Xion which weakened the flowers and causing more pain to the Heartless, but it did claw the group who were knocked back and nearly crashed into the ground, though they managed to righten themselves up and landed safely before Donald casted his Fireworks Spell to rapidly hit the Heartless who was surrounded by the attack.

Skuld attacked the Heartless by the legs while avoiding it's claws as everyone else kept it busy. She gave it a good thrusts and Thundaga, but was knocked away when she was forced to leap to avoid in getting stomped, but the impact caused the ground to shake which also caused some damage to the others as well, before they were forced to use Curaga and Cure to bring back some of their strength.

Even so, the Heartless then leaned foward in rapid speed to gobble someone up, but the worldly travellers dodged this attempt as well, which gave them the opening to attack it's head. Riku used his Flowmotion and leaped all over it's body before thrusting his Keyblade into it's eyes and leaped off to avoid the poisoned fluids just in time.

While that happened Xion ran, and struck the Heartless at the legs, and while that is happening Roxas charged, and attacked it as he, and Xion grabbed each other's hands, and attacked the Heartless in fast motions switching back, and forth before they finished it with a slash up it's chin to Kairi who bashed it as it landed on the ground. Getting up the Heartless attacked the group with it's fluid all around.

They all dodged the attack though some got poisoned, but thanks to Donald, Skuld and Aqua's cure magic, they managed to heal up and rid the poison. Kairi shot a Blizzard attack on the Heartless' flowers before following it up with the Pink Orbs of Light and then she thrusted her Keyblade into the claws that attempted to grab her before leaping out of the way to avoid another attack.

Xion tossed her Oathkeeper Keyblade at it's other clawed arm before catching it and then she leaped into the air to spin her weapon at it's head, hitting it repeatedly until she landed safely on the ground, causing the Heartless to become dazed. Aqua used this to her advantage while she switched out of her Rainfall Keyblade and summoned Eraqus' Keyblade, shooting out orange chains of light that entrapped the Heartless, allowing her and her friends to attack it with multiple attacks.

When it broke out it attacked with a huge swipe from it's claw as Isa charged it with his Keyblade and struck it hard along with casting a powerful beam with a bit of Moonlight at it's chest, as Lea attacked it with his Keyblade as the Heartless avoided the attacks, and sharpened it's claws charging at Kairi and Sora who both nodded and held hands before leaping up and avoiding it's attack before they shot out Magic Orbs which both the Blue and the Pink combined together, hitting the Heartless head on. However, just as they landed, it swiped at them again and knocked everyone back before it reached down at it's closed target; Ven.

"Ven, look out!" Skuld screamed as she ran up before pushing him out of the way, but was quickly engulfed herself, much to her friends' horror.

"Skuld!" Ven cried out, unable to believe that a friend he hardly remembered risked her life to save him.

"Hey, you ugly towering-Rock Heartless!" Myde yelled, using his Sitar to create large water pillars to surround the Heartless and attack it's stone parts, which knocked it back and causing it to stumble, while Lea held up his Keyblade while summoning one of his Chakrams and created a large Fire Serphant before sending it towards the Heartless, burning off it's flowers which faded away into darkness and causing massive pain to the monster, combined with Myde's attack.

"Let's finish this creep off!" Sora declared.

"Right!" Everyone else nodded, before they blinked in surprise that the Heartless winched as they heard thrusting and whacking from inside the Heartless' stomach.

"Skuld's fighting the Heartless from within!" Aqua exclaimed in realization.

"Hold on, Skuld! We'll save ya!" Goofy called out, tossing his Shield at the Heartless' stomach, causing it to roar in agony again.

Ven threw his Keyblade which hit the Heartless at the eye which made him wince, "Man, talk about a eye bashing. I really need to be careful where I aim."

Sora then held up his Keyblade, but rather than the Light Pistols he'd been expecting, Sora and everyone got a surprise when instead he summoned a large pirate ship light up with lights like in a festival. This gave him an idea as he hopped onto it as did everyone else who got the message before they rocked back and forth on the magic Ship, sending out attacks while Sora commanded the ship with his Keyblade, thrusting at the Heartless who couldn't escaping until the ship spun around and around and made a finishing move, sending the Heartless back and hitting it's stomach, causing it to heave out before it spat out Skuld who cried out in alarm.

"Skuld!" Ven cried out as soon as the ship Sora summoned vanished and everyone landed safely. He quickly jumped and had Skuld land in his arms while landing hard on the ground himself. Sora, and Riku charged at the Heartless who looked up before being slashed as the two struck hard at it's chest before they landed and the Heartless groaned before a heart escaped it from it. The moment it did, the Heartless vanished, fading into oblivion.

As Ven panted, he asked Skuld worriedly, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Skuld replied, and she smiled warmly at him. "Thanks for breaking my fall." She told him, which made Ven blush a little and then softly chuckle.

"Skuld! You're okay!" Lea exclaimed in relief as he and everyone else gathered.

"Thanks to you guys." Skuld replied as she and Ven stood up, before she added with a concerned expression, "But we have to hurry and help Eugene to save Rapunzel!"

"Yeah! Let's go!" Sora told them.

* * *

The worldly travellers hurried towards the tower and despite the awkwardness, they climbed up as fast as they could, but by the time they reached the rather cosy chamber that had been decoracted, no doubt by Rapunzel in all her years of being locked up in the tower, they froze in horror as they spotted Eugene collapsed in painful agony not three feet away, his right wrist chained to a chair nearby, and a horrified Rapunzel preparing to heal him. Also in the room was a disapproved Gothel who noticed them and glared at the worldly travellers, pulling out a dagger and held it out to them.

"Eugene!" Sora exclaimed, horrified.

"What did you do!?" Kairi demanded at Gothel who grinned evilly.

"Stopping him from taking away the only thing that keeps me young forever. I know that you all know of Rapunzel's power within her hair." Gothel told them coldly.

"Let them go!" Aqua demanded, glaring at the evil witch.

Gothel just simply laughed, "Not a chance. She's mine; we made an agreement that should she heal this thief, she is mine forever! There isn't a thing either of you can do, so it doesn't concern you."

"So you kidnapped Rapunzel so that you can use her hair to live forever?" Lea asked, disgusted.

"Only because those guards stole the flower I used in order to save their Queen! That power is rightfully mine!" Gothel snapped angrily.

Myde blinked, dumbfounded. "Sheesh, you got no concept of sharing, do you? Nothing lasts forever, you know!"

"Oh, but I will, and if you all don't stay out of my way, you will suffer the same fate as your friend." Gothel told them darkly, before noticing Kairi and grinned evilly again. "On the other hand, that young lady looks too precious to leave or kill. Hand her over and I will spare your lives; I could use another with a bit of Light."

Kairi gasped before grunting, though Sora and Riku both stood in front of her as Sora told Gothel, "Forget it! You're not getting Kairi!"

"Then I will make you!" Gothel hissed, preparing to charge at the group who stood ready.

However, before anyone could do anything, Eugene, with the last of his strength, unprecedentedly cut Rapunzel's golden hair straight through with a shard of glass from the broken mirror that Gothel knocked into earlier. Rapunzel was alarmed as were the worldly travellers who gasped in shock. Rapunzel's long, golden hair had been cut off entirely to the same length as Aqua's blue hair. The result was every strand of hair quickly transforming from a golden color to a brownish color.

"No!" Gothel exclaimed in panic and horror, hurriedly grabbing the large armful of hair. "What have you done!? _What have you done!?_ "

By then, it was too late as the rest of the hair turned fully brown, and along with it, the evil woman's skin became so pale that it was ghostly white. The woman's hair swiftly became grey before turning white as well. Having aged rapidly, Gothel desperately stared at her appearance in the remains of the broken mirror and screamed in horror that all of her youth was done right before her eyes. In horror and panic at her new appearence, she covered her head with a black blanket, though totally unaware of the fact she was currently stepping towards the tower's window which was the only way in and out.

Pascal, who'd been hiding in fear, had an idea and quickly used the remains of Rapunzel's cut hair as a tight rope and pulled hard, which caused Gothel to blindly trip onto and stumble out of the window where she screamed and fell head first. Within seconds, she had landed upon the grass, but there was nothing but than a cloud of dust rising from the blanket.

"Well...there she goes." Myde muttered.

"Eugene! No! Stay with me, Eugene!" Rapunzel's devasated cries brought the worldly travellers back to reality and they all gasped in horrified realization that Eugene had just sacrificed his chances to stay alive to stop Gothel and give Rapunzel the freedom she longed for. Rapunzel was urgently attempting to revive Eugene with her hair — to no success. Her hair had been cut and all its power was lost forever.

Suddenly Sora, seeing this, had memories of when he, Jack and Elizabeth watched Will slowly die, but unlike that time since Will had been revived though he had to serve as the Dutchmen's new Captain, there was no saving Eugene.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene asked weakly, in his dying breathe.

"What?" A tearful Rapunzel inquired, not wanting to lose him. To lose the man she had come to fall in love with.

"You were my new dream..." Eugene told her as his eyes slid closed.

The former blonde smiled sadly as she replied, "And you were mine."

Eugene managed to smile in response before took his final breath and then went limp in Rapunzel's arms. Rapunzel's eyes began to swell in tears as she cried and hugged the man's body. Sora and everyone couldn't believe that Eugene was dead, and some lowered their heads, Kairi bursting into tears as she threw herself into Sora's arms, crying in his chest while he held her to try his best to be comforting even though he tried not to cry himself. Aqua, Skuld and Xion did the same, crying in the chests of Terra, Ven and Roxas. Mickey sniffled in sorrow, Goofy and Donald hugged each other, sobbing, Myde tried not to cry pathetically, and Riku, Lea and Isa lowered their eyes, trying not to let their own tears show.

Rapunzel by then began to sing her healing song, even though she and the others knew, Eugene was gone. However, as she leaned onto his head, a single tear fell from her eye and landed upon Eugene's cheek and the tear absorbing into the cheek, flowing down his body. A glimmer of golden light forming on Eugene's stomach stole everyone's focus from mourning, and they looked up to see what was happening. Rapunzel's eyes grew in surprise as did everyone else's. All at once, bright strands of golden light flooded the dark, shadow-infested room of the tower's solitary chamber.

The light then became a shape of a flower over Eugene's body before it vanished. Everyone watched in awe as Eugene's head began to move before his eyes blinked open and he gasped in the air, before looking up at the stunned Rapunzel, muttering, "Rapunzel?"

"Eugene?" Rapunzel replied, relief and happiness looming her expression as did everyone else's.

Eugene smiled, saying, "Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for brunettes?"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel cried happily and hugged Eugene as tightly as she could. When the two were at eye level, a sudden kiss occurred between them. The worldly travellers all smiled in relief and happiness, and some were shedding tears happily.

"It's a miracle." Aqua whispered happily.

The others nodded.

" _Whoa...Who knew the former blondie still had a tiny bit of that healing power to bring her boyfriend back?_ " Vanitas muttered in Sora's mind, admittedly impressed before he groaned again. " _Oh, yuck. I did it again._ "

Sora mentally chuckled and simply ignored the dark embodiment.

* * *

A short time later, after Sora freed the healed Eugene, they and everyone else, including Rapunzel, Maximus and Pascal all returned to the Kingdom, where they watched the speechless guard into the castle to bring the King and Queen, Rapunzel's real parents.

They had used Rapunzel's cut off hair to slid down and then returned, though a couple of locks from it were in Rapunzel's hand as they waited. All at once, the brown doors bearing the sun-shaped emblem of the kingdom opened and out stepped two people — the king and queen of the land. The king was tall and slender with blue eyes, and sporting a brown beard that matched his hair under a golden crown. The queen was tall and slender with green eyes, long, silky drown hair under a golden crown, and wearing a purple dress.

It didn't take anyone long to notice that the Queen resembled an older version of Rapunzel, and both of them realised this as the former placed her hand upon the latter's cheek. In an instant, she recognized her as her daughter and hugged Rapunzel who emotionally returned the hug. A moment later, the king joined the embrace, knowing his precious daughter had come home at long last.

Sora and his companions all smiled warmly, and chuckled when the Queen brought in a slightly nervous Eugene into the reunion, knowing that had helped to bring her daughter home.

Few minutes later, everyone gathered outside the Kingdom as the worldly travellers prepared to leave the Kingdom of Corona behind, with Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal, Maximus, and the King and Queen seeing them off.

"Thank you for everything, guys." Rapunzel told Sora's group. "You're all really good friends."

"We're more than happy to help." Mickey replied, smiling.

"We're gonna miss you." Eugene said. "It was awesome to meet you guys."

"Along with Eugene, all of you have our deepest gratitude." The King told them with a warming smile.

The Queen nodded, adding, "Thank you for returning our beloved daughter home."

"We're all glad that things turned out okay." Sora replied, and his friends nodded.

Just then, the tiara that Rapunzel now wore on her head glowed and floated up slightly, surprising everyone while Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand. Knowing what this meant, he held it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the Tiara. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"Wow!" Rapunzel breathed in awe.

"Whoa! What was that?" Eugene asked, amazed. Even the King and Queen were amazed by the unusual display.

"The world's safe from the darkness." Lea answered. "That means we'd better get goin'."

"We'll be back soon." Riku told Rapunzel and the others.

"Thanks, guys! Come and visit anytime." Rapunzel said as she, Eugene, Pascal, Maximus, the King and Queen waved a goodbye to the worldly travellers who waved a farewell to them before leaving the kingdom, and once they were in the forest, the group teleported back into the Gummiship and left the Kingdom of Corona behind to continue their journey.

 _ **{Kingdom of Corona}**_

* * *

Meanwhile, Ardyn was reporting to Chaos in the dark domain on the situation that occured recently.

" **Those fools had returned that Pirate to his world, and eliminated Davy Jones. Yet they freed Calypso from her human flesh prison. This could be useful.** " Chaos surmised.

"Indeed. Yet, we're still short on other Gods, but that can easily be fixed." Ardyn replied.

Chaos snorted, " **Yet, the chosen who can summon the Gods will get in our way along with that boy. Should they soon arrive, they will prevent us from achieving my goal. They must be stopped.** "

Apparently the magenta haired man had thought of a loop hole, because he pointed out, "Ah, but there's one thing they didn't count on; in order to summon and destroy Kingdom Hearts, the Seven Princesses and the Thirteen Darknesses are needed."

" **Oh?** "

"While those fools took their sweet time in locating Aced and a way to stop you, I visited the Realm of Sleep and found each and every fragments of the dark heart that attempted to replicate himself into thirteen pieces, which placed together has indeed been the thirteen original pieces of the only weapon that can summon Kingdom Hearts. All that is left is gathering the seven hearts of light." Ardyn told him.

This admittedly surprised Chaos, who, realising what Arydn meant, grinned evilly. " **Yes. That is the key. Tell me; how many Princesses did you collect so far?** "

Ardyn chuckled before turning and gestured behind him, where in sleeping crystals, were four figures of Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, and Alice, having been captured during his mission. "All we need now is Princess Jasmine, Belle and the seventh Princess who had become a Keyblade wielder."

He then frowned and added, "However, the moment her Nobody became human and parts of the Nobody returned to Kairi, due to also wielding the Keyblade, she has become stronger within her heart."

" **Why do you say that?** " Chaos questioned, frowning.

"She has become so strong that her heart has created a shield. In order to break it, a sacrifice must be made to retrieve it to bring forth the X-Blade." Ardyn told him. He then grinned again and added, "But I have discovered an alternative; new generations of Princesses of heart can work, even just one would do. With or without Kairi, it certainly would not matter, because death is waiting for her and everyone else in the Realm of Light."

Chaos considered Ardyn's words, and knew that the latter was right. With Kairi now a Keyblade wielder, it complicates things. Yet with or without her, it did not matter if Ardyn had found a loophole into this. " **Very well. And what of you...Blaine?** "

When Chaos said this while gazing behind, as Ardyn turned to follow the direction, out of the shadows came a young-looking man in a long jacket, a hat that was similiar to Ardyn's but with a feather, black and white shirt, with dark hair.

"An army of fallen Keyblade have already been assembled and brought to you, as you requested. All we need now is the rest of the pieces." The young man, Blaine, replied as his eyes glowed red.

* * *

 _Kairi didn't know where she was. Or put it more correctly, she knew where she was, she just didn't know how she got here. Yet, her heart ached at the devastation around her as everyone she knew...were laying all over the Keyblade Graveyard, and to her horror, three feet in front of her, was the familiar figure of Sora who layed there, barely breathing._

 _"Sora!" Kairi cried out, but as she was about to run towards him, everyone including Sora then instantly vanished, which made her confused. Then a large shadow loomed over her which was followed by a strong light. Turning to her right, her eyes widened as the same figure she saw in her previous nightmares appeared, and floating in front it were many figures; six lights and thirteen darknesses, all then being absorbed into a terrifying weapon._

 _She then cried out in pain before collasping onto her knees, her hands flying to her chest. Kairi squeezed her eyes tightly before she screamed as a piece of light flew out of her chest, before it was absorbed into the weapon which was grasped into the hands of the being, along with Chaos. Yet Kairi didn't feel herself fading or the darkness taking her heart. In fact, she could still feel it in her chest and some of her light. What was going on?_

 _"_ _ **The Light of the ordinary boy...some transfered into your heart and protected your heart...the light of the X-Blade has been extracted...but I still need you!**_ _" The figure bellowed, before reaching out towards Kairi who gasped and before she could do anything, she was grabbed and the giant long fingers wrapped around her body._

 _"Let me go! Let, me, go!" Kairi screamed as she pounded onto the massive fingers, but she was held tightly while being drawn closer and closer towards the figure who opened it's sharp-toothed mouth to engulf her..._

* * *

Kairi let out a gasp as she awoke with a jolt, which alarmed everyone else who turned to face her. It took her a moment to realise that she just had another nightmare as she panted. She and some of the others had taken a nap after their adventure in Kingdom of Corona.

"Kairi! Are you alright?" Sora asked, worriedly as he and the others approached her while Mickey placed the Gummiship on auto-pilot.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Kairi replied, trying to will her heart to calm down even though the rawness of the intensed fear of the nightmare. Still, it felt very real to simply be a dream, and it was the third time she had it. Was it some kind of warning? Who was that figure? It wasn't Chaos, and Xehanort is dead.

Could it be...Bhunivelze?

"That dream..." She muttered to herself.

"Dream?" Aqua asked, concerned.

"What is it about?" Xion asked.

Kairi frowned, before deciding to tell everyone what she had been seeing in her nightmares lately and every thing she remembered in it, which horrified the rest of the worldly travellers on the description and how the one she just had now involved the X-Blade.

"Okay, I'd be panicking away too if I had that nightmare." Myde shuddered, nervously. He felt sorry for Kairi having a bad dream like that.

"If Kairi's having these awful dreams, then it's not a good thing." Mickey said, concerned and firmly. "And if she's right, that monster-giant could be Bhunivelze and he's after Kingdom Hearts."

"But why would Bhunivelze want Kingdom Hearts? I thought he wanted to turn humanity into his puppets." Lea pointed out, worriedly.

Isa frowned deeply, "Unless he needs Kingdom Hearts to gain his goal. He had been weakened by the savior all those years ago."

"But who's to say that the dreams are visions of the warning? We still don't know much about what will happen." Skuld pointed out, concerned. "I think we should keep an eye on this and look further into the situation.

Realising that she was right, the others nodded while Sora placed a comforting hand on Kairi's shoulder, saying, "It'll be okay. I won't let anything more happen to you."

Despite that she had a feeling that something else was going to happen, Kairi smiled warmly at her friend, gently covering his hand with hers. Though this moment between was cut short when they heard Donald snicker and both turned to see him and Goofy, along with Riku and Lea, smirk knowingly. Blushing heavily, Sora and Kairi looked away while lowering their hands, embarrassed. Neither one told the rest of the group of their...amazing moment together where they kissed.

Just then, the navigator alerted everyone which had Sora and Goofy to take control this time and looked to see another world that came into view. It had a giant Clock Tower that resembled to the Big Ben in another world they, Donald and even Riku were familiar with.

"That looks like London in Neverland." Sora muttered, puzzled.

"Yeah, but I don't see Neverland near it, though." Goofy said, confused.

Donald rolled his eyes, and told him in annoyance, "That's because it's not Neverland."

"Looks like it's another new world. Let's go take a look." Mickey suggested. The others nodded and prepared for landing.

* * *

 _ **{MOUSEDOM}**_

The atmosphere was dark and dank as the giant clock tower rang it's bell within the city streets, the lights from most houses out, though there were lights coming from the street lamps shining in random places. A horse drawn carriage rode on by near the building and the moment it passed, fifteen beams of light rained down before they dimmed and revealed the worldly travellers who looked around to see...that the surrounding buildings were much larger than they expected.

"Don't tell me...we're small again, aren't we?" Myde grumbled, already annoyed as memories of Toy Mania filled his mind.

Ven sighed, just as annoyed. "Yeah, we are...I hate being small."

The others looked around, and indeed, they were now no bigger than mice...well, mice that aren't like Mickey, anyway. Much smaller than they were when they were toy forms in Toy Mania...back when Captain Jack Sparrow had been travelling with them.

Just then, a loud sound of thunder startled the group and when they looked up at the dark stormy clouds, and large rain droplets began to patter down at them which made the group sigh.

"Well, that's just great." Lea muttered sarcastically. "Not even ten minutes here and already we're not gettin' a warm welcome."

"Let's find shelter and quickly." Terra advised.

The group hurried down a nearby alleyway where there were boxes and a broken mattress. There sat a discarded boot which, while not really a good place to wait for the rain to stop, it was better than nothing. Despite Myde's protests, they went to approach it but paused when they heard, to their concern, the sound of a little girl crying.

"Do you hear that?" Roxas whispered.

When they peaked inside, there sat a little mouse girl, clad in a blue coat, and a lighter blue scarf with a blue hat that had a red cotton barble in the center, white socks and black shoes, sitting on an old medicine box and sobbing quietly. Seeing her in tears nearly broke all of their hearts as they shared a concerned glance, before Kairi approached the little girl.

"Hey." She said softly, making the girl mouse to look at her. "Are you okay?"

The little mouse girl sniffled, though she felt a ease when everyone, even Isa, looked at her gently. All of them then heard an unfamiliar voice speak behind them, "Oh, oh my." causing the group to turn and see another, somewhat chubby mouse with a moustche peaking through the shoe.

He had an umbrella that kept him dry from the rain and wore a smart purple suit with a blue bow tie, a bowler hat, pants and black shoes, carrying a bag in his left hand. He also had brown fur with blonde eyebrows that matched his moustche.

When he noticed the worldly travellers, he muttered in surprise, "I say. In all my years, I've never seen mice like you chaps and ladies before."

Myde nearly blurted out that Mickey was the only mouse in their group, but he quickly remembered the world order and kept his mouth shut.

"What are you all doing here in this weather?" The mouse asked.

"Well, sir, we needed a place to dry off and then, we found this little girl in here." Roxas answered as he and most of the others stepped aside to reveal the little mouse girl, with Kairi doing her best to comfort her.

"We're not sure what happened, but I think something awful happened." Mickey added.

"I see." The mouse said, before he approached the little girl mouse and Kairi, asking the younger one, "Are you alright, my dear?"

The little girl mouse still sniffled, which made the older mouse pull out a handkerchief out of his pocket and handing it to the girl, saying comfortingly, "Come now. Here, dry your eyes." which the little girl took the hankie and blew her nose before handing it back to Dawson, who put it in his pocket.

"There, that's better," The male mouse said. "Now tell us, what's troubling you, my dear?"

"I'm-I'm lost. I'm trying to find Basil of Baker Street." The little girl mouse explained, as she pulled out an old piece of newspaper from her pockets and gave it to the male mouse as the worldly travellers gathered closer, curious on who this Basil of Baker Street was.

The male Mouse took out a pair of reading glasses as he read the newspaper clip, reading aloud, " _Famous detective solves baffling disappearance._ "

He and the worldly travellers shared glances of realization, before Lea asked gently, "Uh, but what 'bout your Mom and Dad?"

"That's why I must find Basil!" The girl choked out before she sobbed into her scarf which made Lea wince, realising that he made her cry again.

"Hey, whoa, whoa. Take it easy." Lea quickly told her, "It's gonna be okay, really."

"Shhh, it's okay. Come here." Kairi said soothingly, wrapping an arm around the crying little girl.

The male mouse removed his glasses and told the little girl, "Well, I don't know any Basil, but I do remember where Baker Street is." with a small smile. This was enough to brighten the little girl as she smiled while the others smiled in relief.

"We can help you find him." Kairi added with a smile. "What's your name?"

"My name's Olivia Flaversham." Olivia replied, smiling at her.

"I'm Kairi." Kairi replied, then introduced the rest of her group to her and the mouse.

"And you, sir?" Terra kindly asked the male mouse.

"My name is Dr. David Q. Dawson." Dawson replied, before he, the worldly travellers and Olivia began their journey towards Baker Street in hopes of finding this detective Basil.

* * *

The group, with a handful of Heartless having appeared randomly as usual which the Worldly Travellers took care off while protecting both Olivia and Dawson who both never saw these monsters before, found themselves standing in front of a small mousehole on the outside of 221B Baker Street. Mickey was in front of the group with Olivia at his side as he knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal a female middle aged mouse, clearly the maid, with her arms loaded down with clothes and books.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Is this where Basil of Baker Street lives?" Mickey politely asked.

"I'm afraid it is, young man." The maid replied with deep sigh. "He's not here at the moment, but you're welcome to come in and wait."

"Gosh, we love to but we don't wanna be too long. See, this young girl here-" Mickey began as he gestured at Olivia, only to realise to his, and everyone else's concern, she wasn't there. "Huh? Where'd so go?"

"She ran inside." Myde pointed, and true to his word, Olivia was seated on the large red chair near the fireplace as she looked curiously through a magnifying glass.

"Oh my!" The maid cried out the moment she saw the little girl and all but stuffed everything she was holding into Lea and Dawson's arms while the said two nearly dropped everything was she hurried over to Olivia. "You poor dear! You must be chilled to the bone!"

As the maid squeezed the water out of Olivia's hat and scarf before hanging them up to dry, she told the little girl, "Oh, but I know just the thing. Let me fetch you a pot of tea and some of my fresh cheese crumpets." and with that she dashed out of the room, leaving the group to their own devices.

When they entered the room as both Lea and Dawson carefully put the stuff they were holding down, they and Olivia glanced around the room which, while very warm and cosy, was filled with a bizarre contraption: a small propeller operating a bellow, with several cigarettes and a pipe attached, all of which were puffing. There was also another contraption with four different pairs of shoes that were being turned in a circular motion, first being brushed with black paint, and then setting a print on a stack of paper.

"I'm not so sure about this Basil." Donald muttered, getting a suspicious feeling about all this.

All of the sudden, an unfamiliar voice called out behind them in a tone of truimpht, "Aha! The villain's slipped this time! I shall have him!" which made Donald scream and clinged onto Goofy's back while wrapping his arms around his neck, quivering. Everyone else turned to see a fat white mouse dressed in Chinese robes, a revolver in hand and a crazed look in his eyes, as thunder boomed and lightning flashed.

This made Dawson and the worldly travellers quite alarmed, while the white mouse ran in madly with a gun in his hand, calling out, "Out of my way! Out of my way!" while tossing his hat.

"I say! Who-" Dawson was cut off when the hat landed on his head, and it got a bit stuck since it was tight. He then pulled it off with a tug and tried again, demanding to the strange behaving mouse, "Who are you?"

"What? Oh?" The white mouse muttered, turning to face Dawson and the worldly travellers, before he grabbed to top of his head and at first it looked like he was pulling his head off which disturbed Sora's group, the said head was revealled to be mask, because underneath was a real head of a brown slender mouse as he introduced himself, "Basil of Baker Street, my good fellow."

Basil just smirked at the group's confused looks as he pulled a cord inside his robe, deflating it and revealing himself to be wearing a fat suit while he was a thin, tall mouse.

"What a weird guy." Sora whispered to his group who all nodded in agreement with dumbfounded looks.

"And his costume is creepy as heck." Lea whispered, shuddering slightly, while Donald grumbled in annoyance as he climbed down from Goofy who just stood there blinking with a puzzled look.

Olivia on the other hand, smiled in delight as the person she'd been waiting for had finally arrived. "Mr. Basil! I need your help and-"

"All in good time," Basil replied, clearly not listening to her as he approached a house robe hanging on the wall by a dart, removing it and putting on the robe before scoring a perfect bullseye on the dartboard.

"But you don't understand!" Olivia pleaded. "I'm in terrible trouble!"

"If you'll excuse me." Basil said, clearly not listening as he walked past, causing the girl to sigh and the rest of the group to become agitated and annoyed.

"Hey, that's not nice, ignoring a little girl who needs your help here!" Sora exclaimed, only to groan in annoyance as Basil ignored him as well.

So Dawson tried his luck this time, "Now see here! This young lady is in need of assistance! I think you ought to-"

"Will you hold this please, Doctor?" Basil interrupted, handing him the gun.

"Of course." Dawson said, only to jump in alarm as he had the gun aimed at himself and held out out in an arm's length until Basil retrieved it.

"This is the great detective?" Isa deadpanned in a whisper.

Skuld blinked uncomfortably, "Well, he does seem..."

"Strange?" Aqua guessed.

"Weird?" Xion suggested.

"Obnoxious?" Kairi added.

"Eccentric." Skuld finally settled.

"Wait a moment." Dawson realised, asking Basil in confusion, "How did you know I was a doctor?" which surprised the worldly travellers as well, while Basil was placing a single bullet in the revolver.

Basil then turned to him and explained, "A surgeon, to be exact. Just returned from military duty in Afghanistan. Am I right?"

"Why, yes." Dawson chuckled. "Major David Q. Dawson. But how could you possibly-?"

"Quite simple, really," Basil said, holding up Dawson's arm to reveal a stitch mark on his coat sleeve. "You've sewn your torn cuff together with the Lembert stitch, which of course, only a surgeon uses."

While he gathered several pillows and tossed them to Dawson, Basil continued. "And the thread is a unique form of catgut distinguished by its _peculiar_ pungency found only in the Afghan provinces."

"Amazing!" Dawson said in awe.

"Actually, it's elementary, my dear Dawson," Basil said simply as he aimed the revolver at the pillows... that were still in Dawson's hands. Dawson gasped before throwing the pillows onto an armchair and everyone else gasped in alarm.

"Incoming!" Lea shouted as he, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey who grabbed Olivia, Donald, Goofy who screamed in panic, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Skuld, Myde and Dawson either dove onto the ground while covering their heads, hid under the table or hid behind another chair or even used the barrier spell to shield themselves and the others.

 _BANG!_

Basil fired the gun, and the pillows exploded into a cloud of feathers as the others cautiously peaked out, with freaked out expressions.

"This guy is nuts." Myde muttered, scaredly.

No one disagreed with him.

* * *

 **A/N: So we ended Kingdom of Corona and already started on Mousedom. Again, thank you Bopdog111 for helping me with the Heartless battle.**

 **Hopefully I'll post another chapter soon(if my computer survives. Maybe not). See you then!**


	46. CH45: Troubling Case

**Author's Note: Not much to say, so let's continue on.  
**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH45: Troubling Case.**_

Not even a minute or even half of one passed when the door to the kitchen opened up and the maid came rushing out, crying out in alarm, "What in heaven's name!? Oh! Oh!" before coughing out feathers that got into her mouth and cried out in dismay while collecting the floating feathers that slowly dropped down, "My good pillows!"

It didn't take her long to realise what happened and turned angrily towards Basil who was busy cleaning up and swipping off the feathers that gathered on the red armchair, swishing them to the sides, until he heard the maid exclaim in anger, "Mr. Basil!" and when he looked up, he knew he was in trouble.

"How many times have I told you not to-" The maid began as she stormed over towards him, only to be cut off by Basil.

"Yes, yes, there, there, Mrs. Judson. It's quite all right." Basil said ensuringly as he waved his arms calmly before he placed his hands onto her shoulders and then sniffed the air and caught the scent of something delicious, "Mmmmm, I believe I smell some more of those delightful cheese crumpets of yours. Why don't you fetch our guests some?"

By then he guided her back towards the kitchen and ignored her protests as he placed her inside and after a bit of struggle against her, he managed to close it shut. At that time, the worldly travellers all slowly emerged from their safe hiding spots and stared at him while looking at the mess he just made.

"Sora's right. He _is_ weird." Ven whispered to the group.

"Not to mention terrifying." Terra nodded in agreement.

By then, Basil returned to his own mission and, possibly oblivion to what the worldly travellers were saying, crawled on all fours while looking for the bullet which would be difficult given the mess all over the place, "Now! Now I _know_ that bullet's here somewhere."

He paused when he saw that Olivia, looking pleased with herself in finding it with Kairi and Mickey by her side, stood there holding it out with a smile on her face to Basil. He Begrudgingly took it from her, saying, "Thank you, miss-"

"Flaversham. Olivia Flaversham." Olivia replied.

"Yeah, whatever." Basil replied rudely as he stood up and approached the desk with a microscope.

Annoyed again, the worldly travellers, Olivia and Dawson approached him while Goofy tried to say to Basil, "Gawrsh, Mr. Basil. Olivia needs your help-"

"Shh!" Basil shushed as he opened a small box and pulled out another bullet, gazing at them carefully while everyone else watched on. They looked identical, but he had to make sure. So he placed both bullets under the microscope to compare them, placing their ends together, then rolled them.

Basil saw that the lines lined up perfectly twice and his excitement and grew. Unfortunately, when he turned them the third time, one of the lines did not meet together. This made him cry out in agonized dismay, "Ooooooooooh! Drat!"

Deflating in defeat, Basil gazed at the bullet that wasn't what he had hoped for and muttered disappointment, "Another dead end." before tossing it aside and slumped over to his red armchair, grunting in sheer annoyance and despair, "He was within me grasp!"

He flopped into the chair and in depression, picked up a violin that sat next to it, before he began playing a sorrow, mourning music.

"Wow...never met anyone to take disappointment that hard." Roxas muttered, blinking in confusion.

"I think now's a good time to talk to him." Isa suggested to Olivia who, seeing that he was right, and at Kairi, Mickey, Aqua, Sora, Goofy and Dawson's encouragement, nodded and she approached the still dismayed Basil.

"Now, will you _please_ listen to me? My Daddy's gone and I'm all alone." Olivia requested. That alone made the worldly travellers's hearts ache even more, and it made Lea even more guilty for having asked about her parents when they and Dawson first met her.

' _Poor kid_.' The redhead thought. He knew what it was like to lose parents. Though with Olivia, being so young, it was even worse.

Basil stopped playing for a moment and looked at Olivia. "Young lady, this is a most inopportune time," he said sadly before resuming his playing. After a moment, he looked at Olivia again and said in slight annoyance, "Surely your mother knows where he is."

Olivia's shoulders sank as she sadly told him, more saddening memories entering her mind, "I...I don't have a mother."

 _ **Screech!**_

This made everyone flinch in shock and horror at this revelation that it made Basil screech his violin which made an awful shriek while he sat up, just as shocked as the worldly travellers. Not only Olivia's father was missing, but at some point her mother had died somewhat years before. No wonder she was by herself and that made Lea feel twice as bad now. It made Kairi think of how she hardly knew her own parents and the only blood family was her grandmother and she was gone too.

"You poor thing." Aqua muttered, her heart squeezing in sorrow.

"Well...um...well then, perhaps..." Basil began uncertainly, before quickly getting agitated by all this and told her, "Now, see here, I have no time for lost fathers!"

"Hey! You're a detective! You do have time looking for him, you big palooka!" Donald snapped at Basil.

"I didn't lose my father!" Olivia snapped as well, getting very annoyance as she placed her hands on her hips. "He was taken by a bat!"

This somehow got Basil's attention by this information, so he turned to Olivia and asked, making sure he heard right, "Did you say...bat?"

"Yes..." Olivia nodded, surprised that Basil was clearly interested. Sora and his companions all glanced at each other once more, wondering if there was a connection with all of this.

"Did he have a crippled wing?" Basil questioned.

"I don't know..." Olivia replied, uncertain, then brightened up as she remembered another piece of the detail, and said, "But he had a peg-leg!"

"Ha!" Basil cried joyfully as he leaped up and stood on his air with his arms spread.

"So, you know this guy?" Lea asked as he and everyone else gathered around Olivia while staring up at Basil.

"Know him?" Basil replied as he stood on the top of his chair, explaining, "That bat, one Fidget by name, is in the employ of the fiend who was the very target of my experiment! The horror of my every waking moment! The nefarious Professor Ratigan!"

He pointed the bow of his violin to his fireplace, where the photo of a well-dressed black coloured rat with a sinister grin on his face sat on the mantle frame. He was dressed in aristocratic clothing with a top hat, his hair seemingly groomed. Yet this Ratigan held this sinister sharp teeth in a dark smile and evil yellow eyes. At that point, the fire suddenly flared up and thunder boomed and lightning flashed brightly outside, almost as though even the world itself was terrified of this apparent new villian. As Basil had told everyone this, even they felt the chills and darkness by this Ratigan.

"Ratigan?" Dawson asked, uncertainly.

Basil nodded, leaning over the top of his chair. "He's a genius, Dawson. A genius twisted for evil...The Napoleon of Crime!" He said while moving from one location to another in the room.

"Gosh. He is really that bad?" Mickey asked, only for him and everyone else to jump when Basil suddenly appeared behind them as soon as the king asked this and they turned to face him.

"Worse! For years, I've tried to capture him and I've come close... so _very_ close. But each time, he's narrowly evaded my grasp." Basil explained, before he glared up at Ratigan's picture again, continuing, "Not a corner of London is safe while Ratigan is at large. There's no evil scheme he wouldn't concoct, no depravity he wouldn't commit! Who knows what dastardly scheme that villain may be plotting even as we speak..."

' _That explains the Heartless. No wonder things are dark and gloomy here. Ratigan sounds very dangerous._ ' Sora thought to himself as he folded his arms in thought with a deep frown.

* * *

Deep within the sewers of London sat a large barrel on its side, an iron barred door sitting on its side. Within the barrel was a tall brown mouse with a darker brown mustache, controlling a robot at a podium as the robot poured tea into a cup. He wore glasses, a green apron, white shirt, brown trousers and shoes. He seemed to be an inventor and he held a worried expression, controlling the robot he created.

His troubled thoughts were interrupted when an evil chuckle was heard next to him, and there stood, Ratigan himself, monitoring his every movement.

"Quite an ingenious scheme, eh, Flaversham? And aren't you proud to be a part of it?" Ratigan chuckled, in a gentlemen like voice.

Hiram Flaversham, Olivia's father, gulped nervously as he refocused on the invention he'd been forced to create given that he was a Toy Maker, "This whole thing, i-i-i-it's monstrous!"

Ratigan smiled evilly while he spoke as he watched the robot pour the tea into the tea cup, inquiring, "We will have our little device ready by tomorrow evening, won't we?" before he took out a small golden bell with a brown handle from his pockets, and gently and rang it gently, continuing, "You know what happens if you, uh... fail."

Hiram stared at his captor after hearing the horrible fate that would await him, but then he glared angrily as he boldly declared while yanking hard on the controls, "I-I-I don't _care!_ "

The reaction of this caused the machine to go all haywire as it poured the tea from the cup onto it's head before jerking and threw the said cup onto the ground and then grabbed the teapot and dumped its contents on itself before throwing it at Ratigan who ducked just in time as it shattered onto the wall behind him. The machine in the meantime bounced and stretched like crazy as though it might explode at any moment. However, after a minute, it finally stopped and simply slumped over. Though it did squirt oil from it's red robotic torso and it spluttered onto Ratigan's suit, much to his disgust.

"You can do what you want with me!" Hiram snapped defiantly at Ratigan who simply wiped the stain off with a handkerchief. "I won't be a part of this-this, this _evil_ any longer!"

A terrifying pause, until Ratigan, hardly controlling his anger, gave Hiram a fake smile as he had another way of making the Toy Maker stay part of this scheme in case threatening the inventor's life wasn't enough.

"Oh, very well. If that is your decision. Oh, by the way, I'm taking the liberty of having your daughter brought here." Ratigan told him as he took hold of a toy rose that sat nearby and started winding the key on it.

Hiram's eyes widened as he gazed at the toy, the birthday present he made for his daughter. "O-Olivia?"

"Yes." Ratigan chuckled, he finished winding the toy and set it on the counter, the bud opening up to reveal a mouse ballerina that started to dance, playing a small tune. He then added in fake sympathy, "I would spend many a sleepless night if anything unfortunate were to befall her."

"Y-you wouldn't!" Hiram gasped, horrified as he understood what Ratigan meant.

Ratigan didn't reply as he grabbed the dancing doll, and with a maniacal expression, he squeezed the doll in his grasp until its head popped off with a loud _boing_.

Another tensed pause.

" _FINISH IT, FLAVERSHAM!_ " Ratigan screamed angrily.

Realising he had no other choice as his daughter was much, much more important to him than his own life, Hiram, with guilt hanging heavily in his heart, went back to work on the robot as Ratigan exited the cell, closing and locking it behind him, humming to himself as he held a list in his hands.

"Oh, I love it when I'm nasty." He said to himself gleefully.

"I like your style." Another voice spoke next to him, and Ratigan smirked when he turned and saw Pete approach him, as the villian continued with an evil grin, "How you'd threaten that guy is the mother of all baddies!"

Ratigan smirked, "I'll take that as a compliment, Pete. Now, you said something about asking me about this...Book of Prophecies and this Black Box, under this Maleficent?"

"And seeking your aid to conjor all the worlds. That's why the Heartless will help ya takin' over d'is one!" Pete added.

"Well, I've never heard of this Book of Prophecies or the Black Box, unless you want to count a shoebox. But I am curious about the book itself; does it predict the future?" The evil Rat replied.

"Well, it ain't called that for nothin'." Pete shrugged. He then grumbled and added, "The main problem is them brats with the Keyblade keep gettin' in the way, and thanks to them, the last bad guys who were so close in gettin' rid of them are now gone and one of 'em was immortal!" while refering to how both Davy Jones and Beckett died.

Ratigan rolled his eyes, "Now, how could ordinary children kill someone who can 'live forever'? If a detective couldn't defeat me, the world's greatest mastermind, how can they do so?"

"Well, um, guess they're just good at it. I mean, I know a little pipsqueak who's my worst arch enemy who made friends with a giant and beated a witch even before _he_ learned how to use magic and got 'imself a Keyblade." Pete admitted, sheepishly. "So you'd better watch out."

While he still didn't believe the nonsense of a group of children beating many villians, Ratigan just simply shrugged, "Very well. In the meantime, we have other matters to attention to."

He turned his attention to a lone grey bat who was hanging upside down with only one leg as he had a peg-leg. He wore a black cap, a blue scarf, and his arms were folded around him as he slept, giggling in his sleep. Ratigan called out to him, "Fidget?" but got no response.

"FIDGET!" Ratigan yelled louder, and that startled the bat, named Fidget, awake as he clumsily fell from his post and landed on the ground near Ratigan, feeling disorientated.

"Bright and alert as always," Ratigan said sarcastically, handing him the list. "Here's the list. You know what to do, and _no_ mistakes!" He then turned and headed into another doorway with Pete quickly following behind.

Fidget, quickly awake, read through the list that was part of his next job, "No, no. No mistakes! Tools, gear, girl, uniforms-"

" _ **NOW**_ , FIDGET!" Ratigan yelled impatiently, which startled Pete who flinched at the tone of the rat's voice.

Flinching in fright and not wanting to anger his boss or else he'd suffer the punishment, Fidget hurriedly scampered over to the drain grate as he cried out, "I'm goin'! I'm goin'! I'm goin'!" and vanished into the tunnel while closing the lid as he went.

Pete blinked as he watched Fidget leave, before slowly gazing back at Ratigan who by now went to his makeshift throne where the rest of the villian's minions who were thugs appluded to him. "I'm not so sure if he's scarier than Davy Jones or not." The fat villian whispered to himself, nervously.

He then quickly zoomed over and flanked over to the side of Ratigan who began to his henchmen, "My friends, we are about to embark on the most odious, the most evil, the most diabolical scheme of my illustrious career! A crime to top all crimes! A crime that will live in infamy!"

The henchmen, except for one who was disappointed as he was out of beer from his beer-mug, all clapped and cheered once more. Pete blinked with a quirked eye-brow.

"This will be my worst crime yet," Ratigan said as he withdrew a newspaper from his pocket. The headline said, _"Queen's Jubilee Tomorrow,"_ and below that was a picture of a regal-looking female mouse with a crown. "Tomorrow evening, our beloved monarch celebrates her Diamond Jubilee, and, with the enthusiastic help of our good friend, Mr. Flaversham, it promises to be a night she will _never_ forget!"

He then crushed and shredded the newspaper into pieces as he concluded in excitement, "Her _last_ night, and _my_ first, as supreme ruler of all _**Mousedom**_!" and the henchment cheered on again, louder this time.

"All hail Ratigan! The greatest criminal ever!" The henchmen cheered on, while the crime lord danced over to a nearby fountain and pulled on a rope, causing wine to pour down from a mounted wine bottle and fill the fountain. Seeing this, the drunk minion, Bartholomew, eagerly dashed over to the fountain and started greedily slurping it up from the spouts, soon losing his balance and tumbling right into the fountain.

"That's one happy costumer." Pete muttered under his breath when he saw this.

Ratigan smirked as he took a seat at the harp and began to play a small tune. "Thank you. Thank you," he said, before his voice took on a more somber tone. "But it hasn't all been champagne and caviar. I've had my share of adversity, thanks to that _miserable_ second-rate detective, Basil of Baker Street."

As he said this, he glared at the small mouse doll dressed like a detective and had needles sticking into it, while the henchmen all said in unison with the same feeling as their boss, " _Boooooo!_ " at the mention of Basil's name.

"For years, that insufferable pipsqueak has interfered with my plans. I haven't had a moment's peace of mind." Ratigan slumped, in dismay and apparent dispair.

" _Awwwwww_." The henchmen said in sympathy, while Bartholomew began to sob while he was really drunk now.

"I know d'at feelin'." Pete nodded with his arms folded, thinking of how many times Sora, Mickey and their group had stopped him and Maleficent in each and every corner.

Then Ratigan's mood shifted immediately into evil excitement, as he continued, "But all that's about to change! This time, nothing, not even _Basil_ , can stand in my way! All will bow before me!"

The Thugs all cheered and raised mugs of wine to toast Ratigan, calling him the greatest mastermind, a king, ect. Unfortunately, Bartholomew, being very drunk, said drunkingly while hiccupng, "To Ratigan, the world's greatest rat!"

Ratigan was just taking a sip of wine, but spit it out in shock when he heard that. The other thugs gasped in terror, while he turned furiously at the drunk thug, "What...was... _THAT!?_ What did you call me!?" and stormed up to him.

"Uh, oh..." Pete muttered, worriedly, remembering the threat Ratigan displayed to Hiram a little while ago. "That guy is a goner now...!"

"Oh, he didn't mean it, Professor!" One of the Henchmen said, scaredly.

The Lizard Henchmen nodded, scaredly adding, "It was just a slip of the tongue!"

But he didn't pay attention as Ratigan grabbed the drunk thug by the shirt, yelling in pure anger, "I AM _NOT_ A _**RAT!**_ " while the said thug was too drunk to react or be terrified of this.

"'Course you're not. You're a mouse!" One of the Henchmen said, terrified.

"Yeah, that's right. A mouse!" Another added.

"Yeah! A-a big mouse!" The Lizard Thug concluded.

"SILENCE!" Ratigan bellowed as he bodily threw Bartholomew out the door. Bartholomew rolled as he hit the ground, shaking his head as he sat up. He then said to the thug in fake pity, "Oh, my dear Bartholomew. I'm afraid you've gone and upset me."

He then grinned evilly as he pulled out the small bell from his pockets, "You know what happens when someone upsets me..."

Pete and three of the Thugs lingered from the doorway with terrified expressions, and gasped after Ratigan rang it twice. Out of the shadows close by, a large, fat, very furry peach-coloured cat with a purple bow approached and stood over the still extremely drunk Bartholomew with excited and hungry look, while the doomed thug was completely oblivious. Pete and the Thugs watched on in horror as the cat picked up the now singing Bartholomew and plonked him into her mouth.

While Ratigan casually and calmly stood by, Pete and the Thugs shut their eyes, unable to bear seeing this anymore and as soon as the cat gobbled Bartholomew up...

 _ **GULP!**_

The cat swallowed him up loudly and gave a soft ' _mow_ ', while Pete and the three Thugs looked, upon realising that Bartholomew was gone. Pete held a shocked expression as his jaw dropped with wide eyes of disbelief, while the three Thugs silently shed tears and took off their hats, mourning for the loss of their friend, Bartholomew.

Ratigan in the meantime, approached the cat, patting her mouth with a napkin before hugging her as he cooed, "Oh, Felicia. My precious, my baby. Did Daddy's little honey-bun enjoy her tasty treat?"

The cat, Felicia, just belched unexpectedly. That made Ratigan's smile slowly collapses into a look of slight dismay. He soon regains his smile and turns back to his henchmen after dismissing the cat, "I trust that there will be no further interruptions."

As Ratigan walked past, Pete gulped nervously as he gazed at the, uh, erm, large evil mouse's retreating form. He then broke the fourth wall and said in horror to the readers/viewers, "Maybe I should'a gone with that Peg-Legged Bat."

* * *

Back in Basil's home, Olivia had told him everything that happened as today is her birthday and as soon as her father, Hiram, had showed her the present he made for her which she absolutely loved, Fidget had come and attacked him after he placed her into the closest for her safety. By the time it was over, Fidget had kidnapped him while leaving Olivia by herself which made her seek for Basil's help.

As soon as she finished, the worldly travellers were horrified and disgusted.

"That's terrible!" Mickey exclaimed, angered by this evil bat.

"Who could do such a thing?" Kairi asked, just as angry.

Sora growled softly in anger, "That low-life!" and the rest of the group agreed with him.

"This case is most intriguing, with its multiplicity of elements, its many twists and turns," Basil said as he was in deep thought. He then asked Olivia and asked, "Now, are you certain you've told me everything? The slightest detail may be important."

Olivia nodded, "It's just as I said, and then my father was gone."

"What do you make of this, Basil?" Skuld inquired with seriousness.

Basil thought deeply as he paced back and forth, "Hmmm...Ratigan's up to something. A crime of the most sinister nature, no doubt. The question is, what would he want with a toy maker?"

That made Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion and Riku share serious expressions, remembering how Vexen created the replica of Riku as well as having created Xion, and given how Olivia's father was an inventor and that Ratigan was an evil mastermind, a thought came up which concerned them but made sense.

"Combining the two together, maybe Ratigan wants Olivia's father to make somethin' evil for his scheme. Not sure why, but as the five of us met a crazy inventor who created unusual things before, that isn't really far-fetched." Lea carefully explained, which made everyone else in the room widen their eyes in realization.

"...You're right. Very clever thinking, my good fellow." Basil replied, then frowned again and inquired, "But what kind of invention would Ratigan want the girl's father make, though?"

"Evil little robots of himself?" Myde guessed sarcastically. This made everyone else glance at him in annoyance by this suggestion. He shrugged cluelessly, "What? It was a guess."

Olivia blinked on confusion, but as she suddenly felt her neck tickle, she realised that something was behind her. When she looked at the window, the lightning flashed and showed a terrifying face of Fidget who hanged upside down and he held a toothy grin.

"AAAH!" She screamed in fear, causing everyone else to turn and Kairi gasped in fright, Goofy and Donald both jumped in terror as the latter screamed as well.

"Whoa!" Lea jumped with wide eyes.

This made Fidget jump in fright himself at the sudden reaction of so many faces gazing back at him, realising that he'd been spotted. This also made him lose his grip and he fell clumsily down from the windowpane before he quickly made his getaway.

"Quickly! There's not a moment to lose!" Basil called out as he hurried to the door.

"Right behind you!" Sora called as he, the worldly travellers and even Dawson, who grabbed his coat along the way, all raced after Basil outside as the rain seemed to have finally stopped. But as they made it outside, Fidget was already long gone.

"Where'd he go?" Terra asked, looking around.

"Whoa, for a bat with a peg-leg, he moves fast." Myde commented, as everyone searched around, but had no such luck in locating the lackey.

It wasn't until Roxas spotted something and called out, "Guys! I found a trail!" and knelt down at the said trail, while everyone else hurried over and realised that he was right. They looked like muddy footprints, but it was unusual because there was only one foot, being followed by small dots.

"He left some rather unusual footprints. They obviously belong to the same fiend that abducted the girl's father - Ratigan's peg-legged lackey." Basil said as he examined the trail.

Dawson then noticed something and the ground and picked it up, realising that it was a battered black hat. He called up to Basil who, along with everyone else, approached and saw what the Doctor had found. This made Basil grin as he knew what it meant, and praised, "Excellent work, old man!"

He then swiped the hat from Dawson and darted off back to his house. The rest of the group hurried after him while Olivia and Mrs. Judson lingered in the doorway, and moved out of the way when Basil came rushing past. The rest of the group panted when they stood with the little girl and the maid.

"The scoundrel's quite gone.." Dawson told Olivia.

"Ah, but not for long, Miss Flamhammer!" Basil said enthusiastically, while getting Olivia's last name wrong, as he removed his robe, replacing it with a brown jacket he removed from a nearby grandfather clock.

"Flaversham!" Olivia corrected in annoyance.

"Whatever." Basil waved off, then continued as he retrieved his brown inverness cape from a suit of armor and putting that on, "Now, we simply pursue our peg-legged friend until he leads us to the girl's father."

This brightened Olivia as she asked happily, "And then you'll get my daddy back?!" running over and grabbing Basil in a bear hug which surprised him.

The worldly travellers smiled at this display, finding it adorable.

Basil visibly tensed, and then pushed Olivia away, and said, "Yes, and quite soon, if I'm not mistaken." before he gestured Dawson and the worldly travellers, "Come along, everyone. We must be off to Toby's!"

"Toby?" Xion asked, curiously.

"Oh, you must meet him, he's just the chap for this." Basil answered as he placed a deerstalker cap on his head.

Dawson was surprised as he asked, "You- You want me to come?"

"Hah! I should think a stout-hearted army mouse like you would surely leap at the chance for adventure!" Basil replied, then turned to the worldly travellers, "The rest of you look capable of handling many types of adventures!"

"Well, I _am_ rather curious." Dawson admitted with a chuckle.

Lea smirked, "You got that right about us."

"Wait for me! I'm coming too!" Olivia cried out as she dashed over to Basil's chair and snatching her hat and scarf. In the process, she knocked Basil's violin over. Seeing this, Basil quickly dived and catch it just in time.

"What!?" He exclaimed as he placed the violin back into the chair. "Certainly not! This is no business for children."

"He's right, Olivia. It's too dangerous." Aqua agreed.

"Are we going to take a cab?" Olivia asked while she placed several of the cheese crumpets into her pocket, ignoring Aqua's statement.

Basil, annoyed as he placed a hand to his forehead, sighed while pointing out, "My dear, I don't think you understand. As Aqua had stated, it's too dangerous." but as he said 'dangerous', he took a sit and remembered too late that his violin was on it, because there was a dreaded crunch that made everyone freeze. He pulled it from behind him and it was now in two pieces, still attatched by the strings.

"Oh! Why you! Look what-!" Basil spent several seconds furiously gagging on his words before composing himself, and a large false smile on his face spread for a moment. "Young lady, you are most definitely _not_ accompanying us, and _THAT IS FINAL!_ "

" _Uuuuuuhhhh_ , hate to make a suggestion, but I think it'll be a good idea that she should come with us." Lea hesitatedly said. "It is dangerous, but it's even more dangerous if she's left here by herself, especially since more of the bad guys probably have a better idea where she is now."

"He's right, Basil." Mickey agreed, "She'll be a lot safer if she sticks with us. She's in more danger when she's alone."

Aqua had to admit, Mickey and Lea had a point, and she reluctantedly nodded in agreement.

Basil groaned while facepalming himself, then replied, "Alright, fine." before adding to the group, "But you're keeping an eye on her!"

* * *

In the richly room filled with expensive ornaments, in the actual apartment of Baker Street, a small wall design opened up, and from it peaked Basil, accompanied by Sora and Olivia, the latter of whom opened it further. Basil glared at her.

"And not a word out of you. Is that clear?" Basil whispered sternly.

Sora glared at him, sick and tired of the mouse's attitude. "Someone got up the wrong side of the bed." He said sarcastically, only for him and Basil to be shushed by Olivia. When two shadows began to approach, Basil quickly closed the doorway, keeping it open a crack to see who was approaching. Sora and Olivia took a peak as well as two men, apparently also detectives, were having a conversation.

"I observe that there's a good deal of German music on the program. It is introspective, and I want to introspect." The main detective told his companion.

"But Holmes, that music is so frightfully dull." The other man pointed out.

The two men continued their conversation as they began to walk away and departed as soon as the lights were turned off. Once he was certain that they were alone, Basil opened the door wider and allowed himself, Sora and Olivia, along with Dawson to walk out into the main room. Soon everyone else followed and glanced around the huge room of many ornaments, with shelves, a table with a cloth, a fireplace, a giant armchair. Despite the lights being out, the room had a warm atmosphere.

"Toby? Toby?" Basil called out while looking around the room.

Olivia tugged Mickey's sleeve to get his attention and asked, "Who's Toby?"

"Hmmm, good question." Mickey replied, not sure how to answer that either.

"So, who's this Toby you're talking about?" Riku asked Basil, only for the the ground to shake slightly as everyone heard thundering footsteps and a shadow loomed over them. Basil was the only one who wasn't fazed.

"Ah! Here he is now!" Basil said happily as he turned. When everyone else did the same, there stood a giant bloodhound dog with a blue collar, apparently really happy to see Basil. If Sora's group were normal height, the dog would've been calf-high. At the moment, he towered over them.

Seeing this made both Myde and Donald pale(though it was hard to tell with Donald since he was already white, though his bill did take a shade of white like milk) before their eyes rolled behind their eyes and they fell backwards, fainting.

Basil then decided introductions was needed, so he pushed Dawson towards Toby, saying, "Dawson, meet Toby."

Toby leaned forward as a nervous Dawson patted his nose, saying, "Charmed, I'm sure." but without warning, Toby bared his teeth and growled at Dawson, who quickly hid behind a chair. This made the rest of the worldly travellers alarmed as they backed up a bit.

"Now, Toby, stop!" Basil called out while pushing the dog's nose, "Toby, cease! Desist!" while still in his proud state. Dawson hid beind the leg of the chair and took a peak, horribly nervous and not wanting to try his luck.

Seeing the expressions of the worldly travellers and Dawson, Basil quickly apologise and explained, "Terribly sorry, everyone. Toby has the most splendid sense of smell of any hound I've ever encountered. But he can be...intrusively frisky."

Toby, having calmed down, then turned his attention to the worldly travellers as Donald and Myde both woke up, only to scream and hid behind both Lea and Isa who rolled their eyes in annoyance. To their relief, after Toby took in their scent, he smiled and happily nuzzled them, which made them laugh.

"W-whoa! Hey, easy, there!" Sora laughed.

"Aw, aren't you a swell fella? Good dog." Mickey said, patting Toby on the nose. It gave him memories of his own dog, Pluto.

Even Olivia smiled as she greeted as Toby was gentle with her as well, instantly liking her and the worldly travellers already. "Hello, Toby! Silly doggy!" Olivia giggled, then asked as she pulled out a crumpet, "Would you like a crumpet?"

Toby nodded, and Olivia pulled one of the crumpets she had taken out of her pocket, which Toby promptly ate. This made the group smile, though Myde and Donald were still nervous due to the size of the dog.

"Toby's so sweet and cute!" Xion squeeled happily, her eyes going all googily with stars, as memores of the time she first met Pluto came into mind.

"I like him already." Lea smiled, placing a hand on his hip.

"Now, see here, Toby." Basil began as he dug into his pockets, "To the matter at hand, I want to-" only to cut himself off when he saw, to his annoyance, that Toby had rolled on his back and both Olivia and Xion were giving him a belly rub which Toby was enjoying so much.

But the fun experience had to end as Basil whistled loudly which got Toby's attention, and as the dog looked at him while upside down, the detective was coughing impatiently, while having folded his arms and was tapping his foot on the floor. Seeing the fun over, Xion and Olivia slid off Toby while the latter landed safely in Dawson's arms and the former landed safely on the ground.

Toby in the meantime rolled back to his feet, facing Basil who grinned as he began to reach into the right pocket of his coat, "Now then, Toby, I want you to find... this fiend!" he pulled out Fidget's hat and held it out to the dog who sniffed it and then growled.

"Yes, you know the type," Basil continued. "A villain. A scoundrel! Low brow. Close set eyes. Broken wing."

This description only made Toby confused, which Basil realised as he quickly explained, "Oh, he's a peg-legged bat with a broken wing," which Toby quickly understood and growled. "Yes! That's the spirit!" Basil said excitedly. "Got his scent?"

Toby nodded his understanding, getting the information he needed, much to Basil's delight.

"Good boy, good boy!" Basil cheered, but as he turned to get the leash, when he turned back, Toby once again faced the others happily, much to his annoyance. Basil quickly moved up to them and began to Olivia, "Miss Flamchester!"

"Flaversham!" Olivia, Dawson and the worldly travellers corrected, annoyed.

"Whatever." Basil waved off, before enthusiatically continued while hooking the leash to the dog's collar, "Your father is as good as found."

He then turned to Toby, beginning, "Toby?" and hearing the command, the dog struck a pointer pose, ready to follow the trail. "Sic 'em!"

Toby took off, accidentally stepping on Basil in the process. Managing to keep hold of the leash, Basil regained his wind as he was dragged off, whooping as he went. The others quickly hurried to catch up to the two, not wanting to be left behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a darkened alley lit only by a street lamp and inside a closed toy store, it had an uninvited guest despite the windows and door being tightly closed for the night. Fidget was busy acquiring the parts Ratigan needed for his plan. At this moment, he was removing the uniforms from toy soldiers. Stuffing them into his bag, he removed the list Ratigan gave him and a pencil, reading it and checking it as he went.

"Get the following. Tools? Check." Fidget muttered to himself as he ticked off things that he got, "I got tools. Gears, double check. I got gears. Girl...No, I don't got girl. Uniforms? Plenty of uniforms!"

Suddenly, there was a howling sound of a dog which, as Fidget turned to look, his eyes widened as not only a blood hound was standing in front of the window, but on it's back were eighteen figures.

"Oh, no! Oh, no! Gotta hide! Gotta hide!" Fidget exclaimed. Grabbing the hats off of the toy soldiers, he quickly stuffed them into his bag and jumped on top of a clown toy and up to a higher shelf out of sight, unaware that he accidently dropped the list as he went, which would prove a mistake and yet a help as well.

* * *

After an exhilarating ride while handling Heartless that tried to attack them, the worldly travellers and three of their new friends...all, Basil was more of an ally, really, were now disembarking from Toby's back and landed safely on the window sill.

"Splendid job, Toby!" Basil said to the dog, sastified. Olivia made her way to the tip of his muzzle and held her arms out to Basil, who gave her a look of annoyance, but nonetheless began to hold his arms out to her. With a jump, Olivia was caught neatly in his arms and after a brief moment of holding her, he set her down carefully and ushered her forward.

"Thanks for the ride, Toby!" Sora said to the dog who smiled happily, as the Keyblade wielder and the others got off. Sora then got a bit of surprise when Kairi accidently bumped and landed into his arms. The two of them blinked, then smiled warmly.

"You guys look really cute like that." Lea's snickering voice brought Sora and Kairi back to reality and the two teenagers turned to see that the redhead was smirking, along with Donald and Myde. Realising this, Sora and Kairi quickly broke apart and blushed heavily, before hurrying to catch up to the others.

Just as Dawson landed onto the window sill, he flinched as Toby growled while glaring at him. The doctor tried to take a step to leave while saluting, the dog snorted which caused a puff come out of his nose and the force of it caused Dawson to roll backwards and accidently bump into Donald's back while Donald accidently bumped into Goofy who accidently landed flat on his face.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Donald complained, glaring at Dawson who mumbled his apologises.

Seeing this, Basil approached the dog and commanded, "Now, Toby...sit."

Toby just stood there, happily.

"Toby...sit!" Basil tried again, firmly this time. Still he didn't get any result.

"Sit, Toby." Olivia tried, and at her first go, she was successful as Toby sat down, still with a happy expression. This made Basil give the girl a brief glare, before turning back to the dog.

"Good boy. Now, if you'll excuse me." Basil replied before he walked past the group.

Olivia smiled before turning to Toby and said to him, "You be good now. We're going to find my father." and Toby gave a small bark in response before she hurried to catch up to the others.

"I think Toby really likes Olivia." Skuld said with a small smile.

"I think he likes all of us." Ven said.

"The only one he doesn't like is Dr. Dawson, for some reason." Myde shrugged, puzzled. As soon as they all approached Basil, the detective was scouting the area as he looked at the edge, until he found a small hole in one of the round windows.

"Aha! This is our peg-legged friend's entrance!" Basil said victorously, pointing at the small hole, which confused the worldly travellers and Dawson.

"You got to be kidding me." Isa deadpanned.

Mickey blinked, before asking uncertainly, "How could he fit through there?"

"I agree, Basil. How could he fit through such a tiny..." Dawson began.

Basil cut him off, taking Dawson's hand. "Observe, doctor."

With that, he stuck Dawson's finger in the hole, and watched confidently as Dawson pulled his hand back, and the window swung open as though it was a door, which surprised and amazed everyone else.

"Wow!" Donald said in awe.

"...Well, that's one way to do it." Riku admitted, impressed.

Even Dawson was amazed as he removed his finger from the hole and said to Basil while looking through the glass which made his face large and weird, "Basil, you astound me!"

Basil quickly shushed him and proceeded through the newly created doorway, with everyone else following him until Myde was in last and he closed the window behind him. Once inside, everyone carefully stepped in and looked around for any signs of either Fidget or lingering Heartless that made come and attack. So far, it was all quiet.

Though Roxas wasn't looking where he was going and accidently bumped into something. "Oh! I'm sorry! It was an acci...dent..." He trailed off as he realised that he bumped into a large doll which, given how it looked, held a creepy face.

This made him, the rest of the worldly travellers, Dawson and Olivia gaze around in awe at so many toys and such all around them in the toy store. Even this was more amazing than Al's Toy Burn back in Toy Mania.

"Gawrsh, look at all these toys." Goofy whispered in awe.

"Wow...! This is more amazin' than the last toy store we were in." Mickey said, amazed.

"I say...I've never seen so many toys." Dawson whispered in agreement.

Lea, while amazed, frowned in concern as he pointed out, "Gotta be careful. With the store this large, being dark and so many of these items, it's a good of a place for Heartless and the guy we're lookin' for to hide and sneak up on us."

"Our fire-haired friend is right." Basil said as he appeared from behind the doll, startling them. "Behind any of which could lurk a bloodthirsty assassin! So please... be very careful."

Everyone nodded silently and then moved on forward again and despite all of the toys being meant for light, the shadows coming from them made the atmosphere creepy and ominous. Soon they began climbing up the ladder, all feeling nervous and anxious except for Basil who was silently excited. Once they reached the top, they continued to silently creep on, when...

 _ **Ching! Ching! Ching! Crash! Crash! Crash!**_

The sudden loud noise made everyone jump a couple of inches in the air in fright and shock, causing Donald and Goofy to cling onto each other while Dawson leaped into Basil's arms in terror and Myde let out a girly shriek. But when everyone turned to see where the noise was coming from which turned into a band music, they saw that it was only Olivia who had switched on a clockwork fire engine band toy playing their instruments of trumpets, a drum, cymobels, and tambourines.

While the worldly travellers sighed in panicked relief, Basil was bitterly frustrated as he put Dawson down before he jumped and switched the device off, causing the band to drop limp while the music died down to a pathetic fanfare.

"Please! Quiet." Basil hissed at Olivia who didn't understand what she did wrong and just looked at him. He then turned to the worldly travellers and Dawson, whispering bitterly and harshly, "All of you! Don't let this girl out of your sight!"

While most of them nodded, Sora, Donald, Goofy, even Mickey and especially Dawson, out of habit for the doctor, all saluted while standing in attention as Basil walked off. The group then noticed that Olivia was playfully saluting too, which the women of the group found really adorable.

"Stay close, okay?" Aqua gently said to Olivia who nodded, and held hands with Kairi before they and everyone else followed Basil once more. However, they were unaware that Fidget was spying on them from his high hiding place.

As they crossed the giant chessboard when Basil came across the Chess pieces and with a playful smirk, pushed one to the group, whispering, "Checkmate!"

The group just rolled their eyes and continued on, and before long, Basil spotted something and pulled out his magnifying glass and grinned as he muttered, "Aha! Evidence of our peg-legged adversary," which got the others's attention before he began to follow the trail, which led to the now-naked toy soldiers Fidget had been near earlier.

"How very odd." Basil muttered.

"What happened to them?" Myde asked, noticing that the toy soldiers didn't have any clothes.

Basil rolled his eyes at the mullet-haired young man's cluelessness. "Isn't it painfully obvious, Myde? These dolls have been stripped of their uniforms. And not by any child, either."

"But who would do such a thing and why would they steal the toy uniforms of these dolls?" Mickey asked as he took a closer look at the toy soldiers,

"They're not the only ones having things stolen from them." Ven pointed out as he noticed something else, which got everyone else's attention. What he was looking at were several mechanical toys that were missing gears.

"Hello?" Basil muttered as he got a closer look at the other toys as well. "Someone has taken the liberty of removing the clockwork mechanisms from these toys."

"But, why would Fidget want the uniforms and gears for?" Aqua muttered, confused.

As everyone tried to figure out and piece together this puzzling case, Goofy then noticed something on the ground and picked it up, realising that it was piece of paper. He then called to the detective, "Hey, Basil-"

"Please, I'm trying to concentrate." Basil told him irritatedly as he tried to think.

Before Goofy could try again, to his and everyone else's utter confusion, music boxes began playing, and winding toys moved up and down the shelves. They all jumped, and turned to see that nearly every toy in the shop was operating on its own.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, bewildered.

As everyone looked around try and figure out what was going on, Roxas turned to see where Olivia went to, only to gasp in shock as she went over to a wind-up baby cradle.

"Olivia, wait!" Roxas cried out, but it was too late as Fidget sprang up out of the carriage, and Olivia had just enough time to scream in terror before Fidget grabbed her and stuffed her in his bag which made everyone else turn and saw what just happened.

This was all part of Fidget's new trap to capture Olivia.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the lack of fights in this chapter and sorry that this chapter was shorter. Hopefully the next one will make up for it. See you soon!**


	47. CH46: Mouse-Trapped

**Author's Note: I've really been into continuing with this story quite a lot, possibly due to the Great Mouse Detective. Anyway, let's continue on reading.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH46: Mouse-Trapped.**_

"Gotcha!" Fidget yelled victoriously, tying up the bag that trapped the helpless little girl he just caught.

"Oh no!" Dawson cried out, realising the fatal error they just made.

"Quick! We must pursue!" Basil told them, and everyone else nodded, hurrying over to try and rescue Olivia. But then the Heartless suddenly appeared and blocked the group who skid to a stop; there were the belly Heartless, the Rapid Dog Heartless, ect., and eyed on the group while Fidget was making his escape, still in his pink baby bonnet while he held the bag as Olivia futilelessly tried to get out.

"Get lost!" Sora shouted at the Heartless as he summoned his Keyblade, as the rest of the worldly travellers summoned their weapons, before he told Basil and Dawson, "Stop that bat! We'll handle these guys!"

"You heard him, Dawson! Quickly!" Basil responded, taking off with Dawson running after him after Sora took out three Heartless that made an opening for the two mice, leaving the rest of the group to handle the monsters.

Sora casted Thundaga at several other Heartless before he dodge-rolled out of the way to avoid being flattened by one of the belly-Heartless. He then leaped over it and attacked furiously at it's back since it was it's weak spot and finished it off before he hissed in pain when he was hit by the Rapid Dog Heartless that bit him on the arm. He responded by swiping at it's head and down-sliced it and then used Orbs of Blue Light to weaken more Heartless that came his way, looking to steal his heart. He then finished them off by tossing his Keyblade at them which destroyed the Heartless almost instantly.

Kairi jumped out of the way to avoid the Trumpet-Heartless before she used her Orbs of Pink Light to distract it which she then knocked the instrument from it's hand with her Keyblade and then slashed it at it's chest when she found an opening and finished it off before she chanted Blizzard at two more, freezing them solid which allowed her to destroy them as well. She then cart-wheeled away to avoid the Dark Ball Heartless who sent out orbs of Darkness, thanks to her training with Aqua in Radiant Garden and then spun and struck the Heartless in a couple of hits before jumping and then casted Fire at the Ice Element Heartless who melted due to being weak by fire.

Riku swiped down at the larger Heartless with the Way to Dawn Keyblade before he jumped back to avoid their large hammers that brought up and chanted Gravita to trap them in the air before he leaped up and attacked with full throttle and then used his MotionFlow to disappear into the floor. He then came right back up and skyward stabbed them in a single hit which caused them to disappear into nothing. He then focused on the other Heartless that came near Kairi and Sora who were both busy in fighting the heartless in front of them and he quickly took them out to save his best friends who noticed and nodded their thanks, before the trio continued the fight.

Mickey in the meantime leaped from one nearby toy to another to help him get a better advantage of the Bat-Heartless that were too high even for him to reach. He then jumped and struck hard at the Heartless while in mid-air and shot out Orbs of Light which followed and destroyed his targets before he jumped onto another and struck it on it's back with the Kingdom Key-D and finished it off. He leaped just before it disappeared and jumped onto another, repeating the process until he flipped in mid-air before landing safely on the ground. The King then preformed his mid-air somersault while hitting the Soldier Heartless several times until it was gone before he moved on to fight the rest of the monsters of darkness.

Donald casted several magic spells such as Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, his Fireworks spell, Stopza, everything he could think of while the Heartless came his way, but had to be really careful since if he used too much, he'd run out of his mana quicker than the Heartless would stopp attacking. Goofy on the other hand whacked and smacked at the Heartless with his shield before he spun around and around using his Goof-Nado skill, knocking away Heartless that tried to attack him even though both he and Donald were hit and they cried out in pain when they were caught off guard. So the two returned the favor and defeated the Heartless as quickly as they could.

Lea threw his Chakrams at the large Heartless which were hit by the weapons and when he caught them as they returned, he then created Fire Pillers which surrounded more Heartless and destroyed most of them, but some managed to escape and tossed lances at him. He quickly leaped to avoid most, but one scrapped him in the side of the waist and he hissed in pain before he rolled out of the way to avoid in being finished off. Quickly jugging down a Hi-Potion to heal most of his injuries, the pyro switched to his Keyblade and swiped at the Heartless that came running towards him before casting Orbs of Fire, which was a new power increase for him, and sent them towards the monsters, burning them into oblivion.

Isa used the power of the berserk mode even though he controlled it a bit better while using the moonlight in the sky which caused him to swipe and blast energy at as many Heartless before he returned to normal and then focused on swiping his Claymore while creating the Wind Spell that blasted even the Belly Heartless who were knocked back and fell off the edge of the desk and fell onto the main floor below to their demise. Myde created Water Clones of himself which took out Heartless that surrounded him and attacked each Heartless despite that the said clones were being destroyed as well. Myde in the meantime thrusted his Sitar while blasting water jets at the Rapid Dog Heartless who were getting soaked and weakened by the former No.9's attacks and eventually defeated.

Roxas and Xion both shared each other's Keyblades as they each preformed the double comb on many Heartless that came by them before they held each other's hand and thrusted at the Dog-Shield Heartless from behind, striking them down at every move while being slightly hit by the said Heartless beams from the shields. Xion then casted a Fire Spell behind it and caused it to stumble foward which allowed Roxas to strike a finishing move with his Oblivion Keyblade. Though a Neo-Heartless then attacked which nearly knocked the two over had Lea and Isa not rush to their rescue and grabbed their wrists while Mickey and Myde finsihed off the five said Heartless quickly. After the two men pulled the teenagers to safety, they all teamed up to finish off the rest of the Heartless they, Mickey and Myde were fighting.

Aqua used Eraqus's Keyblade to cast Chains of Light to capture seven Heartless into a ball before she leaped and struck them as quickly as possible before finishing them off with rainbow beams which destroyed them. She then cartwheeled out of the way when the Dog-Shield Heartless fired powerful beams towards her and used Reflect to block the rest of it. She then switched to her own Keyblade and used Sleepza to put the Heartless to sleep before she leaped over and defeated it with several combos.

Terra thrusted his Keyblade downward which created a shockwave that send the Neo Heartless back and then he used his D-Link, burrowing Ven's skill of tossing his Keyblade towards them and finished them off with a strong thrust. Then he launched himself forward and destroyed two Belly-Heartless from behind in a single hit at each time before moving to the rest of the enemies.

Ven tossed his Keyblade which spun around while taking out the Heartless before he retrieved it and then casted his Lightning Drive which allowed him to cast a stronger form of Thundaga which zapped the monsters. He then thrusted and slashed the Bat-Heartless before leaping up and tossed his Keyblade again, taking five out in a single hit and landed on the ground safely to continue the fight. Skuld held up her Keyblade before spinning around and around while holding it out as it set off waves of Light at many Heartless like a whirlwind which the monsters had no chance of getting past or even avoiding since they were from the Realm of Darkness.

But despite that the worldly travellers had defeated the Heartless while things were crazy for Basil and Dawson who tried to stop Fidget, all three of them were making a mess as Fidget fought back to setting off many toys to which Basil was hit by the Fireband toy when the two cymbols clanged onto his head which made him briefly dizzy. Fidget then attempted to flee through the entrance he used earlier, but was blocked off when Toby growled and barked dangerously at the bat who then retreated and instead moved towards the opening in the ceiling.

Basil chased after him up the building blocks and shelves and almost caught him when Fidget knocked down one of the blocks and knocked the detective towards the ground. The impact caused not only the blocks to fall but also all of the toys that came crashing down by the time Sora's group arrived and to their horror, saw the toy-slide heading towards them and Dawson who'd been knocked out earlier.

"Look out!" Mickey cried out, as he and everyone else dove out of the way and braced themselves for impact, while Fidget made his escape with Olivia captive through the window, while Olivia was crying out for Basil, Dawson and the worldly travellers, though her voice was muffled due to being in the bag.

* * *

Everything in the toy store was a complete mess. Most of the group were stuck underneath the pile of toys, but slowly and surely they managed to free each other and themselves, and panted and sighed, also exhausted from their fight against the Heartless.

"Is everyone okay?" Lea asked, as he helped Roxas up and was relieved that they all responded that they were fine, except for one.

"Where's Basil?" Kairi asked, worriedly.

"Basil? Basil!" Dawson called out, looking for the missing detective.

"Basil!" Sora shouted.

Mickey then heard something due to his good hearing and exclaimed, "I think I heard something! C'mon, fellas!"

The King led the group towards the sound, which grew louder until they realised it was an automatic child's voice repeatedly saying, "Mama! Mama!" and it came from the other side of two toys that blocked the way through.

Terra and Isa pushed the toys aside and they and the rest of the group saw that it was coming from a doll with a string, with Basil tangled up in it as he tried to free himself while bungee bouncing up and down, and he was frustrated and agitated.

"Are you okay, Basil?" Aqua asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine, but the girl's gone! She's been taken!" Basil yelled furiously, "Why didn't you all keep an eye on her like I told you to!? Confound it!"

He eventually freed himself but fell with a tumble flat on the ground. Still, he stood up and continued on ranting, "Now she's been spirited away by that monster, soon to be in the hands of the most depraved mind in all of London! I should have known better than to let you all..."

When he turned to look at all of them, Basil's anger quickly vanished as the worldly travellers and Dawson, having been hit hard by the words and knowing that he was right, looked very guilty for letting him down as they did.

"We're sorry." Sora muttered in guilt. "You're right; we really should've kept a closer eye on Olivia."

"It's my fault." Lea told everyone, looking the most guilty out of all of them, and punched the side of the wall angrily, blaming himself for the mess. "I'm the one who suggested to bring her along to keep her safe, but she still got caught! How could I've been so stupid!?"

Mickey shook his head, "Don't take all the blame, Lea. We all got distracted. I guess we're all to blame." and the rest of the worldly travellers nodded in agreement.

"Oh, that poor girl." Dawson sniffled in guilt.

Realising that his words hit them hard and now all of them were fully blaming themselves for the mess, Basil felt bad for yelling at them as he did. He then approached them and tried to lighten the atmosphere, saying comfortingly and gently, "Don't worry, it's not entirely hopeless."

The worldly travellers were surprised to see the comforting and genuining side of him, as Basil continued, "We'll get her back."

"You think so?" Xion asked.

"There's always a chance!" Basil declared, "As long as one can think."

That's when Goofy remembered the paper he found earlier and took it out of his pockets before reading it, realising that it was a list. "Hey, what 'bout this?" He asked, showing Basil and everyone else the list.

When they looked at it and Basil took it to get a closer look and looked it over, he smiled excitedly and praised, "Goofy, you've done it! This list is precisely what we need!"

"That means..." Ven muttered in realization.

"That bat dropped it. Bad move on his part." Myde finished with a relieved grin.

Basil nodded, before hurrying over to the exit while bouncing on a rubber ducky that squeaked upon contact, declaring, "Quickly, back to Baker Street!"

Sora and the others nodded before following Basil, with new hope in finding and rescuing both Olivia and her father.

* * *

Back at Ratigan's hideout, Hiram was still working on the machine in his dark workshop prison and was almost finished, having created eyes and teeth that looked terrifying with a haunting smile. He felt so guilty and depressed, knowing that he would be blaming himself for causing destruction starting tonight and for the safety of his daughter, he had no choice.

Just then, the door opened and when Hiram turned to look, Ratigan stood there in the doorway, grinning evilly while holding his cape up dramatically, "Ah, Flaversham...Allow me to present... your charming daughter!"

When he moved it out of the way, Fidget stood there holding Olivia captive in his arms, with Pete standing behind the three of them and immediately Hiram recongised her.

"Olivia!" Hiram exclaimed with wide eyes as he stood up at the sight of his little girl.

"Father!" Olivia cried in return, before she turned to Fidget angrily for holding her back and so to get away, she stomped onto his foot hard painfully.

"Ow!" Fidget cried out in pain, causing him to let go of Olivia who immediately ran towards her father, while the bat held his foot while hopping on his peg-leg, yelping, "My foot, my foot! My only foot!"

"Father!" Olivia cried as she leaped into Hiram's arms as the two were finally reunited and shared a hug and she cried in his chest despite the horrible situation they were in, but they didn't care as she had finally found him. "I thought I'd never find you!" She sobbed, tears falling.

Seeing his beloved daughter cry in happiness and having been frightened, Hiram hugged Olivia tightly while stroking her head comfortingly, relief surging through his heart, "Oh, there, there, there, my wren. I'm alright. Oh, I was so worried, my little girl." which made Olivia smile and the two held each other in the heart-warming reunion.

"T-That's...so lovely." Pete sniffled, admittedly emotional and touched by the scene as tears welled up in his eyes. He then pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose loudly.

Ratigan mocked an emotional face as he said, mockingly, "Oh, how sweet." and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, wiping away fake tears. "Oh, I just love tearful reunions."

In reality, he felt like he was going to be sick and this couldn't go on longer. With that, he roughly snatched Olivia out of her father's arms. "Now, come along, my dear."

Ratigan pulled the horrified Olivia from her father's arms against her protests and handed her back to Fidget who held her tightly again before he and the slightly reluctanted Pete carried her away, while Hiram was held back by Ratigan, preventing him from reaching his daughter.

"Oh please, professor!" Hiram pleaded.

"Now, now. Fidget and Pete will take care of her..." Ratigan said, before adding darkly and dangerously, " _Just as long as we have no further delays!_ "

Realising there was no further choice, Hiram was released and he quickly went back to work, saying, "Yes, yes! I-I'll finish it." before pleading, "Oh, just don't hurt my daughter!"

"Remember, it must be ready..." Ratigan warned as he held onto the doorknob, concluding, "Tonight!" and with that he slammed the door shut and making a strong point, before walking down the stairs.

* * *

Fidget and Pete in the meantime carried the struggling Olivia towards a giant green glass bottle where she would be imprisoned.

"Stop! Lemme go! You ugly old thing!" Olivia demanded, only to be jammed right into the bottle by Fidget, with Pete corking the opening and trapping her inside.

"That'll hold ya, you li'l brat." Pete said evilly, having quickly forgotten his emotional side.

"Help! Let me out! Let me out!" Olivia cried while placing her hands against the glass of her prison, only for Fidget and Pete to smile at her evilly.

"See how you'll like that!" Fidget said, before giving the girl a raspberry and then walked over to Ratigan, with Pete following him as the crime lord ramaged though the bag with everything else the bat had collected from the toy store.

"Ah, the uniforms! Oh, Fidget, I knew I could rely on you." Ratigan smiled in delight, before asking his lackey, "Now, you didn't forget anything?"

Fidget laughed and replied, "No problem! I took care of everything. Everything on the list." and gestured as his pockets to show the list, only to realise, to his dismay, it wasn't there. "Uh oh..."

This made Ratigan's smile instantly turn into an angry frown. "What's wrong?"

"The list, but I knew I had it!" Fidget cried out, frantically began to search his pockets for it, but then realized that he lost it at some point and immediately knew he was in trouble.

Ratigan quickly leaned over menacingly as he demanded, "Where is the list?"

This made Pete gulp as he muttered scaredly, "Uh oh..." terrified of what is yet to come to the bat as memories of Bartholomew's death came back.

Fidget didn't know what to say or how to answer the question. Instead he shuddered scaredly and tried to explain what happened, reenactingly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you see. It was-It was like this. I was in the toy store getting uniforms when I heard a _'Aroo! Aroo!'_ "

"You're not coming through." Ratigan muttered while scratching his eyebrow, getting more and more irritated.

"I think he means he heard a dog." Pete tried to translate.

Fidget nodded, quickly continuing, "Yeah, a dog came! I ran! I had a baby bonnet, girl in the bag, and Basil and some kids with key-sword things chased me!"

Hearing the last part of the explaination, not only Pete's eyes widened as he realised that Sora's group were there, but Ratigan finally lost his composure when he heard the familiar name of his worst enemy.

"What!? **BASIL ON THE CASE!?** " Ratigan yelled, furiously shouting at Fidget who wrapped himself in his wings, cowering in fear. " _ **WHY, YOU GIBBERING LITTLE-!**_ "

Pete flinched in fright as he screamed before leaping and hiding behind a box nearby, quivering in fear. Ratigan was cut off when he suddenly clutched his heart as though about to have a heart attack, before it became apparent that he was about to seemingly explode in anger and his face turned bright and dark red and he quickly tried to hold it back.

After a moment, he somewhat calmed down and the redness vanished all together. He then smiled again and scooped up the still terrified Fidget in his arms, and said while walking around the corner, "Oh, my dear Fidget. You have been hanging upside down too long."

"You mean you're not mad?" Fidget asked, surprised and then became relieved. " I'm glad you're taking it so well."

Hearing this, Pete nervously peeked up from the box and then blinked, bewildered before standing up. "Hmm. He got out of that one lucky."

After a moment of silence, he heard a bell ringing, and heard Fidget screaming. Pete flinched before he peered around the corner to see Felicia clutching a struggling Fidget, trying to eat him, as Ratigan was leaning against a nearby bottle.

"Not me, you idiot! No, stop, you stupid furball!" Fidget cried out to the cat, managing to escape the grasp for a second, but Felicia caught him and promptly stuffed him into her mouth, while he muffled half a second later, " _Open up! Open up! Ay, ay, ay! Ooh! You're hurting my wing!_ "

Pete gulped scaredly while watching in horror, "On second thought, he's not so lucky."

Ratigan in the meantime, was rubbing his temples as he snarled in irrtation, "How _dare_ that idiot Basil poke his stupid nose into my wonderful scheme and foul up _everything_!"

" _Let me out! Let me out!_ " Fidget screamed while he tried to escape Felicia's mouth which made her uncomfortable and, if the situation was different, it was comical. He somehow managed to push the mouth open and wriggle himself free, but could fly away since he had to hold it open with his leg and peg-leg, crying out, "Help!"

But Felicia pushed him back into her mouth with a clawed finger and closed her eyes, smiling. This terrified Pete even more as he began to quiver loudly.

"Oh, I can just see that insufferable grin on his smug face!" Ratigan continued, as he pounded his head against the bottle, wincing briefly. Just then, as soon as said this as he began to think, an evil idea dawned within him, and he smiled wickedly, "Yes. Yes, I can just see it."

He then turned to the cat and commanded, "Felicia, release him."

This surprised Felicia until Fidget's peg-leg was sticking out from her mouth, as the bat cried out again, " _I'm too young to die!_ "

She sulked bitterly in annoyance, and then obeyed the command and spat Fidget out with a disgusted look since the bat hadn't tasted good. The bat in the meantime was all battered up and as he landed on the ground in a twisted and painful position, he had holes in his ears.

Ratigan then held him by the cheeks, saying, "Fidget, you delightful little maniac. You've presented me with a singular opportunity." before dropping him as Pete looked on in shock and somewhat relief.

"Maybe he was lucky after all." Pete muttered to himself, while wondering what Ratigan had in mind this time if he'd been willing to spare Fidget's life.

"Poor Basil and his poor little friends." Ratigan began with a fake concern, then continued in an evil and sinister smile, "Oh, they're in for a little surprise."

* * *

When the worldly travellers, Basil and Dawson returned to Baker Street, Basil lit a lamp and inspected the list Goofy had found with his magnifying glass as the others looked on.

"So, what we've got?" Lea asked.

Basil, hearing this, straightened up and said, "Well, chap, I can deduce very little. Yet there are some things I can make out. Only that the words are written with a broad pointed quill pen which has spattered, twice."

He then made the paper soflty flutter while testing it's weight, continuing, "That the paper is of native Mongolian manufacture, no water mark."

Basil then licked it three times, which disgusted the worldly travellers, and added, "And has been gummed, if I'm not very much in error."

"Gummed with what?" Sora asked, blinking.

The detective sniffed at the paper before recoiling in disgust, holding the paper within arm's length, and then answered, "By a bat that has been drinking Rodent's Delight! A cheap brandy sold only in the seediest pubs."

As Dawson gazed it with his glasses, he muttered in awe, "Amazing."

"Whoa...You can tell by that?" Roxas muttered.

"Not really." Basil shrugged. "We still don't know where it came from. Perhaps a closer inspection will tell us something." He then pulled out his microscope as he approached the table and examined it even more. "Hmm...Coal dust. Clearly of the type used in sewer lamps."

Before anyone else could get a closer look for themselves, Basil took the paper and to their shock, he held it over a Bunsen burner before he burned it and shushed them when they protested, letting the ashen remains of the list fall into the bowl, and patted it down with a small wooden masher. He proceeded to pour the contents into a small jar containing a yellow chemical, which turned blue upon the addition. The others stared at the liquid as Basil picked up a vial containing red liquid.

Basil then carefully let a single drop fall into the jar. A puff of smoke came out as the chemical turned purple. Basil proceeded to set the jar below a glass spout and reached around to the other side of the chemistry set, turning on a small flame below a beaker containing a green chemical which then bubbled up and slowly made its way through the tubes, eventually making its way to the spout above the purple chemical. The group watched intently as a single green drop fell upon the chemical violet chemical, turning it red.

"Aha!" Basil declared, "We've done it! This reaction could only have been triggered by the paper's extreme saturation with distillation of sodium chloride."

"Uh...what?" Roxas asked as he and Xion shared a confused glance.

"He means it turned into salt water." Isa explained as the red liquid turned into pale blue.

Lea nodded in agreement, "Given how that guy was probably near the ocean, that might be our clue in where he could've taken Olivia."

"It proves beyond a doubt, this list came from the riverfront area." Basil said as he rummaged through maps and scrolls and finally found what he was looking for and used his darts to hold it up onto the wall.

"So what do we do now?" Kairi asked.

"It's elementary, my dear. We merely look for a seedy pub at the only spot where the sewer connects to the waterfront." Basil explained while using another dart to pin-point the exact location.

* * *

After discovering where the entrance to the hideout was, the group of seventeen hurried over to the waterfront. It was dark and misty, with the sounds of creaking ships. The wooden platform also creaked as the group descended towards the Pub that said, "Rat's Trap", while Basil commanded in a whisper to Toby to stay.

The only light, which led them to their destination, was a little light in front of the entrance, all wearing disguises. Basil was dressed in a blue long coat, purple shirt, blue hat, and trousers and had a fake mustache. Sora wore a brown leather long coat, darker pirate hat, red and white shirt, brown knicker-bocker shorts and brown boots, making him look a bit like Jack, but with lots of differences. He still wore his crown-chained necklace.

Mickey was dressed in a white and red striped shirt with a dark brown vest, red bandana, dark grey trousers, and brown leather boots. Donald wore a light green shirt and blue bandana, while Goofy wore a green bandana, white dirty shirt, light blue pants and brown shoes. Roxas and Ven both wore white shirts and black bandanas, though Roxas wore black trousers and black boots, Ven wore blue trousers and brown boots. Terra, Lea, Isa, and Myde all wore white or black shirts with orange, red, blue and yellow vests, dark grey trousers and Lea was wearing an eyepatch.

Kairi, wore a red long coat with her hair tied up in a pony tail, black shirt, dark red pants and black boots, Skuld, Xion, and Aqua wore the same, except Skuld's coat and pants were dark purple, Xion's was dark green, and Aqua's was blue that matched her hair. Riku was wearing a light purple loose shirt, deep blue trousers, black boots and a light green bandana.

"This is exasperating." Donald grumbled, not liking this disguise.

"I think we all look cool." Sora said with a smile.

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna put my foot down and ditch this stupid eye-patch. I hate this thing." Lea grumbled as he yanked the said patch off and threw it away.

Basil, unfazed by this, simply shrugged, "The eye-patch wouldn't matter. I just thought you would like it."

"Uh, Basil?" Dawson's voice came from behind a corner, sounding annoyed. "I feel utterly ridiculous!"

"Don't be absurd. You look perfect." Basil replied as Dawson came out from behind the column. He too was disguised as a pirate, wearing a blue bandana, an earring, an eye patch over his right eye, dark blue trousers, and a striped red and white shirt that was a bit too small for him.

Dawson looked at Basil incredulously while the worldly travellers tried not to laugh at the poor doctor's failed attempts to pull the shirt down. "Perfect? Perfectly foolish!"

Basil shushed him as he opened the door to the pub, and Sora and the others crowded behind him to take a look, which was indeed a seedy place. The good place for bad guys like Fidget to go to anyway with many lowlife mice in London gathered within. All of the patrons were playing poker, and drinking at the bar, with some even passed out drunk. One mouse was playing the piano while an octopus juggled three balls and tap-danced at the same time. Off to the side, a barmaid was ticking a patron under the chin, but when he tried to kiss her, she punched him with enough force to send him flying from his chair.

"This is the kind of place Jack would come to if he was still with us." Myde whispered, shuddering as he imagined what the pirate would do if he still travelled with the worldly travellers.

The group followed Basil to the closest empty table as Basil whispered a reminder to the group, "Remember, we're low-life ruffians." as they all watched the Octopus's preformance come to an near end while the pianist looked nervous at the unhappy stares from everyone else in the bar.

Once the Octopus finished his preformance, the only ones giving him an applause were Goofy and Dawson who both clapped happily, but both immediately stopped when the real low-life ruffians all booed and jeered.

"Get off, you eight-legged bum!" One of the thugs yelled. The Octopus gulped before he immediately ran for his life as fruit, vegetables, knives, bottles and such were thrown at him and splattered or clanged onto the stage.

"It was pretty boring, anyway." Myde commented, not finding the preformance interesting at all. "If I were up there, I'd put on one heck of a show."

By then, the barmaid came over to the group and asked, "What's ya' pleasure, mates?"

Sora looked at his group who, deciding that there wasn't much they could have and would just pretend to have the achohol but will avoid it, nodded as they had learned a bit from Jack during their travels. Sora then turned back to the barmaid and, mentally clearing his throat, replied in a surprising pirate tone, "Fifteen pints for me and my crew. Savvy?"

Basil stopped himself from gazing at Sora, very impressed with the boy's preformance, and just before Dawson could say anything, he clamped a hand over the doctor's mouth and said to the barmaid in a gruff voice, "Two of those pints for me and my shipmate."

As the barmaid wrote down the seventeen orders on the notepad, Basil continued in the same gruff voice before she left, "Oh, by the way, we just got into port. We're lookin' for an old friend of mine. Maybe you know him. Goes by the name...of Ratigan!"

At the mention of Ratigan, the barmaid gasped, as well as several patrons and the pianist, all of them looking at Basil in shock. The maid though, quickly regaining her composure even though it was clear she was hiding something, replied, "I, uh, er...never heard of him." and walked off to fetch the orders.

"That was quite impressive, Sora." Basil whispered to the teenager who blushed sheepishly.

"He's right. That was amazing." Kairi praised.

Sora chuckled softly, returning to normal. "I guess I've been hanging out with Jack too much." He whispered in return.

As they whispered, the pianist started another song, and the curtains opened to reveal a salamander on a unicycle, struggling to balance a huge frog on his shoulders. The thugs immediately started booing again, once again throwing food and weapons at the stage as the salamander and frog quickly dashed off.

"Not even a minute and already that act is over." Lea commented softly, wincing as he felt sorry for the two.

The pianist flinched as knives and fruit were thrown at him too and he trumbled before playing again, this time in a gentle note for the third act. The ruffians stood ready to attack what other loser would preform. They and even the worldly travellers were surprised when the curtains revealed a white female mouse, wearing a dark blue dress and dark pink shawl as she began to sing. This made the thugs lower their things and were entranced by her singing and beauty as she began to dance on the stage.

"She sure can sing." Lea whispered to the others who nodded in agreement, though they weren't as nearly hypnotized as the thugs. Even Dawson began to enjoy the acting. Basil was the only one uninterested. Instead, his attention turned to the barmaid who was whispering something in the bartender's ear, with the bartender discreetly pouring the contents of a small green vial into the pints meant for Basil's table.

At that very moment, the lady mouse, still singing, moved behind the curtain as a band joined in on her song. The curtain pulled back, revealing the lady mouse had been joined by two others, these ones wearing pink dresses. As she continued singing, the first lady mouse put on black leather gloves, removed her shawl, and ripped her skirt off, revealing her garter. The ruffians all started whistling and howling.

Sora and his travelling companions on the other hand quickly covered their eyes, not wanting to see anymore. Thankfully no one else took notice as the song continued. Instead, the barmaid returned with seventeen mugs, saying, "There ya all go! It's, uh, on the house." which got the seventeen of them to look up before she walked off.

"I say...How very generous." Dawson said, picking up his own pint, while the worldly travellers just stared at their own, and cringed.

Good thing too, because Basil, having seen what the bartender had did, took a careful taste of the pint and it confirmed his suspicions as he warned the others, "Everyone...don't touch these. These drinks have been..." he turned to see that Dawson had already drained his mug, and Basil finished in panic, "Drugged!"

As soon as he finished, Dawson was already effected by the drug and said, drowsily and drunkily, "Has a rather nice tang to it, um?"

Alarmed, Sora and his companions pushed their mugs away, thanking their lucky stars in not even considering of drinking the pints anyway. They then groaned in dismay as Dawson was far too gone as he cheered on the ladies on stage.

"That's just great." Terra groaned.

Mickey was about to say something when a sound of something wooden clunked onto the floor and turned to see what was going on, eyes widening as the familiar figure of Fidget, who too was mesmerized by the lady mouse's singing, walking by. But the bat wasn't looking where he was going and he accidently stepped into a small hole with his peg leg which got stuck and caused him to clumsily fall onto the floor with a yelp.

"Basil...He's here." Mickey whispered urgently to Basil who, along with the rest of the worldly travellers who heard him, turned to see what the king was pointing at, and saw indeed it was Fidget who by then, in frustration, struggled to pull his peg-leg out. When the bat finally suceeded, the force caused him to stumble back and crash into the bar table and slumped onto the floor.

"Well done, Mickey! Ho, ho, ho! What luck!" Basil whispered, as he turned to the others, only to notice that someone was missing and was baffled. "Dawson?"

As everyone else looked as they realised that Dawson somehow disappeared, Goofy finally found him and pointed, "Gawrsh, he's really dazed to be up on stage."

The group looked up and were all alarmed too see the giddy-minded Dawson on stage, as Goofy had said, dancing with two of the lady mice who were smiling while the main lady mouse wrapped up the song. The worldly travellers and Basil all face-palmed themselves in dismay and irritation.

As the song finished, Dawson drunkenly stumbled off of the stage and landed right on the piano, crushing it. The angry pianist grabbed a wooden board and tried to hit Dawson with it, but Dawson slumped down, causing the pianist to miss and hit a large, muscle-bound thug who, in anger for being hit, grabbed the now terrified and apologetic pianist by the neck and tried to punch him, but the pianist managed to duck, resulting in the thug punching the piano with such force that it crashed into the band members, sending them and Dawson flying in separate directions. This resulted in an all out Bar fight.

"This is a repeat of the Brethren Court all over again." Isa groaned in dismay, and Lea, Riku and Terra nodded in agreement.

The group hurried over to Dawson as Basil tapped his cheeks to wake him up, calling out his name. It worked as the effects of the drug finally wore off and Dawson asked in confusion and panic, clearly not remembering what happened, "Wha-wha-what? What in heaven's name is going on!?"

"No time for that! We spotted the bat." Riku told him quickly, as he and everyone else turned to the bar, only to realise that Fidget had vanished.

"Now where did he go?" Donald asked, annoyed, as he and everyone else were dodging the fight that was happening all around them.

Basil looked around quickly until he found a trap door on the floor, which was he immediately knew where Fidget had gone to. So he gestured the worldly travellers and Dawson to follow him. They all quickly hurried over un-noticed and all slid into the trap door with Basil closing it shut, just in time as a chair flew over the bar and narrowly missing them.

* * *

Once inside an underground tunnel as the door blocked off the noise of the crisis happening above them, the group then heard humming and singing close by. They all looked down and saw Fidget walked up to a leaking pipe with a lantern in hand. He climbed into the pipe while singing the song the mice ladies had sang and disappeared, fully unaware that he was being followed.

Basil lead the way as everyone else followed him and told everyone to keep silent and to follow him. They did so and one by one climbed into the drainage pipe in hopes of locating where Fidget had gone to. But it was completely dark that they had a bit of trouble seeing.

Skuld then noticed something and whisperedly warned Basil who was about to walk into it, "Basil, look out!" and winced when the detective smacked face first into a dead end to his right.

"Ow!" Basil groaned, rubbing his head before continuing upward, grumbling to himself.

* * *

Before long, they emerged out of the grate, and quickly realized they had reached their destination.

"We've found it! Ratigan's secret lair." Basil whispered, as he climbed out while holding the grate for the others to climb out, adding as he looked around in disgust, "And it's filthier than I imagined."

Myde shuddered as he looked around too, "You're telling me. This place is disgusting."

The group looked around carefully, keeping an eye out for an ambush or Heartless attacks, until Roxas whispered when he saw the giant green bottle, with Olivia inside, apparently asleep. "Guys! There's Olivia."

Seeing that the former Nobody was right, the group hurried over as silently as they could, and while most of the worldly travellers made sure that there weren't any sudden attacks, Terra and Basil both pulled hard on the cork while Dawson, Kairi and Mickey tried to get Olivia's attention...only for their and everyone else's eyes to widen that it wasn't Olivia at all as the head turned. It was Fidget who was now wearing Olivia's hat and coat.

"It's a trap!" Isa hissed.

" _ **SURPRISE!**_ " Several unfamilair voices exclaimed which made all seventeen of them jump in fright as a banner that read, 'Welcome Basil' unfurled from the ceiling. Balloons were released and confetti flew as Ratigan's thugs, as well as Pete emerged from the shadows, applauding, and Ratigan himself emerged from the barrel, applauding himself.

"Still as dumb as ya look to fall for d'at, eh?" Pete said, smirking at the shocked worldly travellers who instantly recongised him.

"Pete! I should've known!" Mickey yelled angrily as he and his companions glared at the fat-cat who too was the size of a mouse. Or rather a rat.

"Ugh! Don't tell me Maleficent wants Ratigan to join her side and asked you to do it!" Sora grunted angrily.

Dawson glanced at the travellers and asked, uncertainly, "I say, do you know him?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He's our enemy and causes heaps of trouble." Aqua replied.

"Bravo! Bravo! A _marvelous_ performance!" Ratigan cheered, ignoring the worldly travellers and cackled evilly as he approached Basil who glared at him angrily. "Though frankly, I expected you 15 minutes earlier. Trouble with the chemistry set, old boy?" Ratigan continued as he pulled out a pocket watch.

Basil stiffened, until he tried to keep his temper in check and said in fake friendiness at his arch enemy, "Ratigan, no one can have a higher opinion of you than I have." before he added with pure hatred, "And I think that you're a slimy, contemptible sewer rat!"

Ratigan ignored this despite his own temper flaring up in being called a rat again, calmly shut his pocket watch and put it away, chuckling. "By the way, I just love your disguise, Basil," he said, before angrily ripping his false mustache clean off and Basil winced.

"Really, one would hardly recognize you," Ratigan said mockingly. "The greatest detective in all mousedom!"

This made Sora's group turn their glares to the evil villian, while Basil couldn't take it anymore and shouted, enraged, "Ratigan, so help me...I'LL SEE YOU BEHIND BARS YET!"

"You fool! Isn't it clear to you?" Ratigan yelled, also enraged. He then declared evilly, "The superior mind has triumphed! I've _won!_ " and began to laugh and soon all of his minions joined him.

Basil tried to steel himself against the jeering and pointing, but after a few moments, he slumped, defeated and broken-hearted, and hanged his head as the cruel laughter continued, while Sora's group glared at all of the villians, but knew that there wasn't a thing they could do and Dawson looked on at the detective worriedly.

* * *

A short time later, Sora's group were all tied up to the wooden pillar, as the rest of the thugs, having tied Basil and Dawson to a mousetrap, were setting up the deadly trap which was all over the place surrounding the two trapped mice. Ratigan in the meantime was smiling evilly at the worldly travellers.

"You and your friends were far too easy to capture. It's hard to believe that Maleficent was afraid of you." Ratigan said to Sora who glared back.

"The only reason you caught us was because of your trap!" Sora snapped. "We could easily beat you in a real fight!"

"You wouldn't even stand a chance, Ratigan!" Kairi added, also glaring at the evil rodent.

Ratigan was unfazed, "Oh, but I will, and once Basil and his tubby partner are dealt with, after I return, you will all be next." before turning and turned his attention back to the other two prisoners, while the worldly travellers struggled against the bind of the ropes.

"How're we gonna get outta this?" Goofy whispered, worriedly.

"We'll figure something out." Riku told him.

As Ratigan approached the other two, Dawson flinched when the trap vibrated and the depressed Basil just stared upright. The evil rat then said sinisterly, "You don't know what a delightful dilemma it was, trying to decide on the most appropriate method for your demise. Oh, I had so many ingenious ideas I didn't know which to choose. So I decided to use them all."

The worldly travellers, Dawson and even Pete looked up to see the human-sized revolver, crossbow, and axe all aimed directly at the mousetrap, and a massive anvil hanging directly above it, as Ratigan inquired evilly, "Marvelous, isn't it?"

"All for one guy?" Myde asked, shocked.

"Uh, I hate to agree with Mullet-head, but isn't that a bit too much?" Pete asked. Even he was shocked at the trap, which, in his and the worldly travellers' opinion, was an over-kill.

Ratigan glared at Pete and questioning dangerously, "Are you suddenly on their side now?" which made Pete gulp nervously and quickly shook his head in negative. "I thought not."

"Never seen Pete that terrified of another bad guy before." Lea muttered to his friends, a bit surprised and wondered if Ratigan really was that dangerous. Well, considering that there was a giant cat involved, he ventured a guess that should anyone really anger Ratigan and given the trap, he really was very dangerous.

"Oh, I have." Mickey admitted.

"Anyway, let me show you how it works. Picture this." Ratigan continued, and he gestured to a nearby record player, where Fidget stood, and where a cord was tied, leading to a cork that was propping up a wine glass with a metal ball inside, complete with a slide constructed of wood and pipes leading from below the ball to the mousetrap's trigger mechanism.

"First, a sprightly little tune I've recorded especially for you, Basil. As the song plays, the cord tightens, and when the song ends, the metal ball is released, rolling down its merry way until..." Ratigan explained, before he gesturing at each trap in order while demostrating, " _Snap! Boom! Twang! Thunk!_ "

He then concluded as he spread his arms dramatically, " _ **SPLAT!**_ " which made Dawson and the worldly travellers flinch at that. Ratigan then tipped his had in mocking farewell, "And so ends the short, undistinguished career of Basil of Baker Street."

"You monster!" Kairi shouted, angrily.

"Watch your tongue, girl!" Ratigan growled dangerously, before clearly his throat and calmed down once again as Fidget, dressed in a guard's uniform, hopped over. "Is everything ready?"

"All set, boss." Fidget saluted.

Ratigan smiled, as several more of his minions who were all dressed in the guard uniforms, pushed over a large white box with a pink ribbon. Ratigan peeked inside and chuckled evilly before they moved the package as Ratigan went over to Hiram, bound and gagged, standing by Olivia's bottle which the said girl was back inside the bottle, safe and sound.

"Mr. Flaversham, let me congratulate you on a _superb_ piece of craftsmanship. See what you can do with the proper motivation?" Ratigan said to Hiram, pinching his cheek while cackling, and then told the other disguised thugs who climbed onto Felicia's back, "You all know the plan."

"Right, Professor." The thugs saluted, before Felicia trottled off.

With that done, Ratigan turned his attention back to Basil and said, "It _was_ my fond hope to stay and witness your final scene, but you were fifteen minutes late. And I do have an important engagement at... _Buckingham Palace_."

While Dawson and most of the worldly travellers didn't understand what Ratigan was talking about, colour drained from the faces of Mickey, Skuld and Isa who stared in horror as they somehow figured out what Ratigan's intentions were.

"Now, you will remember to smile for the camera, won't you?" Ratigan continued while pointing at the camera which was set up, ready to shoot.

"That's disgusting!" Lea yelled, furiously, and his companions and Dawson all glared angrily at Ratigan who smirked.

"Sorry, Fire-boy. You, your meddling companions and chubby should've chosen your friends more carefully." Ratigan shrugged as he went over to the record player.

Pete glanced at the worldly travellers and said, "Sayonaree, pipsqueaks! Can't say it's been nice knowin' ya's, 'cause it ain't had been."

"Don't underestimate us, Pete. We'll get ourselves out. Just you wait!" Terra grunted as he and his friends all glared back.

"Whatever youse say, chump." Pete shrugged, as Ratigan turned on the record player. Then Fidget came out, flying a dirigible, to which the mysterious package was attached by a rope. A rope ladder came down, and Ratigan, and Pete both climbed on.

While Pete gave the heroes a raspberry, Ratigan mockingly and evilly called down to Basil, "Adieu, Allvedarzane, Arebadeuchi, farewell!" before adding with his sickening humor, "Bye-bye, Basil."

With that, the dirigible flew into the chiminy before flying off into the night sky and towards Buckingham Palace.

After a few moments alone, Mickey struggled against the ropes while saying, "We gotta do somethin', or the entire world'll fall into darkness if Ratigan takes over!"

"Wait, what?" Ven asked, quickly alarmed.

"Think about it, guys. What does a Palalace usually hold?" Isa pointed out.

This made the rest of the travellers' eyes widened in sudden horror and realization and finally the final piece of the puzzle was put into place.

"You don't mean...!" Aqua cried out, horrified.

"Ratigan is going to kill this land's ruler." Skuld grimly confirmed.

Basil, having overheard, moaned in despair as he added, "Indeed. The Queen is in danger, and the empire is doomed."

"The Queen!?" Dawson exclaimed, horrified as he also realized what is going to happen.

* * *

Outside the walls of Buckingham Palace with colourful ribbons and banners, many excited mice people were gathering inside for the Queen's announcement through a rose archway.

The Queen herself in the meantime was in her royal bedroom preparing for the celebration, humming to herself as she fixed up her blonde hair with a pink veil underneath her crown. She wore her royal robes and pink dress and was sastified, unaware that her royal guards, who were standing guard outside of her doors, were knocked out by the thugs who took their place.

Once that was done, they knocked on the door which distracted the Queen who was slightly startled and caused her crown to slide in front of her eyes. After readjusting it back into it's original position, she turned to the door and said, "Come in."

"Uh, begging your Majesty's pardon?" One of the thugs, dressed up as a guard, opened the door as he greeted before opening the door fully as the other disguised thugs pushed in the box, while he added, "A present has just arrived in honor of your jubilee."

"A present?" The Queen asked, feeling honored and wondering who was generous enough to present her a gift. "Oh, how wonderful! Oh, I just adore jubilees." She said as she approached.

The disgusted Fidget, though the Queen was puzzled at his appearence, handed her the attached note, before she opened it and read it aloud, " _"To our beloved Queen, this gift we send as her 60 year reign..._ " before becoming confused as she finished the last lines, " _...Comes to an end"_?"

Fidget and the thugs pulled the ribbons and sides of the box down to reveal what Ratigan had forced Hiram to make: an exact robotic replica of the Queen. She gasped, and studied it closely, muttering, "How interesting."

To her shock, the robot suddenly came to life and then began to chase the real Queen all over the room, as she cried out in alarm, "Goodness gracious!"

As she hid behind the thugs, the robot Queen then stopped as the door opened again, revealing Ratigan as he grinned evilly, with a guilt-ridden Hiram at controls.

"Amazing likeness, isn't it, Your Majesty?" Ratigan asked, and the Queen suddenly glared at him, knowing who he was as she heard many crimes this villian had made.

"Professor Ratigan!" The Queen snarled, before she commanded the 'guards', "Guards, sieze him!"

But Fidget and the thugs just stood there, smirking. Ratigan then took hold of a speaker and ordered, repeating the Queen's order and the robotic mimicked him, "Guards, sieze her!" and cackled evilly, while the thugs then took hold of the Queen and held her arms tightly.

"How dare you!" The Queen yelled.

Putting down the speaker, Ratigan ordered his thugs, "Take her away!" and ringed his bell to signal for Felicia to serve the real Queen as the cat's latest meal.

"Let go of me, you ruffians!" The Queen shouted as she was dragged away while Fidget followed. "Traitors!"

It seemed the empire was doomed.

* * *

Back at Ratigan's hide out, Sora's group and Olivia all continued to try and escape, but so far, they had no luck and to make things worse, the song was nearing it's end.

"Basil? Basil!" Dawson cried out.

"Oh, how could I have been so blind?" Basil moaned miserbly.

Mickey sighed, "Aw, c'mon, Basil. Everybody makes mistakes."

But the detective ignored the king, continuing, "Ratigan's proved he's more clever than I. He never would have walked into such an obvious trap."

"Get a grip, Basil! We can still stop him!" Sora told him encouragingly.

"Yeah! You can still stop Ratbeacon, um, Ratbargain, uh, Ratty..." Goofy failed in pronoucing a name, as usual. Much to Donald's annoyance.

Just then everyone noticed that the needle on the record got stuck in one place and stopped moving, repeating the same two words over and over again, much to everyone else's relief.

"The record's stuck." Xion said, feeling a bit of relief.

But that didn't lighten Basil's mood as he continued, "It's finally happened! I've been outwitted!" and ignored everyone else trying to get his attention, "Beaten! Duped! Made a fool of! So ridiculed and belittled!"

Finally, Dawson lost his temper and shouted, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Unfortunately, his outburst caused the needle to swing back into place and was even closer to the end than ever, causing Dawson and the worldly travellers to wince before the latter group groaned in dismay.

"Way to go, doctor." Lea praised sarcastically.

"Basil, come on!" Ven told the detective, "The Queen's in danger and Olivia's counting on us!"

Dawson nodded in agreement and continued, angrily, "He's right! We're about to be horribly splattered, and all you can do is lie there feeling sorry for yourself. I know you can save us, but if you've given up, then why don't we just set the trap off now and be done with it!?"

Basil looked at him pathetically before looking upward again and laughed weakly, "Set it off now." but then his eyes widened as something inside his head began setting the clockwork inside his head, repeating what he just said, "Set it... off... now?"

To everyone else's confusion and then worry, Basil's face turned manical and seemingly insane while he smiled mischievously, as he laughed, "Yes, ha-ha-ha, yes, we'll set the trap off NOW!"

"...He's lost it." Myde muttered, terrified.

"And I thought Jack was crazy when he comes up with ideas." Sora muttered, worriedly.

Then to almost everyone else's horror, the music stopped as the needle then pulled the string and releasing the marble from it's holding spot. Donald screamed in horror.

Basil, seemingly back to his original self, calculated as he looked around the devices while muttering to himself, "Angle of the trajectory, multiplied by the square root of an isosceles triangle...dividing Guttermeg's principle of opposing forces in motion...and adjusting for the difference in equilibrium..." while the ball got closer and closer.

"Dawson!" Basil turned to the panicking doctor firmly, "At the _exact_ moment I tell you, we must release the triggering mechanism."

"What!? Are you crazy!?" Lea shouted, eyes widening. "You'll just get killed sooner!"

Basil didn't reply as he told the trembling Dawson who had his eyes shut tightly, "Get ready Dawson, steady..." while the former watched the ball carefully, while the hearts of Dawson and the worldly travellers raced and Olivia tried again to push the cork out from the bottle.

"I can't watch!" Skuld muttered in horror, squeezing her eyes shut. Neither could Kairi, Xion or Aqua as they did the same.

"Now!" Basil signaled.

"DAAAH!" Dawson screamed as he and Basil pulled the trigger. The lever was struck and just in time stopped the ball from hitting them, making it shake with force. The vibration of the trap loosened one of the pegs, which ricocheted towards the gun, knocking it upwards. The gun fired, hitting the crossbow, which, instead of hitting Basil and Dawson, fired at the axe, slicing off the top of the axe and then cutting through the mousetrap and sending Basil and Dawson out of harm's way and cutting through the worldly travellers' bind, though Myde shrieked as the axe nearly sliced him in half, and nearly passed out when it was an inch too close his taste, and freed him and everyone else who stepped away from the piller while the anvil fell, narrowly missing Basil and Dawson.

The force of the anvil hitting the ground rattled Olivia's bottle, popping the cork and sending Olivia flying out. Sora quickly caught the little girl in his arms while Basil removed his disguise and back into his detective clothes.

"Thank you, Dawson." Basil said to the panting and very shaken doctor while the worldly travellers and Olivia approached the two. The detective then pulled everyone together in front of the camera, saying with a big smile, "Smile, everyone!"

At that very moment, the camera went off and it took the picture of Basil's smile and everyone else's bewildered expressions.

" _...That...was really disturbing._ " Vanitas admitted, and if Sora didn't know any better, he could just picture the dark embodiment having the exact same freaked out expression as the Keyblade wielder held, and despite attemping to ignore him, for once Sora had to agree.

"Well..." Isa began, blinking and not certain what to say. "I didn't see that coming."

"Neither did I." Aqua muttered.

"Thank you for catching me, Sora." Olivia said happily to the teen, hugging him.

Sora smiled, "Happy to help."

"Come along, everyone! Not a moment to lose!" Basil quickly told the group.

"Hold up." Lea spoke up, and when Basil sighed while gesturing him to speak. "Can we take off these costumes first?" The redhead asked while gesturing at the outfits.

Not long after the worldly travellers removed their disguises and returned to their travelling clothes, they, Basil, Dawson and Olivia hurried towards the Palace, hoping that they were not too late to stop Ratigan and save the Queen.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter will be the last of Mousedom, and possibly the beginning of the next world, which will be unlike the rest and I think it'll be the last Disney world of this story. Hard to say.**

 **Until then, see you soon!**


	48. CH47: Ratigan's Demise

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I do try my best. Anyway, here's the conclusion of Mousedom, yet the story continues, but I think we're nearing the end. Again, I'm not sure about that yet. Guess we'll find out soon enough.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH47: Ratigan's Demise.**_

Meanwhile, in the grand hall back at the palace, Ratigan's disguised thugs began to play the trumpets as the ceremony was about to begin. Many mice in the crowd waited with excited eyes as, unaware of them, the robotic Queen made her entrance as they foolishly believed it was the real one just as the curtains opened and they all clapped. As soon as she stood to a stop, the clapping ceased.

"On this momentous occasion, we are gathered here not only to commemorate my 60 years as Queen, but to honor one of truly noble stature!" The robot spoke, which, behind the curtains as a two other Thugs and Pete were standing around, Hiram was forced to read the notecards as he spoke into the speaker.

"I present to you a statesman among mice, a gifted leader, a crusader for justice freedom..."

* * *

While this was going on, the real Queen, having been tied up and gagged, was being carried by Fidget who was, with slight difficulty even with two Heartless helping, taking her towards a lone balcony in an empty hallway while the Queen struggled to free herself.

"Here, Kitty, kitty! Time for mouse chow!" Fidget called out, and when the Queen did her best to look to see what the bat was talking about and to her complete horror, Felicia was seen jumping up and down excitedly with her mouth wide open, eager for the taste of a royal mouse to fill her giant belly that was coming her way.

* * *

"...A majestic mountain of humility, and my new Royal Consort... Professor Ratigan!" The robot Queen announced while gesturing at the green curtains.

On cue, Ratigan burst out onto the balcony, dressed in a crown and purple robes decorated with medals, with a sinister grin on his face. The crowd backed away, horrified and disbelief. One boy in particular blew a raspberry at him, his alarmed mother almost instantly covering his mouth.

"Thank you, your majesty," Ratigan bowed happily to the Robot, before he reached into his robes and said to the crowd as he began, "And now, as your new Royal Consort, I have a few...slight suggestions."

As he unrolled it, apparently the few slight suggestions meant it was a shockingly long list as it rolled down the aisle of the Grand Hall and well past the curtain, where one of his men had opened it for him.

After clearing his throat, Ratigan began reading the long scroll, "Item one..."

* * *

Meanwhile in the dark streets above the sewers, Sora, his group, Basil, Dawson and Olivia exited out of Ratigan's lair to the waterfront, now back in their normal clothes. Basil whistled, which signaled Toby who came from around the corner and happily gave a happy Olivia a kiss.

"The game's afoot, Toby! Our Queen is in mortal danger!" Basil told his loyal hound who's expressed turned from happy to shock as the dog absorbed the words.

Knowing what needs to be done, Toby growled while leaning down and made his ear into a makeshift steps which had Basil and everyone else climb up onto his back as they readied themselves for another ride.

"To Buckingham Palace!" Basil shouted, and Toby took off with his passengers.

* * *

As Toby rushed towards the Palace while Sora's group took out many Heartless that attempted to knock them and three of their new friends off or hurt the dog, they eventually arrived at the place where Toby held his nose to a ledge, where Basil and everyone else rushed into a mouse hole and down the hallway. Their eyes widened in horror when they saw Fidget and the two Heartless carrying the Queen towards Felicia who was ready to eat the doomed female mouse up.

"Open wide!" Fidget told the Cat who did that and the Queen could only stare in utter terror at the jaws of death. "Ha ha ha! Bye-bye!"

"Not you don't!" Lea shouted as he and Isa quickly took out the two Heartless while Riku and Basil grabbed the Queen just in time as the Heartless and Fidget were about to toss her into Felicia's mouth. This caused the bat though to lose his balance and nearly fell into the mouth himself, but he saved himself when he grabbed the railing and winced as the cat came close in gobbling him up for the second time in less than 24 hours.

"Down, kitty! Down!" Fidget shouted, just as Mickey whistled out and at the King's signal, Toby's barking was heard and everyone looked up to see the dog running up towards Felicia who, seeing the dog as dogs are a cat's worst nightmare, screeched in horror before she took off running for her life, with Toby hot on her tail.

"Atta boy, Toby!" Mickey called out to the dog, while Riku, Sora and Basil untied the Queen.

"Serves that cat right." Myde smirked.

"All right, you." Lea turned to Fidget and grabbed him by the back of the shirt before he held him up and glared into the now terrified lacky's eyes. "Where's Olivia's father?" He demanded, darkly. He then grinned as he added while holding one of his Chakrams up to the bat's throat, "If you answer, I'll spare you."

Fidget gulped, knowing that he had no chance of escaping.

* * *

Back in the audience chamber, Ratigan was still reading the lists which everyone in the crowd didn't like at all. "Item 96: A heavy tax shall be levied against all parasites and spongers, such as the elderly, the infirm, and _especially_ little children." He continued, and those who heard this were horrified and dismayed.

When he said the last part, he sneered at the little boy from before, who glared at him defiantly before his mother carried him off.

"That's ridiculous! You're insane!" A cripped and injured old man with a broken leg objected angrily as he approached Ratigan with a crutch.

"Perhaps I haven't made myself clear." Ratigan said while glaring at the old man, before snatching the latter's crutch and causing him to fall over, much to the rest of the crowd's horror. The villian then snapped the crutch in half easily as he declared, " _I_ have the power!"

"Of course you do." The robot Queen nodded.

 _"I_ am _supreme!_ "

"Only you."

"THIS IS MY KINGDOM!" Ratigan concluded as he laughed maniacally while everyone in the crowd looked on in horror and terror. He then cleared his throat and calmed down, adding to the Robot Queen, "That is, of course, with your Highness's permission."

A pause as the Robot didn't reply. Thinking that it was a slight failure, Ratigan gave it a gentle slap which caused it to activate again, saying, "Most assuredly..."

But to his shock, the Robot turned to glare at him as she continued, angrily, "You insidious fiend!"

"What?" Ratigan asked, taken aback.

"You're not my royal consort!" The Robot declared which confused the crowd, before Ratigan covered it's mouth.

"What a sense of humor." Ratigan said, sheepishly, only for the Robot to free herself.

"You're a cheap fraud and impostor!" She continued, and was held back again.

" _Flaversham!_ " Ratigan hissed aside before grinning sheepishly at the crowd again.

Unaware to Ratigan behind the curtains, Basil was now at the controls as he spoke into the speaker while letting out all of his rage and thoughts about what Ratigan really was. As the detective was doing so, the worldly travellers all smirked as they watched the show after having taken out the Heartless, knocked out Pete who was seeing stars after being knocked out by Donald and Goofy and, along with the two other Thugs, was tied up and gagged.

Hiram and Olivia in the meantime were happily reunited once again, as Dawson stood by glaring at Fidget who was also gagged, and while Lea had his foot on the bat's head to hold him in place, the real Queen was tightening the ropes so hard that she was squeezing the evil bat while taking out all of her frustration and anger out on him.

"A corrupt, vicious, demented, lowlife scoundrel! There's no evil scheme you wouldn't concoct." Basil continued through the speaker, and he then thrusted the controls so hard and madly that outside of the small room, the robot began to go all haywire.

The Robot's neck sprung up and it's head quickly reached Ratigan's face before biting him hard on the nose. This caused him to push the head down and forcing it to let go, but then it's arms sprung out and punched him in the stomach. Seeing this chaotic mess, he tried to hide it behind himself while smiling at the crowd. Unfortunately, having seen all this, everyone now glared at him angrily as they realised it was all a ruse to take over and had used a fake Queen into his evil scheme.

"No depravity you wouldn't commit!" The Robot continued while she walked out from his robes, but Ratigan pulled her back in again. He had no luck as the Robot then sprung her legs upwards, taking him along for the ride and both then fell down painfully on the floor in a pile.

"You, Professor..." Basil grunted angrily as he decided to end this while beating the levers into pieces.

This chain reaction caused the Robot Queen to completely lose it as she starts flailing and falling apart until little remains but a pile of scrap metal and a pair of eyes and a set of teeth on a spring on a springy neck while she continued "...are none other than a foul stenchus rodentus, commonly known as a-!"

By then, Ratigan lost his nerve before he grabbed the neck of the destroyed robot to strangle it, yelling furiously, " _DON'T SAY IT!_ "

" _ **SEWER RAT!**_ " Basil and Sora both concluded together as the former pointed at the villian, while Sora held out his Keyblade in hand after the two of them, and the rest of the worldly travellers emerged from behind the curtain, glaring at Ratigan.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"Ratigan screamed in fury as though he was stabbed in the back, before he turned and saw, to his shock and horror that Basil and the worldly travellers were there, still alive and having escaped.

"Game's over, Ratigan! You lose!" Mickey shouted, holding a tight grip on his Keyblade.

Ratigan growled, before snapping his fingers and to the crowd's shock and horror, Heartless began to appear, which forced the worldly travellers, Basil, Hiram and Dawson to quickly handle the situation while Sora's group fought the Heartless and the Thugs, some of them protecting the crowd while Basil and Dawson chased after the criminal who threw away his royal garments, furious that yet another plan had been ruined.

Olivia watched on from behind the curtain quietly as everything was crazy outside, unaware that Pete regained consciousness and both he and Fidget then managed to free themselves from their binds and slowly advanced on the girl...

* * *

Outside, Felicia was still fleeing for her life from Toby who wanted nothing more than tear her ito shreds. She darted through bushes and flower beds before scrambling up a wall, where Toby was unable to do more than jump up halfway and bark at her angrily. Felicia snickered mockingly at the hound, lifting her tail and making a show of jumping down the other side.

Unfortunately for her seconds later, Felicia let out another terrified screech while her bow and fur were seen flying into the air while Toby heard more dogs barking and growling along with the cat's pained moan due to her stupidly jumping into the royal dog's kennel and thus had doomed herself to death.

Around the corner unknowingly to Toby and everyone else, the Master of Masters, also only the size of a mouse, had been watching the entire thing and when he saw what happened, he had trouble trying not to laugh hysterically as he snickered in amusement.

"Not the brightest cat in the worlds." He snickered to himself, and while he had a liking to animals, Felicia was an exception.

* * *

Back in the Palace, everything was going all haywire as the fight continued on while the numbers of the Heartless and the Thugs decreased while Ratigan shoved off his captives after being pinned to the ground. He then heard a whistle and looked up at a balcony and saw both Fidget and Pete who were holding a terrified Olivia captive.

"The girl! The girl!" Fidget called out to Ratigan.

Sora's group, Basil, Hiram and Dawson also heard this and looked up in horror while Ratigan purposely stomped onto innocent citizens before he grabbed a rope to swing himself up to the balcony. All eighteen of them hurried to catch up but froze when Ratigan held Olivia over the edge.

"Stay where you are! Or the girl dies!" The criminal snarled before he took off and disappeared through the purple curtains.

"No! Olivia!" Kairi cried out, horrified.

"Hurry!" Basil shouted, leading Sora and the others, along with Dawson and Hiram, outside through the blue curtains, only to arrive too late as Ratigan's dirigible was flying away.

"Hey, get back here!" Donald yelled up.

Basil then looked at the flagpole and balloons and quickly had another idea. He then climbed up the flagpole while calling to the rest of the group, "Sora! Everyone! Gather those balloons!"

Realising what he had in mind, the worldly travellers, Dawson and Hiram quickly hurried to gather the large number of the colourful balloons while Basil pulled hard on the rope and the flag began to fall.

* * *

The sky was dark as another storm was coming in, sailing through this as the world was slowly descending into darknes, Ratigan stood steering the dirigible while looking into the distance angrily over his failure. Fidget was peddling the said vessel while panting for having to do all this, and Pete stood over Olivia who was glaring angrily at Ratigan.

"Just you wait! Basil and Sora are smarter than you! They're going to put you in jail." Olivia told him angrily before she moved past the now worried Pete and began to tug hard onto Ratigan's tail, continuing her insults and tired of being the captive. "They're not afraid of a big, old, ugly, rat like youǃ"

Finally having enough of the little girl's insults which angered him even more as darkness began to form around him, Ratigan turned hatefully at Olivia before easily pulling his tail away while saying, ending in a shout, "Would you _kindly_ sit down and _**SHUT UP!**_ "

The sheer force of his blood scream sent Olivia flying and colliding into the back of the dirigible, knocking over a stool and dazed while Pete flinched and slumped onto the floor with his hands over his head, quivering in fear. Just as Ratigan turned around to stare ahead of him again, to his, Fidget and Pete's shock and Olivia's relief, a huge flag appeared blocking them, having been turned into a makeshift hot-air balloon by Basil, the worldly travellers, Dawson and Hiram, who all held the balloons and the ropes of the flag while glaring at the villians while standing on a match box used as a platform that was tied up to the flag.

"Why do they always come outta nowhere?" Pete muttered in disbelief.

"Let Olivia go!" Xion shouted to Ratigan who only sneered and then turned the dirigible into the opposite direction while Fidget peddeled faster and sped away.

"Let her go, chaps!" Basil commanded.

"Got it!" Riku nodded as he, Dawson, Hiram and Terra released the air from an opened blue balloon, while everyone else held on tight as the released air sent their ride speeding forward and chased after the dirigible all over the sky and passing many buildings and statues. They even began to fly after the Tower Bridge, though Dawson, Myde, Donald and Goofy panicked before shutting their eye and ducked, fearing they would crash. To their shock and relief, they zoomed through it safely.

In the meantime, Fidget, who'd been peddling faster and faster, finally reached his limit and panted and wheezed as he was out of energy and caused the dirigible to slow to a stop, which Ratigan and Pete noticed.

The bat then climbed onto the floor and anxiously gestured to the olivious Olivia, saying to Ratigan, "We have to...lighten the load!" while the said girl was looking back in hopes of locating her father and friends.

"Ooh...You want to lighten the load?" Ratigan said mockingly as he caught on what his lacky said, and while Fidget was laughing evilly at Olivia, to his shock, his boss grabbed him by the ear as he said angrily, "Excellent idea!"

Pete watched in horror as Ratigan tossed Fidget overboard while the now doomed bat cried out in distress as he only had one fixed wing and hovered helplessly, "No, not me! The girl! I can't fly! I can't fly!" before he fell screaming as gravity took it's toll and he landed into the river to his death.

As he looked down having watched Fidget die before his eyes, Pete nervously turned to Ratigan who cracked his knuckles with an evil, terrifying smile as though he was about to throw him off as well. The fat cat gulped in horror at this.

"Uhhhhh, I think I'll let myself off...!" Pete squeaked trembling before he jumped off himself and just as he was halfway to the water, Pete quickly snapped his fingers and grabbed hold of the legs of the large Bat-like Heartless and he guided it to fly to safety.

"He's just as bad as Maleficent!" He said to himself, relieved to finally be away from the deranged rat. Plus, Ratigan was no help in locating the Book or the Box either, which, as Pete knew, Maleficent would not be pleased with.

With both Pete and Fidget gone, Ratigan went over to the propeller and with his enourmous strength he peddeled much faster than Fidget ever did. But they then, Basil's group had already caught up with him and Olivia and were almost close enough to stop the criminal.

"Steady!" Basil muttered, as he and Sora both prepared to jump. They did so and grabbed onto the tail of the dirigible, swinging forwards. They just barely missed Ratigan, and both Sora and Basil glared at Ratigan who glared at them until they all heard a terrified scream come from Olivia.

The three of them looked forward to see what frightened the girl and their eyes widened in horror as they were all heading straight towards the Big Ben, and Ratigan screamed in alarm, while Sora muttered, "Uh oh!" and shut his eyes, bracing himself.

Soon the dirigible crashed right into the yellow glass of the clock while making a cracked hole. High above all of this on their makeshift balloon that rocked slowly back and forth, the rest of the worldly travellers, Dawson and Hiram looked on in shock and horror as Kairi let out a shuddered horrified gasp, whispering, "No..."

All that remained dangling from the cracked glass was the wreckage of the dirigible.

* * *

Sora's head throbbed uncomfortably as he regained consciousness. He rubbed his head and sat up to the sound of loud tick tocking all around him, and Basil did the same. The disorientation wearing off, the two stood up and looked around in wide eyes as they realised they were inside the clock itself.

Unaware to both of them, Ratigan was creeping up silently towards them with a raised fist to knock them both down, with Olivia trapped in his arm as he had clamped a hand over her mouth. But she managed to pull the hand down and cried out to the detective and Keybearer.

"Basil! Sora! Look out!" Olivia screamed, and both Basil and Sora turned just in time for Ratigan to knock them all back with a single continuous backhand. They rolled, but managed to catch hold of the end of the rotating gear. Sora quickly pulled himself back up and then turned to pull Basil up with an offered hand. Ratigan was about to attack them angrily when Olivia, wanting to try and help her friends, bit hard onto his hand and caused him to scream.

This gave Basil the opportunity to pull himself up and grab the professor's cape, tangling it between two gears. Ratigan gagged and was forced to drop Olivia in order to hold onto his cape and keep from getting strangled while Sora grabbed the girl and rolled away to avoid the evil villian's kick.

"Let's get outta here!" Sora told both Basil and Olivia who nodded in agreement while the latter smiled at Sora in gratitude. Sora gave her a smile in return while Basil jumped from the gear and onto a lever, which was lifting up a chain before he and Sora grabbed onto it, with the teenager holding Olivia in one arm as the trio descended upward to the top of the tower.

Still choaking while trapped by his cape, Ratigan looked up at the trio hatefully and was furious as he saw them making their escape. It was all their fault! Their fault that his dreams and plans were all ruined, and that he lost everything! All these enraged thoughts with such anger that he kept back for years, and now it was finally breaking free as the inner beast began to take over, his body becoming covered in darkness as he glared at Basil, Sora and Olivia with blood red eyes as he teared his cape, his nails sharpening and tearing his gloves into shreds before giving chase.

Sora, Basil and Olivia stopped at an opening at the top of the tower, trapped as the storm raged on this time. The trio looked around desperatedly for the others to escape until they heard Riku's voice above them, "Sora! Basil! Olivia! Up here!"

The trio looked up to see Riku and the others approach in their makeshift balloon. Sora and Basil both held up Olivia, stretching to get her onboard first, while Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Ven held onto Hiram who leaned forward to grab his daughter.

"Closer, fellas!" Mickey instructed the others who nodded and tried to steer their ride closer to the trio on the clock.

"Daddy! I can't reach!" Olivia cried.

Then Roxas saw something coming up behind Sora and Basil and cried out, "Look out!" but it was too late as Ratigan, having caught up to them, barreled forward and knocked both Sora and Basil downward. Olivia was tossed into the air, but Hiram managed to catch her and pull her into an embrace.

Sora and Basil slid down the tower, Ratigan having a tight grip on both of them. The Keyblade wielder then grunted as he elbowed the villian right into the stomach, causing Ratigan to let go but all three of them continued to all and seperated. Sora and Basil landed on top of the hour hand and the former caught the latter before he'd end up falling to his death. Hearing the angry snarl, the two turned and their eyes widened to see that Ratigan was almost unrecongisable. His clothes were torn and ragged, a feral look was in his eyes, and a dark aura surrounded him. The evil mastermind was gone; in his place was a terrifying, dangerous monster.

"There's no escape this time, Basil!" Ratigan snarled, adding as he glared at Sora, "And you will join him!"

"I don't think so!" Sora snapped as he summoned his Keyblade, while Basil, noticing a broken piece of the dirigible next to him, grabbed it and held onto it as his own weapon.

Ratigan let out a howl of rage before lifting his hand and spreading his fingers wide, four black, razor-sharp claws popping out and glowing with darkness. He swiped at Sora and Basil, creating four dark energy blades that the duo barely managed to dodge. Sora quickly went on the offensive and charged forward, swinging his Keyblade with all his might and striking Ratigan five times. The evil professor dodged Sora's next swing and attempted to claw him, but Sora blocked it and then dodge-rolled away but knew he had to be careful and avoid in falling off.

As Ratigan had his attention on Sora, Basil whacked the evil mastermind on the back of the head and distracted him enough to turn before Ratigan clawed him, shredding the detective's clothes as Basil yelled in pain as the claws digged into his skin before he was knocked over. Sora came to the rescue as he fired Firaga at Ratigan who screamed when he was burnt by the flames before the Keyblade wielder thrusted his weapon at him several times before leaping back and avoided the rat's claws of darkness once more.

The teenager then used his Motionflow and glowed blue while leaping up onto the glass before descending down towards Ratigan who dodged this attack, but Sora saw this coming, as he then sped towards him and sprund around and around Ratigan who was trapped in the circle before Sora, using this power, thrusted Ratigan over where he hit the end of the hour hand and collided against the metal, yelling in pain and causing his anger to increase. Basil tossed the piece of the dirigble at Ratigan's chest which gave him a deep wound that began bleeding, but that again only increased his anger.

To their shock and horror, Ratigan sped forward with the power of Darkness and before Sora and Basil could do anything, the villian slashed at them again, hitting his mark; Ratigan's claws caught both of them across the chest, tearing through their shirts and leaving three bloody slashes in the skin beneath. Sora and Basil both grunted in pain before Ratigan tossed them aside as they nearly fell off the tip of the hand. Hissing in pain, Sora quickly used Curaga to heal himself and Basil, which also healed their clothes for a strange reason and then the Keyblade wielder used Barrier to block Ratigan's final strike, causing him to reel back and stumble backwards in surprise.

This gave Sora and Basil a chance to move away from the hand and the former chanted Blizzaga to freeze Ratigan briefly in place before he and Basil used both Keyblade and the broken dirgible piece to knock Ratigan even further back, but with the power of darkness, the mastermind broke free from the ice and smacked them with the wipe of his tail and they nearly fell off the hour hand. Sora quickly used Grativia to bring himself and his friend to safety and then tossed his Keyblade at Ratigan, hitting him twice while the evil rat yelled in agony before he roared in fury and charged at the two again.

This time Sora used the Stopza spell he learned from Mickey and Aqua, and then he and Basil moved out of the way before, with a determined nod, and Basil, cheekily, reached into the frozen Ratigan's pocket and took out the small bell before he and Sora moved behind him and with a single ring, the clock struck 10:00. Big Ben sounded off, and the vibrations of the bell which wore off the Stopza Spell and Ratigan realised too late, combined with realising that both Sora and Basil were now suddenly behind him, felt disorientated by the loud sound. This gave Sora the chance to toss his Keyblade at Ratigan one last time and hit him on the back, causing the villian to stumble and then fall off the edge.

Screaming, Ratigan tried to save himself by grabbing onto the ropes of the ruined dirigible, but he was too heavy and instead he broke it even more losing his grip and continued to fall screaming before he vanished into the mist below to his doom.

Having watched Ratigan fall, both Sora and Basil panted and shared a look before they heard Lea call out, "Hey! Up here!" and the two looked up to see their friends who all looked relieved, cheering on happily and both Sora and Basil waved at them before they were picked up by the group and onto the safety of the makeshift hot-air balloon.

By then the storm had passed, and they were all successful; the Queen was safe, the world was safe and the terror regime of Ratigan was finally over. The case had been solved and they had won.

* * *

A little while later, the worldly travellers, Basil, Dawson, Olivia and Hiram all returned to Baker Street in Basil's home, where pieces of newspaper hang on the wall that had pictures of Basil, Dawson and the worldly travellers bowing before the Queen who smiled at them in gratitude for saving her life, with lines that said, " _Queen Honours Detective, Doctor and brave young travellers._ " along with, " _Queen rewards them medals for bravery._ " and " _Time Runs out for Ratigan._ " meaning that Ratigan did not survive the fall.

"I really like the Queen. I can see why everybody else love her." Myde smiled happily.

"To be thanked by the Queen herself. How very thrilling." Dawson said with a smile.

Basil smiled as well, while placing Ratigan's bell onto the shelf as a memento for finally solving the case, replying to Dawson, "All in a day's work, Dawson."

"You were all wonderful!" Olivia said to Dawson and the worldly travellers who smiled at her in return.

"Indeed." Hiram agreed, more than grateful for all of them for having saved his daughter as well as himself and saved Mousedom from Ratigan's evil. He then looked at his pocketwatch and muttered, "Oh my! We'll be late for our train. Come along, Olivia."

"Yes, father." Olivia nodded, happy to have finally have her father back and that they were going home, though she was sad to say goodbye to everyone who helped her make it this far. In a bittersweet moment, she hugged Kairi, Sora, and Basil.

"Goodbye, Kairi, Sora, Basil." Olivia said, sniffling. "I'll never forget you."

"Neither will we." Kairi smiled sadly, then asked Sora, "Right, Sora?"

Sora nodded, "Yeah. You bet we won't forget."

"Nor I you, Miss...Miss Flangerhanger." Basil smiled, surprisingly emotional himself, but as usual got the girl's last name wrong. Though Olivia just shook her head with a smile, deciding that it didn't matter anymore.

"Whatever." Lea chuckled with a shrug and a sad smile of his own, as did everyone else.

"Goodbye, everybody." Olivia waved, while putting her hat on and followed her father out to return home at long last.

The worldly travellers, Dawson and even Basil all smiled emotional, already missing the young girl. Basil then sniffled and said, "Well...Not a bad little girl, actually."

"I'm gonna miss that kid." Lea nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Ratigan's bell began to glow, surprising everyone until the worldly travellers realised what this meant. Sora nodded and summoned his Keyblade before holding it out as the crown shape appearing underneath him as the world's Keyhole appeared via a beam of light shooting out from the bell. Sora then thrusted the Kingdom Key upward and via another beam of light, he locked up the world's keyhole, protecting it from the darkness before things returned to normal.

"Amazing! What was that?" Dawson asked, both he and Basil in awe.

"Everything's safe from the darkness." Aqua replied, "It's time for us to go."

"I have to thank you all." Basil smiled as he shook hands with the travellers one by one. "Because of you, Ratigan is finally gone."

"So what're you going to now?" Isa asked, curiously.

Basil replied, "Simple, my friend. Keep on solving cases as I always do."

"Glad to hear that." Mickey replied happily.

"If you need help, we'll right right there." Sora nodded.

"You're all welcome here anytime." Basil said, "Farewell, my friends."

"Goodbye, chaps and dears." Dawson waved.

The worldly travellers said their goodbyes to Basil and Dawson before leaving Baker Street and once they were in a safe and quiet position, they all teleported back to the gummiship and left the world of Mousedom behind to continue their quest, not yet knowing what more dangers lied ahead of them. What they did know was that they had to continue their search and protect the Realm of Light.

 _ **{MOUSEDOM}**_

* * *

Meanwhile, at the train station in Twilight Town, Ephemer, Lightning and even Shantotto and Snow, along with a young woman with blonde hair, a long white plain dress and shoes, and a trident in her hand were having a private conversation of the situation that was at hand.

"...The Princesses of Heart are being captured, and Chaos has already gathered powerful allies." The blonde-haired woman spoke grimly to her allies. "Yet, there are those who could replace the Princesses, or be caught as well since they have pure hearts filled with light. Either way, it will soon begin."

"And thus the war of gods will start, putting the Realm of Light in danger." Lightning correctedly guessed, with the blonde haired woman nodding to comfirm her suspicions. The pink-haired woman gruffed a sigh in frustration, "This is what Bhunivelze would want. If he wakes up, he'll destroy everyone's hearts and souls and remodel them to become his play things."

"That means history's gonna repeat itself. Thousands of years without having to worry about him, now he's gonna be back with a vengence." Snow said with seriousness of his own.

Lightning nodded as she turned to face her future brother-in-law, "All he wants is for everything and everyone to be just like him; no emotions, no memories of their past, no free will." before admitting, "At least some gods don't think that way as he does."

"Even as Cosmos revivied Strelizia for aid, what would the price she will need to be paid?" Shantotto spoke this time. "Despite that once this is over, her life will be free, Strelizia does not yet know what is to come...or does she?"

"That price would be memories." Ephemer said, staring into the distance as he sat on the steps of the station, deep in thought of everything that's happened. "In order to pretend the tragedy from repeating itself, everyone who survive must forget the events that occured in order not to sink into grief of losing those they cared about."

He then sighed as he stood up and approached the wall railing looking over the lower parts of Twilight Town, staring at the sun set while admitting, "At least, that's what Master Ava told me when she gave me the task to become one of the five leaders of the Dandelions. Sadness leads into anger, and anger leads into darkness. To avoid that and the hurt, they have to be forgotten."

Ephemer gazed low this time, continuing in guilt, "When this is over, our memories have to be erased to avoid this happening again."

"Who told your ' _Master_ ' Ava that crap?" Lightning demanded angrily, startling Ephemer to turn around and realise that the woman looked furious and disgusted as she continued, "Did she really make you believe that forgetting those you lost but were still in your past would stop any war from happening again? That it would be alright and everyone would move forward, not knowing their past or those who died? Like they never even existed?"

"I...it had to be done to forget the hurt." The boy stuttered.

But Lightning shook her head as she disagreed, "No, you're wrong. You made many others forget the past to prevent the Keyblade War and the war of the Gods from happening again and pretend that they never happened. But in reality, it only made things worse and look what happened!? Xehanort still figured it out about the Keyblade War and wanted to search for it by creating one that would destroy the Realm all over again! Even though he's gone, Chaos awoke and now Bhunivelze is on the verge of waking up to repeat what he wanted to do all those years ago!"

As she said this, she stormed up to the now shocked Ephemer, before continuing, "Erasing memories and forgetting the past isn't the answer to prevent something bad from happening again, because if you don't remember, you can easily repeat it without realising it! Forgetting doesn't change the past. It will only destroys the future. Bhunivelze believed that those who did remember their past were prisoners, poisoned by their memories. He wanted to destroy the dead to make those who were still alive forget and start over and if he suceeded, I would've lost my chance of ever seeing Serah again, and it was my fault that she died before being reborn!"

"Lightning..." Ephemer trailled off, not sure what to say.

Lightning turned away, calming down and continued, "We all make mistakes, and we all have regrets. Each of us lost someone important to us, but forgetting them all together isn't right. It's not the right choice. Forgetting your past and how it happened doesn't help. Hurt and sadness is part of life, and if you don't have either, then you obviously don't care about those who were part of your life. That would also be erasing Love. The only way to cope with it as well as remember is not dwell into how the tragedy went, but to remember the good memories and never give up hope."

"I agree with Lightning." The blonde haired woman said, approaching the two. "Sometimes we move on from the sadness but still remember those had loved and lost, and sometimes the grief is too much. But forgetting about them would mean forgetting the feelings we have for them and the lessons that caused them. Those lessons would help us to prevent it from happening again, not forgetting about them."

"Hate to say it, kid, but they're right." Snow approached the three of them, rubbing the back of his neck. "It ain't easy to forgive the sins that you got, but forgetting them doesn't make them disappear or help ya' fix up the mess that happened, even though some of them can't be fixed. But that's part of life; And those who had died wouldn't want to be forgotten or the past to be forgotten and not told to future generations."

Ephemer's heart wrenched as he absorbed what the others were saying. Was it really true? Did forgetting the tragedy really just repeat it even though he, Skuld, Ven, Lauriam and Blaine did their best to stop it? What they did wasn't enough to stop any of this from happening? Well, if Xehanort nearly succeeded in creating a second Keyblade War just to prove how the first one ended and almost claimed the X-Blade, and that now Chaos was awake and Bhunivelze would soon follow, Ephemer realised that yes, the tragedy was about to repeat itself.

Worse, Sora's group had been involved and had gone through the hardships of struggles, seperations and losses before they were finally reunited, but not all losses were brought back, and now they were in more danger than ever, at the risk of losing each other and their lives permamently.

"Then...why would Master Ava tell me what she said?" Ephemer asked, slumping against the wall.

"Either even she did not know this, or perhaps she was part a plan that was amiss." Shantotto replied as she approached the rest of the group. "Given the short meeting with her master, it would have the situation grow worse even faster."

Hearing this made Ephemer gasp before he approached the Tarutaru and asked, urgently, "The Master of Masters? He's here?"

"Last seen in Agrabah, but he left before the defeat of Bizarrah." Shantotto answered, calmly.

"But that's crazy! He disappeared a year before the war and everyone thought he was dead." Ephemer shook his head in disbelief. "I never met him, but I heard a little bit about him."

"Either he was reborn like some of us, was revived like Strelitzia and others, travelled through time into the future, or...was like you and others who slept for a long time or was trapped in the Realm of Darkness, suspended in time." Lightning pointed out. "He's the one who knew about this and yet just let it happen."

Ephemer shook his head, "No. He wanted the war to be prevented. He wanted the light to be protected. There's no way he'd even let that happen! There's no way!"

"And how is it that he did know? Did he have the ability to see the future?" Lightning questioned.

"Lightning..." The blonde haired woman mumured, almost pleadingly.

"I don't think s-" The Keyblade wielder cut himself off, when his eyes widened in slow realization. "Wait a minute...The Book of Prophecies...that told future events, and he...according to Master Ava, he'd writtened it down and gave copies to her and the other masters except for Master Luxu. In the copies Skuld, Ven, Lauriam, Blaine and I had, it said something about a mysterious Black Box that should never be opened. But no one knows where that or Master Luxu went."

Snow caught on of what Ephemer meant and said, "So he did know and now all of those events are in that book?"

"Most of it, I think." Ephemer nodded, now knowing what he had to do. He then walked past the others and began to walk towards the town.

"And just where are you going, young man, without enlightening us of a plan?" Shantotto questioned which made Ephemer pause, but he didn't look at her or the others.

"I'm going to look for the Book. My memories are still hazy, but I think I have an idea where it is." Ephemer explained. "Then I'm going to find the Master of Masters and seek answers out of him. He's the only one who knows about what's going on, and I want to find out, so that we can figure out how to save the Realm of Light."

"By yourself?" Lightning asked, skeptically.

Ephemer sighed, turning to gaze at her and the others. "It's like Lunafreya said. Chaos already gathered allies and the Princesses of Heart are being captured along with other hearts of pure light. We don't have much time left, especially when the war will begin soon. The Master of Masters may be our only answer left to solve all this. I can't put this pressure into Sora and his friends or Skuld and Ven any longer. And I wouldn't want Strelitzia, Mog, Chirithy and Serah to be put into more danger, either. Master Aced is tough, and he's already enough of a problem for them."

"But they can't avoid it." The blonde haired woman, Lunafreya, or Luna for short, shook her head. "The only one who can really put an end to this is Sora. He may not have originally been chosen by the Keyblade, but his heart is the key of setting things right, because of the love and care he has for many others and determination to protect them and stop the darkness, not having any thoughts of his own safety."

"Still, finding him and the book is worth a try. We have to do everything we can to at least delay it for a little while longer." Ephemer said. "I owe...I owe a friend I lost that. I owe it to Skuld and Ven, too. They're all I have left."

He then muttered to Lightning, "You're right. Forgetting isn't the right answer. That just makes the heart empty. When this is over, we're all going to remember what happened, and do our best to make sure it doesn't happen again, by remembering the lessons we learned. It'll hurt, but we'll...have to bear it."

Lightning surprised Ephemer when she pulled him into an embrace, while the others watched on, as it gave Snow memories of their past of Lightning doing the same thing to someone else close to both of them, Luna memories of Noctis and made Shantotto smile.

"It's my fault." Lightning told him, sounding emotional. "I'm time, I'll set things right."

"Lightning..." Ephemer muttered, blinking as she released him.

"That's why I'm going with you, as well as protect everyone else." She continued, before turning to Snow and told him firmly, "Protect Serah and Strelitzia, Snow. You know what I mean, Mr. Hero?"

"Got it." Snow promised firmly.

"I should go with him, as things indeed have become grim." Shantotto volunteered.

"No." Lightning shook her head, ordering the tarutaru, "Snow can take care of himself. It's Lunafreya who needs protection, especially from Ardyn. Think you can do that, Shantotto?"

Shantotto thought about it, and then nodded, "If you insist, I will not resist."

"I will be leaving to find Noctis. I think it's time to see him once more. Our seperation has gone too long." Luna decided, then said to the others, "Be careful, all of you."

As Lightning and Snow both nodded, Ephemer felt embarrased, not sure what to say. Eventually, he muttered, "Guys...Thanks. And I'm sorry. Especially to you, Lightning."

"Call me Light." Lightning told him with a soft smile.

However, what they briefly forgot was Caius who, standing on top of the clock tower above them, had listened into the conversation and what he heard didn't make him happy at all.

It seemed he had a 'comrade' to question.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Disney Castle, a very worried Queen Minnie gazed up at the Cornerstone of Light in the Hall of the Cornerstone which shined brightly as it's magic protected this world from the Heartless. Yet for some reason an unusual lock has appeared and from what Chip and Dale had learned, no one could get in or out, which meant that something wrong had happened.

"Oh, Mickey. I wish I knew what to do." Minnie was saying to herself in despair. "If only I knew where you are now. How am I ever gonna know what's happening?"

Just then, the entire room shook so violently that the Queen gasped in fear as she nearly lost her balance and at first she was terrified that an unusual earthquake was happening. But then it stopped, only for two strange distruptions to appear behind the Cornerstone and Minnie gasped again while her eyes widened in shock.

In one, it looked like a mirror which showed her reflection at first. But then it somehow swirled and changed and she saw herself again, but only in her earlier years and more casual, with Mickey and the others she recongised, some whom she hasn't seen in years. In the other was another image, a portal of some kind which had giant footprints, a giant castle and everything. The first portal then vanished while the second faded slightly.

"Oh my goodness!" Minnie exclaimed, shocked and confused.

* * *

Back in the gummiship, the worldly travellers once again tried to piece the puzzle of the situation together, but again, they had no luck except for very few answers.

"Man, I wish we had some brains like Basil has in trying to solve things." Myde grumbled as he slumped in his seat.

"I agree." Skuld nodded. "So many worlds we've been to, and we haven't even discovered much of our enemies' goals aside from seeking out the Book of Prophecies and the Black Box."

"And we still haven't found out where Aced is or where he took Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis." Mickey added in sadness and worry. It didn't help that Sora and Basil both nearly died by the crazed Ratigan and how dangerous the now dead evil rat had been.

"Yeah and what are Lamuria and Arlene up to? And Shelke and Shalua?" Lea said, frowning in concern. "

"It's clear that they're not working alone or in a seperate group. However, that still begs the question on what they, Aced, Ardyn and Caius are really intend on doing." Isa muttered.

Neither one could answer that one and tried to think again for an answer to all of this. As Sora thought hard, an idea came to him before he turned to his companions and suggested, "Why don't we head back to Radiant Garden? Maybe Leon and the others found something else while we were away."

"Good idea. It's worth a shot." Riku agreed, as did everyone else once they realised that it's been quite a while since they were all last in that world anyway. Plus, maybe the others do have another update on what they trying to find out.

"But what if they don't?" Aqua asked, concerned.

"Um...then, maybe Midgar? I mean, Strelizia and Serah did take Cloud and the others back there, right?" Sora shrugged, before sighing as he leaned back into his seat with his hands behind his head. "I'm just as lost as you guys."

"If not Radiant Garden or Midgar, then maybe back to Olympus Coliseum? Maybe Zeus would know a bit better." Kairi said thoughtfully.

Lea shook his head, "Nah. I don't think so. As far as we learned, even Gods don't know everything. Sure they're immortal and powerful, but they're not psychics."

"They did know about how to get into the Locker to rescue Jack and the Black Pearl, though." Roxas reminded.

"And they know about Bhunivelze." Xion added.

"Hey, didn't Strelitzia mention something about another Goddess that is causing trouble?" Ven suddenly remembered, which made everyone else's eyes widen in realization. During the voyage to Shipwreck Cove in the Caribbean, Strelitzia had mentioned parts of her and Serah's adventures before arriving in Twilight Town.

"You're right, she did. Someone named...Eris?" Terra replied, thinking.

Before anyone else could say anything, the navigator beeped which alerted the group again but to their great confusion, when they looked to see what world they were at now, all they found was...an orb covered in some kind of orange light, like a barrier. As they all shared a glance, to their further confusion, Sora's Keyblade suddenly appeared by itself which alerted him.

"Huh?" Sora muttered, then cried out in alarm when the weapon seemed to move all by itself and then pointed at the barrier orb before shooting out a beam of light towards it. There was a clicking sound like a keyhole was being unlocked and the entire barrier glowed in bright light which spread out so brightly that the worldly travellers cried out in alarm before they were forced to shield their eyes as the light engulfed them.

It didn't help that the gummiship's teleporter acted on it's own which caught the worldly travellers off-guard as they all screamed while being teleported into the sudden world they found themselves in, unaware that an orb of Light was floating above them in front of an unseen portal before it retreated into it and vanished.

* * *

 _ **{DISNEY CASTLE}**_

She had no idea what had just happened. All that Aqua knew was that she lost consciousness when the bright light engulfed her and everyone else in the Gummishp. As she started to awaken, she heard a very familiar voice, one of those she hasn't heard in years, call out to her name. Where was she? Who was it that was trying to awaken her?

Finally as her eyes began to flutter open, the voice became more and more clear as the owner of it came into view, standing in front of her as Aqua had been lying on her side. The figure looked like Mickey, but as Aqua's vision finally cleared, it was a female mouse who looked just like him, but with eyelashes, a golden Tiara with a Ruby Hidden Mickey symbol in the middle, wearing a pink long gown dress and long white gloves.

Memories returned instantly to her as Aqua pushed herself up in surprise, asking, "Queen Minnie?"

"Oh, thank goodness, Aqua! Are you alright?" Minnie sighed in relief yet was still worried.

"You remember me?" Aqua asked in return. Like Mickey, Minnie hasn't changed a bit.

"Of course I do, silly. But my goodness, you, Terra and Ventus haven't changed at all since I last saw you twelve years ago. It's almost like you've only been gone for months and not years." Minnie replied, giggling.

Aqua giggled sheepishly, then sighed in sadness, "I'm sorry. A lot has happened."

"Aqua, are you okay?" Ven's voice interrupted, causing both Aqua and Minnie to look to see him, along with everyone else who apparently woke up before Aqua did, gathered around in relief and concern.

"I'm fine." The blue-haired young woman replied, then asked, "Is everyone else okay?"

"Well...Not all of us." Myde replied, worriedly. When Aqua was about to ask what the problem was, she did a quick count and realised, to her great concern, Sora, Mickey and Kairi were absent.

"Where are Sora, Kairi and Mickey?" Aqua asked, worriedly which made Minnie gasp in shock.

"Mickey was with you? And Sora and Kairi!?" Minnie cried out, then asked while panicking, "Oooh! What happened? Last I saw most of you and Mickey recently was when those girls kidnapped Namine!"

Goofy shrugged as he replied, "Gawrsh, yer Majesty, a lot has happened. We couldn't get back home because a new bad feller named Aced somehow blocked us off."

"That's why we couldn't even send you or Daisy letters, your highness. But then as we were about to head to Radiant Garden for more clues, we noticed the Castle which we didn't even recongised because it was hidden by a barrier." Donald explained.

"Then Sora's Keyblade appeared and unlocked, but a big light swallowed us up and we fainted. Then we found ourselves here in the Hall of the Cornerstone." Goofy added.

"Hall of...Cornerstone?" Aqua, Ven, Terra, Myde and Skuld inquired, puzzled as they looked around and saw they were in a single white room and there sat the Cornerstone of Light itself. It was also Riku, Roxas, Xion, Lea and Isa's first time in here as well.

"The Cornerstone of Light is what protects our world from darkness." Minnie explained to the puzzled group.

"Wow..." Ven mumured in awe.

Aqua blinked, also amazed. "Interesting."

"Looks pretty cool." Lea admitted, before adding with seriousness, "But we still gotta figure out where Sora, Kairi and the King are."

"What's with that moving painting behind it?" Myde then spoke up, and when the group looked at him wondering what he was talking about, he pointed at the portal which they finally noticed and they all blinked in surprise and confusion.

Minnie sighed, "Oh, dear. That appeared before all of you suddenly came back. I'm not sure what it is, but it looks awfully familiar."

"Gawrsh, it kinda looks like the Land of the Giants." Goofy said thoughtfully as he and Donald stared at it, both of them getting senses of deja vu.

"Land of the Giants?" Roxas asked, puzzled.

"This wouldn't happen to be when Mickey climbed the Beanstalk, would it?" Riku asked, thinking back of when Mickey mentioned about meeting a Giant and climbed a Beanstalk when they, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Cloud and Zack were dropping Namine off in Radiant Garden.

"It sure is, and that wasn't a fun first visit." Donald grumbled in annoyance.

The Queen then continued, "But it's not just that. There was another one earlier, and it showed an image of me, Mickey and, all of us here in this room, all looking casual. It's almost like I saw another dimension."

"Another dimension..." Xion muttered, before she and everyone else realised what Minnie meant.

"Hey, we saw something similiar earlier in Agrabah with Mickey!" Ven realised.

"Okay, now this is really creeping me out." Myde muttered, shuddering in slight fear.

"Hmmm...As everything that has been happening, and given what Sora and Aqua mentioned earlier, it's possible..." Skuld began before she gasped in realization and told the others, "Not only the worlds are in danger and the realms of the Dead in turmoil, but the rift in time has become unstable, which is allowing us to see different images of alternate dimensions!"

"Oh, that's just great." Lea said sarcastically. "As if we don't have enough problems."

"But the image disappeared as soon as I saw it. The one that we're seeing now hasn't even vanished. I'm not sure what to make of it." Minnie added.

"Well, if I venture a guess, it's possible that the King, Sora and Kairi could be within that portal if they are not in another part of the castle or even elsewhere in this world." Isa theoried.

Lea sighed, "Your guess is as good as mine, man."

"I think maybe we should see if we can enter it. If not, then we'll either have to wait and hope that they're alright, or look around the town to find them." Terra declared, and, given that it made sense, the worldly travellers nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, yer majesty! We'll find the King, Sora and Kairi!" Goofy said to the Queen as he and Donald saluted to Minnie who sighed in relief, knowing that she can rely on her husband's trusted friends.

"Oh, thank you everyone." Minnie said, before gazing at both Skuld and Myde, and said, realising that she hasn't seen them before. "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I don't believe we have met."

"Oh, begging your pardon, your majesty. My name is Skuld." Skuld replied quickly, bending on one knee and bowed her head to show her respect to the Queen.

"Hi there, Mrs. Q! I'm Myde." Myde greeted, only to be whacked hard on the back of the head by Lea, causing him to slump forward as though he was bowing.

"That's not how you greet the Queen, Myde." The redhead scolded.

To their surprise, Minnie giggled as she quickly said to Skuld and Myde, "There's not need to be formal, dears. It's nice to meet you both."

As everyone began their waiting and searching while trying to figure out how Sora's Keyblade managed to undo one of Aced's powers, within the portal leading to the place of Giants, were where another adventure was set for Sora, Kairi and Mickey.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so we're briefly in Disney Castle, and not where I had in mind. However, the Land of Giants, based on "Mickey and the Beanstalk" will be set in the next chapter when I'm able to post it.**

 **It'll have to wait for while, though. So until then, see you all later!**


	49. CH48: Brief Visit and Discovery

**Author's Note: I think this world will be shorter than the previous ones. Plus some things will connect to the real KH3 and a few others, sort of like Infinity War. But don't panic, because I have no intention of having this story end up like Infinity War! It's just...things are about to be even more tensed now.**

 **To the two guests who reviewed: First off to "Guest", I'm sorry but there will be no Transformers/Beast Wars in this fanfic because we're nearing the end of this story. Secondly to "Gry22", this is the last Disney world the group will be in and I haven't seen Moana yet so I don't know much of the film. Again, I'm really sorry. Though maybe I could pitch that world in for "Second Life: Strelitzia's Story", not sure yet. Guess we'll have to wait and see.**

 **One more thing: the new KH3 box art cover as been revealed as well as the extended trailer of the game at TGS and both are absolutely beautiful!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH48: Brief Visit and Discovery.**_

 _As though he'd been hit hard on the head, Sora groaned as he opened his eyes, feeling disorientated and a bit stiff. But when he did, he discovered that he wasn't even lying down, but standing up. To make things more confusing, he found himself in some kind of room with a round table, five chairs, a small desk with another table that had scientific stuff like tubes and things like that. The window was colour, and at the wall next to him were giant gears that moved slowly and clock-work._

 _Where was he? What was this place? As Sora turned while gazing at his new surroundings, a somewhat familiar voice spoke behind him._

 _"You're in the room of the Foretellers."_

 _"Wha-?" Sora, startled turned again to face the small desk and his eyes widened as he saw the familiar figure in the white robe and Unicorn Mask. "Wait...you're...You're the guy from that dream I had before I reached Olympus Coliseum!"_

 _The Unicorn-Masked man nodded as he stood there. "You have connected your heart with so many, young Keyblade Master and had come this far. However, there are dangers that may be too much for you to handle. And yet, you may be the only one who can end the suffering the worlds have endured."_

 _"That doesn't make any sense." Sora muttered as he folded his arms, thinking._

 _"It's obvious you're being put to the test to see if you're capable of fixing up anything that happens." A new unfamiliar male voice spoke behind him this time, startling Sora to turn and saw four more unfamiliar people, this time having seated in the chairs at the table as though they'd been there the whole time._

 _The one who spoke was a younger man, about Sora's height, wearing a yellow robe and a Leopard Mask. Another was a woman wearing a light blue robe and a Snake Mask. The third was a girl, about Kairi's height, wearing a light pink Robe and a Fox Mask. Finally the fourth, unlike most of them, were a black coat just like the one the Master of Masters wore, and his hood was up. But he was about the height of Sora and the guy in the Leopard Mask._

 _"Wait a minute...who're are you guys?" Sora asked, now more confused than ever._

 _"As you made it this far, it's time for you to know the truth." The Unicorn-Masked man began, making Sora to look at him as he continued, "We are the original Foretellers. I am Ira."_

 _"I am Gula." The Leopard-Masked man introduced himself._

 _"Invi." The Snake-Masked woman introduced herself._

 _"My name is Ava." The Fox-Masked girl introduced herself._

 _Finally, the hooded figure introduced himself, "I am Luxu."_

 _"The Foretellers...then you guys know Aced, right? And the Master of Masters too!" Sora realised, not sure if he should trust these people or not. Considering how Aced was crazy, Sora didn't want to take his chances._

 _Ira spoke again, "Aced was once a friend, and ally. Our Master, as you mentioned, was indeed our mentor. Yet, we know now that he had lead us down the wrong path, and yet he was not a traitor. He knew, the only hope for the future, is you."_

 _"Me? But that doesn't make any sense either! Why didn't you guys prevent the Keyblade War in the first place?" Sora demanded, even more lost._

 _"Because we had no way of knowing how it would start until it was too late. No sooner had our Master vanished, a traitor was discovered, yet none of us knew who it would be." Ira sighed, lowering his head. "I made the mistake of thinking it could have been either one of us, regrettably. Slowly one by one we all began to lose our trust in one another, not yet realising that the traitor could have been someone else."_

 _"It didn't help that the master gave each of us different goals, yet we know nothing of those except our own. Soon even the Keybearers of our unions began to fight each other. Thus-" Gula paused._

 _Sora nodded, getting a bit of a better idea, "That's how the Keyblade War started. But...what about the X-Blade? I thought that was the main reason why Xehanort wanted to know about it in the first place."_

 _"...I'm the one who used it." Gula responded with a sigh. "I thought that, if I summoned Kingdom Hearts, that would bring the Master back. However, all it did was absorb the hearts of all those who perished in the battle, leaving behind their Keyblades. It was left unchecked, and when the real traitors were shown, Bhunivelze attacked, because the War was not yet over."_

 _"When the two traitors were discovered as we could tell via spirit form, the God was awakened by them, forcing them to flee and put themselves into deep sleep. Three of the new Foretellers-Ventus, Skuld and Ephemer, were forced to fight Bhunivelze alone along with the Keyblade wielders they placed into sleep to prevent them from remembering the events of the tragedy. Yet, it was Ventus who used the power of the X-Blade as well as the inner power of his heart to seal him away." Ava spoke up this time._

 _"So it was Ven. But doing that caused him to lose his memory of everything except his name." Sora realised, before asking again, "But...how did they end up in the Realm of Darkness and Ven being found by Xehanort?"_

 _The Foretellers shook their heads, as Invi spoke this time, "Unknown, though we can say that two of those traitors went into deep sleep within the darkness, one of them somehow managing to return to the light, but his memories lost, just as with Ventus."_

 _"...Lauriam." Sora muttered. That was only traitor he knew of so far. "He killed Strelitzia and took her place as a Foreteller. That's what she told us earlier. But what about his Keyblade? It was wielded by Xehanort and when Riku and I destroyed it, Xehanort and his pieces of his heart vanished, but it brought the Master of Masters back including the Keyblade."_

 _"As you had guessed," Luxu spoke this time, "It cannot be fully destroyed. The Keyblade lives on to each successor. However, if the current wielder is deeply bonded, damaging the Keyblade could result it's original owner to be revived. But his Eye-Gazing eye, which he pulled out as it allowed him to see the future despite him having vanished, allowed other wielders to see the future to give them that foresight."_

 _Sora gasped in shock. "So...that's why Xehanort was always one step ahead of us. Up until he was defeated, but Chaos appeared."_

 _"Yet, you and Roxas somehow managed to change the future, yet the original time-line still exists at the same time, Sora."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"With you and Xehanort having travelled through time, the Time-line has been split into many, if not thousands of futures. It came with many outcomes, most the same, and others are different. Then again, Time has been split twelve years ago as well. One of those time-lines had been replaced for a more, peaceful timeline where our master never existed. But that alternate universe is facing problems of it's own, yet it's still linked to you, Sora."_

 _"So it's really_ my _fault?" Sora mumured, chest feeling heavy in guilt. Was it because of him that reality was messed up? Was it really hopeless? Was Aced right all along? Were Caius and Ardyn right? To make things worse, no matter what timeline he was in, Sora felt that every decision he could make would just result in being disasterous._

 _"Wha-!? No, that's not what I meant!" Luxu stuttered. "No one even predicted in the future changing even if some of us wanted to. I was chosen as our Master's first successor of the Keyblade, so I saw what he could see. Parts of it at least. Either way, you're still the only hope for all reality, Keyblade wielder or not, because your heart is one of the most powerful."_

 _"But then, what Vanitas had shown me earlier when I first realised he was in my head, that's one of the realities of what is happening right now in another universe or whatever." Sora pointed out. "Axel disappeared, Roxas and Xion still inside me and Namine still inside Kairi, Aqua still trapped in the Realm of Darkness, Terra missing, Ven still sleeping, and Xehanort still would've gotten his Keyblade War."_

 _The Foretellers grimly nodded in agreement, as Ira continued, "Which is happening right now, yet you cannot see it or even enter it or it will distrupt reality. In all of the possible realities and futures, this one is the most promising, yet Bhunivelze is slowly awakening as we speak. Still, you are the one who will end the hurting and save the Realm of Light, but it will be risky and there may very likely be losses."_

 _Losses...Sora's mind whirled to all of his friends: Riku, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Isa, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Skuld, everyone he's met in all of the worlds he visited, and lastly...Kairi-the girl he..._

 _He really loved._

 _"Then once this is over, it may be best to erase the memories of everything that has happened to ensure the peace of the worlds and forget the hurting." Ava added._

 _"No." Sora shook his head, confusing the Foretellers. "I don't want anyone to forget. If we did, then that would only shatter the bonds everyone's made and what if the same thing happens all over again and no one remembers how it started? What if those selected few who do remember end up disappearing? Like what happened to Ven, Skuld and everyone else!?"_

 _The Foretellers were silent in shock at the boy's words._

 _"Sure, the hurting of losing friends and everything you cared for won't go away, but it would hurt even more if the memories of them disappeared. It's like losing the past." Sora continued. "Some people move on while still remembering the good memories and some don't, but that's part of life! The best thing to do is face it head on, learn from those mistakes, not take things for granted, remember the good memories and always know that even though you've lost something or someone you cared about, that feeling for them in your heart will always remain. If I have to, as I had to do lately, I'll cope with it."_

 _"But what if the most hurtful memories are too much?" Ava pointed out._

 _The sixteen year old shook his head again. "I'll figure something out. If I fall into darkness, I'll take that hurt with me. As long as everyone and all the worlds are safe, and everyone still remembers the good memories and be able to move on, I don't care what happens to me."_

 _"_ _ **But what**_ **is** _ **your true fear, Sora? Losing everyone you have? What will you do then?**_ _" A familiar, dark embodied voice snarked from behind Sora who spun around and saw Vanitas leaning casually against the desk with the tubes, his arms folded to his chest. "_ _ **Has it ever occured to you that if you lost everything and you were all on your own? What will happen then, hm?**_ _"_

 _Sora felt his heart and stomach drop. He hadn't thought much of that, instead feeling the utter hopelessness. He hasn't really encountered the true loss of anyone. Not even when Will and Jack both died briefly and yes those losses hurt. He remembered the hopelessness and searching for his friends being his top priority. But not once had Sora faced his true permament loss; not like how Elizabeth lost her father. Or Anya's Grandmother having spend ten years of not seeing her granddaughter, or how Lea, and Isa lost their parents in their teenage years and having lived as Nobodies for eleven years, or Aqua being trapped in the Realm of Darkness. Or Kairi losing her grandmother and memories for ten years and even then, her said grandmother is still gone along with her birth family._

 _Or what Mickey is going through with Yen Sid, and how Eraqus had been struck down twelve years ago._

 _"Sora." Ira spoke once more, even though Sora didn't turn. "That is the outcome you must accept should it ever happen. Think of what is more important; your happiness, or everyone else's safety and happiness? This is what being a Keyblade Chosen is all about; it's not a game or an adventure. It's a duty."_

 _"I..." Sora trailed off, uncertain of what to say. In truth, he just didn't know. He thought he understood what he was up against. But what if his strength and his faith in his friends were not enough? Would he fail and end up all alone?_

 _But when he looked up again, all of the Foretellers and even Vanitas were gone, and the scenery around him began to blur. The next thing Sora knew, he only saw darkness..._

* * *

"...ora...Sora...Sora! Wake up!"

' _Wha...what happened?_ ' Sora thought groggily. His head ached a little, he felt that he was lying down on the ground and as he blinked his eyes open, blurs of red, blue, black and white along with pink became clear and soon he found himself staring upward at both Kairi and Mickey who hovered over him in great concern.

"Kairi? Your Majesty?" Sora blinked, as memories came flooding back to him before he gasped and sat up quickly which startled two of his friends. "What happened? Where's everyone else?" He asked, noticing that the rest of the group were missing.

"That light we saw seperated us from the others. You the last one to wake up and...I-we were so worried." Kairi replied, blushing a little in almost making a slip on her feelings.

"Oh, sorry." Sora muttered, sheepishly scratching at the back of his head while hoping that Riku and the others were alright. He then looked around their surroundings and discovered that, for the first time, that everything was...huge. The grass was huge, and there were giant mushrooms.

"Um? Where are we? Are we back in Basil's world or Wonderland?" The teenager asked, puzzled.

"Nope." Mickey spoke this time. "Not sure why, but I think we're in the land of the giants."

"Land of the Giants!?" Sora and Kairi exclaimed, shocked.

"Yup, and from the looks of it, it hasn't changed much." The King replied, admitting, "Gosh, it's been so long since I last came here a long time ago. Hmm, I wonder why that light brought us here?"

"Do you think everyone else is around here?" Kairi asked as she helped Sora to stand up. "Are there really Giants in this world?"

Mickey shrugged, "I don't know about the others, but maybe. As for the giants part, well, yeah. I know of one at least. But still, there must be a reason behind all this." and that concerned him quite a lot. Not to mention, with the situation going on, it brought back unpleasent memories that he knew he shouldn't let them get to him.

That made both Sora and Kairi share uncertain glances and hoped that they wouldn't be having any problems with encountering the Giant Mickey knew of, or fight him or end up getting caught. It wasn't a pleasent experience to do that, not with the Titans back at Olympus Coliseum or Calypso at the Caribbean.

Before any of them could think of how to solve this problem, they were suddenly surrounded by a horde of insect-like Heartless along with numberous types of Nobodies which alerted Sora, Kairi and Mickey who all grunted before summoning their Keyblades, ready to fight. The trio leaped out of the way to avoid a shot of silky string coming from one of the insect-Heartless.

Sora immediately thrusted his Keyblade downward at one Heartless and eliminating it before slashing at another at the side. The teenager slid-dodged out of the way from several more when they blasted spider-web attacks which he quickly burned with a Firaga. When the bulky Heartless appeared, Sora flipped over it's head and struck it single-handedly at the back which destroyed it almost instantly. Deciding to summon Meow Wow when he found himself surrounded by five other Heartless, Sora called out his Dream Eater friend and the two bounced around and around, knocking back the enemies who stood no chance against either of them or the shock-waves.

Kairi twirled and spun while thrusting her Keyblade at many enemies before chanting Thunder which she learned from Donald and Aqua. The Princess of Heart jumped back when a flower Heartless attempted to poison her with it's dart, before responding by chanting a Fire spell which gave it burns and began weakening it. She then summoned her Orbs of Light which not only destroyed her opponent, but also caused severe damage to the other Heartless attempting to get to her. Feeling the back of her neck prickle, Kairi spun and narrowly avoided in getting webbed by another spider-web attack before she thrusted her Keyblade in a sky-upper-cut skill she again learned recently.

Mickey spun around while taking out his enemies in multiple hits and then preformed his air-triple somersaults which knocked back three Heartless at the same time. The King then hovered slightly in the air and blasted his own Orbs of Light to defeat the Heartless that gathered around. When Mickey sensed something above him, he thrusted the Kingdom Key-D right onto the head of the flying Heartless, smacking it down to the ground where it crashed into the other Heartless before he finished them off with a combination of Thundaga and Firaga, followed up by his Orbs of Light which engulfed the Heartless and destroying them.

The fight continued on until the trio was certain that they'd taken care of the Heartless that had ambushed them. Sighing in relief, Sora, Kairi and Mickey desummoned their weapons for the time being and looked around once more, just in case there were more Heartless that would end up appearing. It wasn't until Kairi noticed something in the distance and gasped.

"Look!" Kairi cried out, pointing. Sora and Mickey looked to see what she was looking at and there stood a massive castle towering over everything.

"Whoa! It's huge." Sora gapped in awe.

"Yup. That's were Willie the giant lives." Mickey nodded, recongising it almost instantly. He then explained to the surprised teenagers, "He's not really evil. Well, not really. But even though we're both friends, we have to be careful because none of us know what's happenin' in this world or where our friends are. With the Heartless around, I got a feelin' this won't be a good visit."

"You think we should investigate?" Kairi quiered, somewhat nervously.

"Well, what else can we do? None of us have a clue where the others are and with the Heartless around, something's happening." Sora pointed out, though deep down, he wasn't keen to that idea of this either. Plus, more than anything...he felt doubt begin to grow inside him.

Mickey nodded in agreement. "Right, and the only way to find out is head to that castle."

Even though the three of them were nervous about this, they nodded in agreement and began to head towards the giant's castle, not knowing what they will find. Though as they walked and kept an eye out for the Heartless, Sora couldn't help but think about the dream he had after passing out. About what the Foretellers had told him, that everything, even time, was connected to him. How all of this unfolded and the other timelines were things went for a different outcome for the future.

But the timeline Sora really thought about was if he and Roxas hadn't saved Axel, then Roxas and Xion would've still been inside Sora himself, Namine inside Kairi, Aqua still trapped in the Realm of Darkness, and giving into darkness despite Riku and Mickey's efforts to save her, Isa becoming Xehanort's vessel, Ven still sleeping, Terra still missing, and most of the first Organization possibly revived and turned into more of Xehanort's vessels, Strelitzia still dead, the Master of Masters not appearing, Skuld and Ephemer still in the darkness themselves.

Not to mention the outcome of what will happen in this timeline.

 _"Sora. That is the outcome you must accept should it ever happen. Think of what is more important; your happiness, or everyone else's safety and happiness? This is what being a Keyblade Chosen is all about; it's not a game or an adventure. It's a duty."_

The duty of being a Keyblade wielder...that's what Ira had said. Sora thought he understood that responsibility. But it was becoming very clear that he never truly understood at all. It would never be over. Sora would never stop fighting to protect the Realm of Light. He would never find peace in himself. Maybe he shouldn't even consider of being around his friends if he had to lose them to save the Realm of Light each time there was evil.

Did that mean Sora wasn't meant to save those close to his heart? Were Shalua and Shelke right? Was Aced right? Was sacrificing himself to protect everyone not enough?

' _Maybe it really_ is _all my fault. Everything came down to this...because of me._ ' Sora thought to himself, feeling guilt form in his heart.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Kairi's voice jarred Sora back into reality.

"Huh, what?" Sora blinked, and then realised that he must've paused in his steps, because both Kairi and Mickey were a few feet ahead of him and now both of them were looking at him in concern that Sora hadn't even noticed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but..." Sora sighed, trailling off. He knew he should tell them, but they had so much to do, so much to worry about.

Before Sora could say what he wanted to say, however, there was a huge shockwave that nearly made the three of them lose their balance. When the sudden short tremor stopped, Sora, Kairi and Mickey looked to the direction where it was coming from and saw, to their shock, was a bit of a small explosion coming from inside the castle as a bit of smoke was seeing coming out of the window.

"Oh no! Somethin's gone haywire!" Mickey exclaimed.

Realising that he had to forget his thoughts later, Sora grunted. "Let's go!"

Both Kairi and Mickey nodded before they and Sora hurried to see what was happening and hoped to solve this world's sudden problems.

* * *

Inside the giant's castle itself, were the giant himself who was knocked out by the sudden electricity done bye Arlene who had also just electrocuted Pete who cringed and flinched by the woman's attacks.

It seemed they were fighting and Arlene had apparently won out.

"D'oooooh! Usin' electricity and a million knives just ain't fair!" Pete groaned, "And how'd you even knock out this old chump?" he jerked a thumb at the unconscious giant.

Arlene just cackled evilly while shrugging, "I'm just that darn good! If you're that such of a loser, it's no wonder those brats always defeat you and that old hag Maleficent."

That made Pete feel insulted as he glared back, "Now lookie here, ya' pipsqueak! Nobody, and I do mean NOBODY, messes with the mighty Pete or the great Maleficent!"

"Oh please. Just admit it, fatty. You're a loser, with a capital 'L'." The blonde-haired woman rolled her eyes.

Unaware to her and Pete, Sora, Kairi and Mickey had made it to the top of the stairs and were crawling under the door and entering the castle. It took a bit of climb and Heartless fighting to get to this place, but they had made it even though their potions and elixir were low and they had to restock once they met up with their friends and continued on to Radiant Garden. When the trio heard voices, Mickey gestured two of his friends to keep silent and both Sora and Kairi nodded in agreement. As the trio tip-toed while following familiar voices as became quickly shocked while wondering how it was possible, they peeked from behind the leg of a stand and there stood Arlene arguing with Pete, and unconscious giant on the floor.

"I am not fat! You've insulted me for the last time, lady!" Pete yelled.

"I can't believe those two are here!" Sora hissed in a whisper.

"That explains the Heartless problem." Kairi muttered.

Mickey gazed at the two villains before gazing at the giant and his heart froze in ice. Considering how Arlene-and he was certain it had been Arlene that knocked the giant down since Pete wouldn't even attempt in trying-rendered the giant unconscious, he was now very worried.

' _Willie!_ ' Mickey thought worriedly.

Arlene just scoffed. "Cry me a river. Once I've taken care of you, this big guy will be history before I move on to my next phase."

That had done it. Sora and his friends heard enough and even though they didn't know the condition of Willie the giant, they were not going to let Arlene or Pete get away with it. So the three Keyblade wielders shared a nod before rushing over to stop them.

"Don't even think about it!" Sora yelled out, as he, Kairi and Mickey quickly summoned their Keyblades while his voice startled both Arlene and Pete who looked to see the familiar trio.

"Well, well, well. I've been thinking about you." Arlene grinned cruelly as she turned to fully face them. "Oh? And it looks like only three of you are here. Where did your friends go, I wonder?"

"What? You pipsqueaks again!? Why don't ya's just stay outta MY way!?" Pete growled in disbelief at the group who glared back.

"One, it's none of your business!" Sora shouted at Arlene, before turning to Pete and added, "Two, because you don't know when to quit in being a bad guy!"

"What you did to my friend Willie is awful! We're here to stop ya's!" Mickey added.

"You won't get away with any of this!" Kairi concluded.

"Oooh! Three Keyblade wielders wanting revenge. I'm _**so**_ scared!" Arlene mocked with a grin. Laughing again, she held a firm grip on her knives, serious this time. "Now's the time when you three and your friends are history!"

"Dream on!" Sora scoffed.

Pete on the other hand, seeing how serious this was going to turn out and that he still didn't have much luck in locating the Book of Prophecies or the Black Box, decided he didn't want to get involved in this world anymore.

"Maybe I'd outta be hittin' the road." Pete whispered to himself, slithering away hopefully un-noticed.

Unfortunately for Pete, Arlene took notice and immediately snapped her fingers with her free hand, saying, "Not so fast, tubby!"

Caught by surprise and knocked out for the second time, Pete screamed as he was comically electrocuted before falling onto the floor, unconscious. Sora, Kairi and Mickey gasped, before turning their attention back to Arlene and stood ready, preparing themselves for another round against her.

"Your turn, losers!" Arlene declared.

She struck first by casting Thundaga at the trio who either dodged or reflected the attack before she charged forward and threw her attacks at Sora, Kairi and Mickey who blocked all of her eight knives with their Keyblades. She then leaped back before attempting to claw them, but Mickey created a barrier which made her reflect back before he thrusted his Keyblade and attacked her as quickly as possible.

Quickly becoming angry, Arlene jumped and tossed her knives at him, but the king leaped and dodged out of the way, though one grazed him on the arm as he cried out in pain but attempted to ignore it. Sora tossed his Keyblade at the woman who attempted to block his attack, but growled when Kairi summoned her Pink Orbs of Light at her which made the blonde having no choice but to unleash a powerful jolt of electricity to block both. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't enough and she soon found herself hit by the two attacks while caught in the middle, causing her to scream in agony.

Though when the attack was done, Arlene was now really furious. She held up her hands and Lightning strikes began to rain down on the trio who, with Sora and Kairi remembering the previous fight when Lea had been fighting alone side them in the Kingdom of Corona, dodged and had trouble avoiding her attacks even though some managed to hit them and paralyze them briefly. This allowed Arlene to claw the trio who were nearly knocked over but the paralyze wore off, and both Mickey and Sora chanted another barrier spell which reflected Arlene off again, much to the madwoman's frustration. The trio then quickly casted Curaga and Cure on themselves and each other even though they knew they had to keep in check of their limited magic.

Deciding to try another higher level, Arlene leaped and jumped, using one of the legs of the giant table which Sora's group noticed and immediately followed her while dodging her knives and electricity which was a difficult task in and on itself, but the trio managed to reach the top and then jumped to avoid more of the woman's kunai knives thrown at them and avoid in falling off the table itself which thankfully was empty of all except for a giant battle of champhange.

Realising they were in trouble, Sora decided to try another Keyblade skill and held it up, which surprisingly transformed his weapon into a part sledge-hammer, part driller which he decided to try and charged forward and while Arlene successfully dodged most of the attacks, he managed to slam her by first creating shock-waves that hit only the woman and then used the drill part to cause more injuries and damage on her as she yelled in pain.

But she then counterattacked again by first teleporting out of the way to avoid Sora's next attack as well as avoiding Kairi's and Mickey's attacks and then created some Lightning Bolts which the three avoided as Arlene vanished, and reappeared at several spots where she threw knives as Mickey, Kairi, and Sora blocked or bashed them away while avoiding the Lightning bolts being cautious on what she will do. Realising what Arlene had in mind, Sora quickly dodge-rolled while pulling both Kairi and Mickey out of the way before Arlene could even attack them like the last time she surprised the two teenagers and Lea which irritated her even further before she attempted to surge a massive bolt of electricity.

When close she fired several bolts of lightning at close range which Mickey, Kairi, and Sora used their Keyblades to block the assault before Arlene split to two dopplegangers who charged, and struck them with their knifes before the real Arlene fired lightning bolts which the trio are having a tough time keeping track of both the dopplegangers, and the real Arlene attacking. Then Sora used his Flowmotion and disappeared into the table before reappearing behind the real Arlene and he bashed her to the ground before while Mickey jumped and bashed the doppleganger on the head, knocking it back towards the real Arlene, merging the two back together and Kairi bashed her with her Keyblade which send her flying.

But she recovered and landed on her feet. Arlene then held up her arms to create a new vortex of electrity which had Sora, Kairi and Mickey realise that this was her killing-move.

It was then that Sora had a memory form into his mind; one that seemed new to him but he realised that it was a forgotten memory that has finally returned to him.

 _Flashback: During KH-Chain of Memories..._

 _A younger Sora, Donald and Goofy were righting Larxene when the trio came up with an idea. They stood on Goofy's shield and began to spin around and around and around while Sora and Donald both held up their weapons up in the air._

 _"Blizzard!" Donald chanted._

 _"Fire!" Sora chanted._

 _Both magic elements appeared from Sora's Keyblade and Donald's staff before the attacks combined while the trio spun, creating a make-shift shower which began to rain on Larxene who saw too late before she slowly began soaked while she summoned her Lightning, realising too late what their plan was and now she was at a complete disadvantage._

 _She screamed in denial while trying to keep herself dry, but it was too late as her own power turned against her and then..._

 _ **Kaboom!**_

 _She literally exploded in water and electricity which weakened her to the point of panting heavily while Sora, Donald and Goofy slowly came to a stop as they stopped spinning, even though they were left dazed._

 _"No... No! I refuse to lose to such a bunch of losers!" Larxene grunted, before realising there was black mist forming and appearing from her body which then became see-through and she realised in her horror this was her demise. "I think I'm...I'm fading?! No, this isn't...the way I... I won't...ALLOW..."_

 _Larxene had no chance of finishing her sentence as she faded completely into the oblivion of darkness._

 _Or so Sora's group thought._

End Flash-Back:

Sora blinked briefly before realising he had an idea, so he turned to Kairi and Mickey, calling out, "Guys! We need to spin around and combine our attacks to stop Arlene!"

"Huh?" Mickey blinked, confused.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"Just trust me!" Sora cried out, holding out his hand to them and, upon realising that Sora may have a plan, Kairi and Mickey both quickly nodded and held each other's free hands and began forming and spinning in the middle of the air and soon enough, Sora held up his Keyblade and chanted, "Firaga!"

It was then that Kairi and Mickey realised what Sora's idea was, especially since Arlene was using electricity and both of them copied his moves.

"Blizzard!" Kairi chanted, holding up her Keyblade.

"Light!" Mickey chanted, deciding that a bit of power of light would hopefully help.

It did because as the trio spun around and around, they created a new rain of water and light which spread the entire table and to Arlene's shock and horror when she saw this, it was too late for her. Not only it made her own attack backfire, it also began to cover her with both electricity, water and light as she attempted to keep herself dry, but it was no use.

"No! Nooooooo! Not this again!" Arlene screamed as she felt the agonized and familiar pain of her power turned against her. There was then a small explosion that engulfed her as she screamed.

When it stopped and the dust cleared, and Sora, Kairi and Mickey stopped spinning and landed back on the table, Arlene was on her knees, defeated, exhausted and in pure agony, severely weak.

"Why...WHY!?" Arlene screamed in anger, punching the hard wood with her fist. "Why do I always lose to a bunch of losers!? If I don't get my revenge, then things will only get worse!"

Despite that Arlene was nasty through and through, Sora, Kairi and Mickey couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.

"Arlene, revenge doesn't make anything better for anyone, even for yourself." Sora gently explained. "I get you're angry because everything went wrong for you when you were a Nobody. But you should really appreciate that you're a person again now, and be happy to have your heart again."

He then paused before asking, "Why did you and Marluxia want to overthrow Organization XIII by using me and Namine?"

"Why should I tell you!?" Arlene snapped angrily, glaring heatedly at the sixteen year old. "It's because of you, Axel, that witch and two of your friends that everything Marluxia and I had planned was ruined!"

"Because even though I know that you already figured it out, Xemnas lied to you and most of the Organization, even Axel. Xehanort's real plan was to put thirteen pieces of his own heart into your bodies, turning you into his vessels to re-create the X-Blade and start the Keyblade War." Sora explained.

"Not only that," Mickey spoke this time, "But Xehanort didn't even care about anyone but proving that the legend was true. He ruined so many lives, even your own. Even with him gone, the damage made in the past can't be undone. I don't know what you and Lamuria are up to, but attacking us isn't the right answer."

Arlene just scoffed, turning away from the group. "That doesn't make any difference. Thanks to you losers and your friends the Realm of Light is worse off than ever. You won't learn your lesson, because none of you brats are that good. So you defeated Xehanort; that's just beginners luck!"

"No. It's because Xehanort didn't understand that no one can have everything they want." Kairi said, which had the older woman glance at her. "Sometimes things are better left undiscovered and just learn what you can and understand that the past shouldn't be repeated. You have to look on into the future and think about the people you care about so much."

"You three are too naively forgiving." Arlene rolled her eyes.

"Maybe, but that doesn't change anything." Sora pointed out. "Look, I'm not happy the way you and Lamuria are doing things by attacking us, and I don't know what's going on with the other bad guys either. But I can't hate you guys without reason. I'm not a biggest fan of people doing rotten things, but I don't want to make myself a killer either. I'll only do that if I don't have a choice or if my friends and other innocent lives get hurt."

"But what if you end up dead and you won't be able to be with your friends anymore?" Arlene challenged.

To her surprise, Sora shook his head as he said, "I don't care what happens to me. As long as the Realm of Light and everyone in it are safe, including everyone I care about, that's all that matters."

"So if the situation calls for it, you're just going to sacrifice yourself?" Arlene asked, skeptically. "Like you did two years ago?"

Sora nodded and despite Kairi and Mickey's alarmed expressions, they didn't voice their thoughts of not wanting to lose Sora. Because once his mind was made up, there was no turning away from it.

" _If you're trying to convince that crazy lady to join you, that won't happen._ " Vanitas snarked in Sora's mind, yet once again Sora chose to ignore him.

A moment of pause.

Eventually Arlene just glared, before standing up weakly, holding her side in pain as she said, panting, "Think what you want, but eventually you'll learn that it's already too late. The only way to fix up this mess is for one person to do it the right way. I hope you brats and Axel are still alive to see it."

With that, Arlene teleported herself away. Sora, Kairi and Mickey all sighed before sharing a glance, and then jumped when they heard Pete screaming and when all three of them turned around, a giant hand rested on the table, before the rest of it belonging to the Giant stood up, the other hand holding the terrified Pete as Willie stood up, now awake. Seeing this made Sora, Kairi and Mickey flinch in fright as they slowly backed away.

"Are you still causing trouble, Pete?" Willie the giant demanded angrily as he held the villian by the collar of his shirt with two fingers.

"W-well, not to you, at least. If ya wanna go and punish somebody, hehehe, try the blonde lady with her millions of knives and electricity powers." Pete chuckled nervously.

"I beg to differ." Sora scoffed at Pete's comment. Mickey and Kairi both nodded in agreement.

Hearing his voice, however, made Sora realise his mistake as Willie blinked in confusion before he looked to face the trio who flinched. Rather than being angry though, Willie looked puzzled as he recongised the mouse with the two human teenagers, which the boy was standing protectively in front of the girl.

"Is that my little friend Mickey Mouse?" Willie asked.

"S-sure is." Mickey stuttered, somewhat nervously as he still wasn't certain of this reunion. "Hiya, Willie. Long time no see."

"Golly, you haven't changed at all." Willie greeted, smilling. He then asked when he gazed at the teenagers, "Who're your new friends?"

"Oh! Sorry. This is Sora and Kairi." Mickey remembered and introduced. "Sora, Kairi, this is Willie."

"Nice to meet you." Kairi replied, nervously.

"Uh, hey there." Sora greeted to the giant, also nervous.

Pete groaned, "Oh great. Now the Keyblade brat and the li'l Princess are the giant's new palies."

"I'm not done with you!" Willie glared at Pete again. "You've been bothering my little friends again, haven't ya?"

"So what if I did?" Pete replied as he folded his arms with a raised eye-brow. "Besides, what're YOU four nimwits gonna do 'bout it?"

 _30 seconds later..._

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhh!" Pete screamed as Willie had tossed him out of the window where the villian was sent flying through the air so far that no one saw where he landed. He ended up landing in a giant pond with a splash!

"He never learns, does he?" Kairi asked, exasperated.

"Nope." Mickey shook his head, while Sora placed his own hands behind his own head.

"So what's going on?" Willie asked, getting the trio's attentions as they turned to him. "How did you all get here and what's happening?"

"Oh, it's a very long story." Mickey sighed, and so he, Sora and Kairi told the giant parts of what was happening, such as the villians and everything connected to this situation and how none of them knew what was happening or if their missing friends were around or not.

They concluded on how a bright light and Sora's Keyblade brought them here.

"So um, have you seen any of our friends?" Mickey then asked.

"Nope. The only ones I've seen today were that yellow-haired lady with the knives, Pete, and you three." Willie shrugged apologetically, before adding, "Though I did see some kinda strange two magic holes earlier not too far from here."

"Strange magic holes? You mean like portals or corridors?" Sora asked, stunned as he, Kairi and Mickey thought about this new unusual event.

"I'm not sure where they come from, but I do know that both of them had different pictures of places. One had a place where you were in it with everybody, Mickey. The other had a white room with the glowing marble which last I checked was still around while the other just disappeared." The giant explained.

Mickey, Sora and Kairi gasped when the words registered in their heads.

"White room and glowing marble...that's the Hall of the Cornerstone! If it's still around, maybe it's a way back home." Mickey realised.

"Maybe the others went there." Kairi guessed hopefully.

"Maybe...Well, the only way to find out is to go and look." Sora stated in agreement.

"Plus with Pete havin' the Heartless around, I'm worried that Maleficent will try and take over the world again." Mickey added, and Kairi and Sora both nodded.

"I can take youse there to make it faster." Willie offered.

"Really?" Sora asked, surprised at the giant's offer.

The giant nodded, "Uh-huh. Maybe next time if you find a way here, you're all welcome to visit and we can all have Chocolate pot roast, with the smashus, uh, with the smashus, smimaga...uh, with yogart."

"That's very sweet of you, Willie. Thank you." Kairi smiled, and Sora and Mickey both nodded, in relief and gratefulness.

Yet none of them knew what else was about to happen.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Radiant Garden in the computer room, Namine, Izeno, Even, Aeleus, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Von Drake were studying tons of books with the special scanner Von Drake had invented to connect to Ansem's computer, hoping one of them was the Book of Prophecies.

So far, no luck.

"How 'bout this one?" Rikku asked eagerly.

" _I'm sorry, but this isn't the one we're looking for either._ " Tron replied apologetically and everyone sighed in disappointment, aind in both Even and Von Drake's case, sheer annoyance.

"Ooooh! That book is a tricky one to find, and a slithery one at that." Von Drake groaned in annoyance.

"Maybe that scanner you made isn't working properly." Paine suggested sarcastically.

"I heard that." The duck professor grumbled.

"Well, looking at all of these old books isn't going to help. It's a complete waste of time." Even scoffed. "If Master Ansem were still here, he would perhaps have been more helpful on whether such a book exists or not."

"I agree. Considering how the book itself is ancient, it would have been hidden in a secret area even after thousands of years without use." Ienzo theoried in agreement.

"Unless it's been destroyed." Aeleus spoke up, causing everyone to gaze at the taller man as he continued, "How do we know that the Book of Prophecies even still exists? After a long time without knowing, we're not certain if the book has survived or not or it's placed in a world no one has discovered yet."

"Hmmmm..." The youngest man thought deeply. "That is another theory. Yet considering that Maleficent has known of it's existance from someone, it could be that Xehanort told her at some point before converting his heart into Terra's body twelve years ago."

"Yet, how was it that Xehanort knew?" Even questioned. "We cannot simply ask him. You know as well as I do that Sora and Riku had eliminated him in the Realm of Sleep."

"Maybe Aced would know. He, Ven and Skuld do come from the era of the Keyblade War." Namine thought up. "What if he knew and is hiding it with him?"

"Do you think that's the case?" Yuna asked.

While most of the others thought deeply about that possibility, Ienzo on the other hand thought otherwise. "I highly doubt it. Given what we have learned so far from Skuld, it's possible that even Aced knew nothing more of the book itself."

"I think this is just getting us all around in circles." Von Drake rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Though I also think that it may be in another world that no one has been to before, just as Aeleus has suggested."

"The only other world that may have it is Twilight Town in the mansion." Namine said. "There is a library there that not even DiZ used. Maybe we should look there."

"...It is another possibility." Ienzo nodded in agreement.

"What mansion?" Rikku asked, confused.

"It's an old mansion DiZ used and where I restored Sora's memories. No one else has used that place in years." Namine answered.

"Like the ShinRa mansion in Nibelhiem?" Paine asked, raising an eyebrow.

This made Rikku shudder slightly. "Ugh, don't remind me of Nibelhiem. That place was darn right creepy and seeing that crazy half-giant guy Azul makes my skin crawl."

"It's not creepy. Even now, I don't feel like it's creepy at all. It's just...a bit lonely but it's better than Castle Oblivion." Namine ensured her.

"Indeed." Even frowned. "Castle Oblivion was a mystery in and on itself. But also frightfully dull."

"Perhaps we should look into getting to Twilight Town and investigate there, to see if the Book of Prophecies is located in the mansion. If not, then it makes our search more difficult." Ienzo suggested.

"We can ask Merlin to get there." Yuna suggested.

But before the others could respond their agreement, an unfamiliar and cold voice spoke cruely, "Unfortuntely, neither of you will be going to retrieve that book. Though that doesn't mean..."

"Who-UGH!" Aeleus yelled out when a sudden power of darkness knocked him and everyone else to the floor as they also screamed out when they too were hit. Scrambled on the floor at the sudden weakness and finding themselves unable to move as the dark mist was holding them firmly, they could only look up when they saw, unknown to them, Ardyn and Blaine who smirked evilly.

"...you won't be going anywhere." Ardyn finished.

"Who-Who are you!?" Ienzo demanded, hissing as though he had no control over his body.

"Ardyn Izunia." Ardyn introduced himself in a mock bow. "Such an honor to meet the vessels of the dark one; Xehanort."

"Xehanort's gone!" Namine grunted, glaring.

Ardyn and Blaine just laughed, as the former spoke, "True, but his heart is in fragments. All one needs is perfect vessels to bring about our master's true purpose. You on the other hand, little witch, are for another purpose."

Namine felt her heart freeze in ice, and she was certain by the horrified growing expressions of three of the original Organization, their hearts were frozen as well. Xehanort's heart still existed, but in fragements? Did that mean...Xehanort wasn't truly dead? Or was it...for Chaos? Or Aced? The former Nobody of Kairi didn't know. What she did know was that these two people were evil and they had come for her and Ienzo, Even and Aeleus.

"Don't worry." Blaine spoke this time, his eyes glowing red once more. "There'll be plenty of company for all of you...except those three girls and that old duck. They're no use for us."

"Say that again!" Von Drake grunted.

"We...will not...serve you or...your master!" Aeleus grunted.

"You have no choice, I'm afraid. This is the only path that is made for all of you." Ardyn replied, not sounding even the slightest of remorse.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Another voice shouted behind the two men who turned to look, while their trapped prisoners looked up to see Leon in the doorway, gunblade in hand and glaring at Ardyn and Blaine.

"Well, what have we here? Another foolish one?" Ardyn grinned, and before Leon could do anything, Ardyn simply snapped his fingers and the gunblade wielder gasped as a powerful painful jolt caused him to drop his weapon and found that he was frozen stiff, just like the others on the floor.

"C-Can't move!" Leon grunted.

"That should hold him." Blaine snickered, before turning back to Namine and the others, mockingly wondering, "Now, where were we?"

Seeing how Ardyn and Blaine had the full advantage, the others tried and failed to break free from their restrains. If they didn't do something soon, they would be taken to wherever the two men had in mind. Unfortunately, Blaine held out his hand and summoned a very familiar weapon that made everyone's eyes widen in shock and disbelief, a sharp, jagged black blade with a dark feather-teeth, the hilt looking like iron with spikes around it, and the keychain...it was just like the keychain of Xehanort's Keyblade; the demon blue eye.

"...A Keyblade!?" Namine exclaimed, frightened.

"It's impossible!" Ienzo grunted in disbelief.

"This is...this is absurd!" Even exclaimed, glaring at the apparent Keyblade wielder of Darkness.

Blaine didn't say anything. Instead he held up his Keyblade in the air and simply chanted, "Sleep."

By this magic spell, all except Ardyn were covered by Blaine's magic and no matter how hard they tried...no one could resist the Sleeping Spell, and the last thing Namine and her allies saw were the two evil men slowly approach before their world went black.

* * *

Back at the Land of Giants, Willie was carrying Sora, Kairi and Mickey to where he spotted the portal earlier, looking around thoughtfully and trying to remember where he saw it. Finally he spotted light and when he got closer, he smiled before gently lowing the trio down in front of it.

"Here we are." The giant told them, and Sora, Kairi and Mickey hopped off the giant's hand.

"So this is the portal." Sora thought, amazed.

"Do you think it'll take us to the Castle?" Kairi thought, worried that it might not actually work.

"Only one way to find out." Mickey said, stepping closer and cautionly made to touch it. Fortunately it went through with golden light shinining as Mickey, Sora, Kairi and Willie all sighed in relief.

"Great! Now we can get to the castle!" Sora cheered.

"Thank you for helping us, Willie." Kairi said to the giant, gratefully and both Sora and Mickey nodded in agreement.

Willie blushed bashfully, "Aw, it's nothin'. Hope you'll make it back safely. Maybe next time I can saw ya's around this place."

"We'll be sure to try and come back for a visit someday, pal." Mickey said happily.

"Yeah, it was awesome to meet you!" Sora added.

After sharing a goodbye with their new friend, the three Keyblade wielders stepped through the portal carefully on their way towards Disney Castle to hopefully reunite with their friends since none of them were seen or heard in this place and solve the mystery of why the barrier Aced created had disappeared.

* * *

Back in Disney Castle, the rest of the worldly travellers and Queen Minnie were still waiting anxiously for Sora, Kairi and Mickey to appear after failed attempts to enter the portal themselves, hoping they weren't trapped inside. But the longer they waited, the more they began to fear the worst.

Just then, the portal suddenly glowed which caught everyone's attentions and as they turned to look, shock, disbelief and relief all took place on their expressions and in their hearts as Sora, Kairi and Mickey stepped through and onto the floor of the Hall of the Cornerstone. The trio looked around and were very relieved when they saw where they were.

"We did it!" Kairi exclaimed happily.

"Oh, Mickey!" Minnie cried out happily upon seeing her husband who, along with two of his friends, saw along with the rest of their group.

"Minnie!" Mickey exclaimed happily, immediately rushing over to greet his beloved wife and caught her in his arms when she leaped into him, her own arms wrapped around his shoulders. The two royals shared the longing embrace, not wanting to let go.

"Where'd you guys been?" Lea asked urgently as he and the other's approached Sora and Kairi.

"Um, well...we were in this giant world and..." Sora began, before he, Kairi and even Mickey who long with Minnie rejoined the others explained what happene, including having to fight Arlene again and how Willie the Giant brought them to the portal back here.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. The giant brought you guys here? As in, the big, colossus guy who would've eaten you guys up for breakfest, lunch and dinner?" Myde asked, dumbfounded.

"Myde!" The rest of the worldly travellers exclaimed in annoyance, before Isa tugged the younger man's ear hard, causing Myde to squeal comically in pain again.

"If the King wasn't friends with this giant, he wouldn't be here right now." The blue-haired man whispered in annoyance.

"So Arlene thinks we've been doing it wrong too?" Riku thought with a frown, ignoring the commotion happening between Myde and Isa.

"Gawrsh. What could she mean by that?" Goofy thought, confused and worried.

"You don't think...he and Lamuria are with Aced, do you?" Xion spoke up, and when the group looked at the former replica, she continued, "Well, if Arlene said only one person can make things right and Aced thinks he's the only one who can save the Realm of Light, isn't that connected?"

"Arlene and Lamuria working with Aced?" Roxas thought, alarmed.

"Then that means they're teamed up with those two sisters too." Lea grunted, brows narrowing almost angrily in realization. "Except their reason is to get revenge on us at the same time."

"So Aced has four allies instead of two. This is very serious." Terra muttered. "We have to be more careful and see if we can't get proper answers out of them."

"Not by a long shot." Ven nodded.

"It still doesn't make sense on how Sora managed to break Aced's barrier in this world. For that kind of power to be broken, that means Sora's power is getting stronger." Aqua pointed out, which the group shared concerned and confused glances.

"Maybe Merlin will tell us more about this. We should head back to Radiant Garden and see what's going on." Skuld suggested.

"Not yet." Mickey shook his head. "First we gotta make sure everything's okay here and plus with the barrier gone, I'm worried Minnie could be put into grave danger since Maleficent is still lookin' for the Book of Prophecies."

"Book of Prophecies? What's that?" Minnie asked, puzzled.

The King shrugged apologetically to his Queen, "It's a long story, Min'. Let's just say that the book is powerful and dangerous and we think that's why Maleficent came here in the first place, because she thinks it's connected to the Datascape."

"He's right. We can't leave now." Donald agreed.

"Yeah. Let's stick around and make sure nothing bad happens." Sora nodded in agreement, and seeing that it was a good point, the rest of the worldly travellers all nodded in agreement.

"Your Majesty!" A familiar squeaky high-pitched voice cried out, and when everyone looked to see who it was, the two Chipmunks Chip and Dale raced over to the royals and the worldly travellers before stopping, panting and jumped when they saw their king and friends back, but quickly decided to worry about that later.

"It's terrible! There's a fight goin' on in town!" Dale cried out hysterically.

"And there's a bunch of monsters that look worse than Heartless too!" Chip added, much to everyone's shock.

"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed in horror. Quickly becoming determined, he turned to his wife and said, "Minnie, you stay here 'til we get back."

"I'll stay with the Queen." Kairi said volunteerly.

"Me too." Xion added.

"Think I'll stay behind and protect the Queen too." Myde added

"I'll stay too." Ven nodded.

It was quickly decided that Skuld was staying too along with Kairi, Xion, Myde and Ven while the rest of the group nodded before promising that they'll be careful and immediately raced out to see what was happening.

Fully unaware on what will happen next as the situation is getting worse.

* * *

 **A/N: I am so sorry for the delay again. Been busy for the last several weeks and I'm fighting with this new computer that I'm trying to get used to, plus my Dad's birthday and everything. And I'm sorry that the giantland part wasn't long or that crash hot, but I decided to return to Disney Castle arc to not delay the most important parts of the main story.**

 **Hopefully I won't take as long to update this story, but the next four days are gonna be so busy I won't have time to update any of my stories.**

 **Until then, see you in the next chapter!**


	50. CH49: Familiar Pressence

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay again. Loss of inspiration and with Kingdom Hearts 3 release getting closer and closer...well, it's hard to say.**

 **Another thing, another new trailer came out and 100 Acre Wood is confirmed to return, along with Final Fantasy's Moogles. Anyway, let's begin with this brand new chapter!**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH49: Familiar Pressence.**_

By the time Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Terra and Aqua arrived in the Town Square, they skid to a stop and gapped in shock as many of the town's residents were running for their lives as four familiar faces were in a double heated battle against not only each other, but also occasionally monsters that looked a bit like Heartless, but they looked more humaniod, with sharp crimson claws and horns.

"It's Strelitzia and Serah!" Donald exclaimed as he recognised the formerly dead Keyblade wielder and the young female archer.

"And those two from before!" Roxas added, seeing Shelke and Shalua who were clashing against two of their new friends; Shelke with her Laser blades and Shalua with her artifical arm.

"But what are those things?" Sora questioned, eying the unusual monsters that resembled Heartless, but he somehow doubted that's what they were.

" _Those guys are new to me. Even I don't think Ventus had seen them before and I certainly know Xehanort never mentioned these things either._ " Vanitas remarked in Sora's head, but the dark embodiment sounded bored at this point. Sora just ignored him.

One of the mysterious creatures then turned and took notice of the group who stood tensed, before it leaped and made to attack. But it never made it as Lea quickly summoned his Keyblade and blocked it before slashing at it and sending it to oblivion. He turned to his friends and told them firmly, "Whatever they are, they're not inviting us to a party! We have to take them out!"

The others agreed and summoned their weapons and raced to join in the fight. Sora used his Motion Flow ability by leaping and climbing up walls while glowing in blue light and launched himself to strike a surprise attack on one of the monsters and send it flying. It landed hard on the ground, but to his shock, it leaped up and zoomed quickly via use of darkness and caught him off guard slashing at him. Grunting as his felt it sting, Sora dodge-rolled out of the way before it could attack again and tossed his Keyblade at it, this time successfully destroying it. Unlike Heartless and Nobodies, it landed on the ground and simply layed there before floating up and vanishing similar to one losing their heart.

"Huh?" Sora blinked, before sensing movement and leaped out of the way to avoid another one who tried to attack him by surprise. He then noticed three more surrounding him, but Sora had an idea and decided to use another transformation via his Keyblade. This time he summoned, much to his surprise, a chariot with a golden pegasus at the reins with bolts of Lightning surrounding it.

While unable to figure out how this other new ability appeared, Sora had an idea and leaped into the chariot, commanding the Pegasus to fly around and attack the monsters that tried to get to him but were hit by bolts of lightning and light as he went in a circle. To finish it off, Sora leaped out as the chariot vanished before descending by free-falling and thrusted the Kingdom Key downward that obliterated the monsters in one hit.

Riku thrusted his Keyblade in a stabbing point similar to Cloud's skill and what he did two years ago when Xehanort's Heartless possessed his body. The seventeen year old then slashed and sliced and cut through his enemies before using his Motion Flow ability, using a street lamp to spin himself around while catching one of the monsters and then tossed it into the wall where it slumped in defeat. Or so he thought before it got up and disappeared before reappearing behind him, clawing him and sent him flying much to his shock, but he flipped in mid-air to catch himself and landed safely before turning and then clashed against the monster who was joined by three more until he managed to give a powerful swing of his arm, slashing at their chests with the Way to Dawn Keyblade and they crashed into the ground while he landed in a kneeling position.

Terra thrusted his Keyblade downward to create a powerful shockwave that send the monsters flying back, but they recovered and made to attack again. He attacked with his powerful combos and then went into his Thundaga Drive by sending out huge bolts of Electricity that engulfed the Monsters. They were hit and getting weaker, but they were stubborn and would not go down easily. He then focused and unleashed a powerful move by thrusting his Keyblade in a strong stabbing point and spun while thrusting his Keyblade at all three of them in a single hit where they were again sent flying before crashing onto the ground, defeated for real this time. He was then attacked from behind before turning and saw another one which he quickly blocked it's second attack and then destroyed it almost immediately.

Aqua used her Dream Weaver Ability to catch her opponents off guard, creating magical icicles that entrapped the monsters before attacking them with her Keyblade. She then focused on her Rainbow attack and send out colourful beams of light that followed and attacked the enemies who didn't have a chance to escape. Yet they refused to go down, so she slashed and whacked at them with graceful hits before using her Magic of Firaga, Blizzaga, Thunderaga and Stopza before attacking them while they were frozen briefly in time. The young woman then used the Mini Spell to Shrink one of them before sending it into oblivion as she attacked it in a good combo.

To her shock, the other four she'd been fighting sent out crimson blades of darkness they materialized and surrounded her before attacking in such quick speed that she didn't have time to cast barrier on herself and screamed in pain. Sent flying and crashing onto the ground, Aqua casted Curaga on herself which resulted in now having to wait until her Mana was regenerated. She then spun and attacked the monsters one by one in hopes of getting her magic back as quickly as possible. Thankfully she knocked one into the rest and then finished them off by thrusting Eraqus' Keyblade she'd been using for this battle to keep them chained together and then thrusted it downward onto them.

Lea slashed three of the monsters in a side-slash with his Keyblade that send them back, but grunted when they leaped up and made to claw him. The redhead casted a wall of Fire to protect himself without burning anything else and then leaped into the air while sending Orbs of Flame down onto his opponents who were hit and burnt. Yet as he landed, they flared up Orbs of Darkness that he only had a chance to block with his weapon, hissing as he struggled not to be sent flying himself.

When he lowered it for a moment, he saw too late as one of the creatures was in front of him and clawed him to the chest that caused him to yell out in pain while being send flying backwards. Only managing to save himself from crashing into the ground by flipping and landing safely, Lea then hissed at the stinging on his chest before switching out for his Chakrams and tossed them expertly at the monsters, this time successfully knocked them back while he caught his weapons sharply. To finish them off, he casted the blade-Shurikens on fire and speed forward, slashing at them that send them flying and crashing onto each other in a pile.

Roxas copied some of Sora's abilities as well as some from Lea and Terra before calling upon his link with Xion, enabling him to summoned the Oathkeeper Keyblade in his left hand which allowed him to double attack the Monsters he was facing, but even that wasn't enough to prevent himself from being slashed and sent into the air. But having an idea on using this to his advantage, he tossed his Oblivion Keyblade downward towards them, as it hit his opponents almost single handedly before aiming the Oathkeeper and casted what he would've thought was Thundaga. To his surprise, it was a golden-orange Orb of Light that was sent towards the three monsters he'd been fighting, engulfing them in a small explosion and defeating them and as he landed safely while his Oblivion Keyblade returned to him, he was in shock and surprise, wondering how that happened before being forced to fight another one which he quickly took care of.

Mickey leaped and jumped to avoid being attacked while he clashed and whacked against his own opponents who didn't stand a chance against his speed or inner power of light. The King used the Kingdom Key-D Keyblade for this battle as he preformed his triple air somersault to knock away one of the mysterious monsters before crying out as another this time caught him off guard by attacking him from behind. Managing to recover and racing out of the way before his attacker could strike again, Mickey then sent out Orbs of Light to engulf them, but he was shocked and horrified when they made to attack again even though the power of light weakened them. He then held up his weapon above him as it glowed before spun around and around and around repeatedly by sending out waves of Light that knocked away the monsters and once he was finished with this skill, he finished them off with a final powerful strike of his own, sending them to the ground where they crashed landed.

Isa thrusted his Keyblade by using a powerful gust of Wind that send his opponents flying, yet they recovered and formed into the air above him and made to strike by unleashing a large orb of darkness. But he had an idea of his own as created a barrier to block it and then thrusted his Keyblade so hard that it managed to send it flying right back at them where it engulfed them, creating an explosion in the air before the monsters fell to the ground. He leaped and finished them off with both the combos of his Keyblade and then switched out for his Claymore and thrusted them while avoiding in going into his berserk mode.

Donald was using Firaga Magic to flare up the monsters before screaming as one nearly slashed him with it's claws. He then glared at it and spun his Staff and surprisingly whacked it on the face and clobbering it and finished it off with a Thunderaga Spell for good measure. He then turned his attention to the other two and used his Fireworks Spell to attack them but to his shock, they and the one he thought he defeated made to attack again. He had to run to avoid in getting hit and when he did, he casted a Curaga on himself and then attacked again, this time using Blizzaraga to freeze them and this time finished them with another Thunderaga.

Goofy in the meantime spun around and around using his Goof-Nado skill as he hit two of the monsters with his Shield, but was sent flying when they attacked him as he screamed his usual trademark scream, crashing into the bushes of a building. Shaking away the dizzy spells as stars circled around his head. Goofy yelped in alarmed as they advanced on him. Remembering how Sora, Roxas and Ven can toss their Keyblade, he tossed his Shield at them which successfully knocked them back and to be finished off by Sora who gave him a thumbs up with a grin and Goofy returned it with a usual 'Ay-yhuck!'.

In the meantime, Serah and Strelitzia were both struggling against Shelke and Shalua who were seemingly taking advantage against them. Serah fired another arrow, but Shelke created a barrier to protect herself from it before she launched another attack to slash against the pink-haired young woman who struggled to block it as she turned her bow into her sword even though she knew that her weapon was not laser-like. Strelitzia casted Blizzaga at Shalua who jumped to avoid it and made to punch her with her mechanical arm, but the Keyblade Wielder dodge-rolled out of the way and was forced to block another monster that tried to attack her.

Just as Shelke was about to strike at Serah, Sora leaped and pushed Serah out of the way while avoiding Shelke's laser blades and Aqua used the Chains to entrap her and Shalua who was about strike at Strelitzia, leaving both sisters struggling to free themselves.

"Are you guys alright?" Sora asked, helping Serah to stand up.

"Sora? Everyone?" Serah asked, surprised.

"We were wonderin' about that about both of you too." Mickey replied, before sensing more of the mysterious monsters appear and firmly added, "But let's worry about that later! Right now, we gotta stop these things!"

However, before the group can even make a move to stop them, one of the creatures just appeared from the corner and rather attacking Sora and the others, instead it fought against the other monsters and finished them off almost instantly which confused them as well as Shelke and Shalua.

"Huh?" Mickey blinked, puzzled.

"What's with that guy?" Lea asked, blinking in shock.

"It seems it has it's own control." Shelke surmised, unfazed by the fact she and her sister are caught.

"It's own control?" Roxas asked, suspiciously.

Strelitzia stared hard at the creature. It seemed to be gazing at the group once the rest of it's kind were obliterated but made no move to attack. It was gazing at Sora who tilted his head slightly in confusion. Strelitzia on the other hand felt something quite odd and...familiar about it. When she studied it carefully, her eyes widened slightly as she sensed a familiar linger of light within the monster, and in her mind, a memory came to her.

Of someone she used to watch before her first death.

"...Could it be?" She whispered, and wondered how it was possible.

" _ **...L...i...ght...L...ight...Light...**_ " An echo, coming from the creature, spoke almost in a zombie way, which startled and shocked everyone, including Rai sisters as their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wak! It talked!" Donald exclaimed.

"Gawrsh, apart from Ansem and Organization XIII, I never heard Heartless and Nobodies talk before." Goofy said in confusion, wondering how this was possible for this unusual monster.

"Neither did the Unversed." Terra added in agreement.

"...What _is_ this thing?" Isa wondered aloud, brows narrowing.

The monster just continued to stare at the group, before sensing something and then quickly ran off into another direction away from the group who became just as confused as ever.

"Hey!" Sora cried out, but was ignored.

"Wait, please!" Strelitzia called out, but the monster didn't listen as it disappeared around the corner. "...Was it...really you?"

"Strelitzia?" Serah muttered, confused at what her friend had said.

"What's going on?" Sora wondered aloud. How could a monster talk like that? And what did it mean by 'Light'? Did want something? Why hadn't it attacked him and his friends like the rest of those things did? Strelitzia seemed to recognise it, which meant...like with Heartless and Nobodies, those things were once human. But where did they come from?

So distracted by their thoughts while Aqua kept a firm grip of Shelke and Shalua, the group failed to sense movement near them until it was too late as a corridor of darkness appeared. But rather an attack aimed at them, it was aimed skyward and when Sora and the others looked up to see what the dark blast was being aimed at, to their shock it was Caius who blocked it as he intended a surprise attack but was surprised himself.

"Caius!" The group grunted, and stood in fighting stances and prepared to fight.

The man in question landed gently on the ground, glaring at both Sora and his friends and whoever was in the Corridor of Darkness that appeared out of nowhere.

"You were fools to believe everything will end in your favor...Every single one of you." Caius growled dangerously. "Soon the War will begin, and all shall blame you for reawakening the Calamity."

"What do you mean!?" Sora demanded. Didn't Caius catch a break or something? He knew that this guy was beyond reasoning, but Caius didn't make any sense at all.

"Gods with Hearts of cruelty will fight against Gods with Hearts of kindness, and even then, not only the Realm of Light will be destroyed, but all dimensions of the same Realm of different Alternate Realms will soon follow, and now those Realms are slowly becoming even more connected." The purple-haired man explained, which made both Strelitzia and Serah gasp in shock.

"Even the one...that I went into?" Strelitzia muttered in horror, before shaking her head and denied, not wanting to believe any of it. "No! That's not true!"

Caius said nothing to Strelitzia's comment. Instead he turned his attention to Serah and warned, "You know as well as I do what will happen if Time is distrupted, Serah Farron."

"Even so, there has to be a way to stop this! Why, Caius? Why don't you see that everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Chaos and Bhunivelze from getting what they want?" Serah tried to reason.

"Because no matter what they do, their fates are almost exactly the same. There is one exception to that rule, but even then there is no guarantee for true peace life. In the end, only Darkness will prevail unless something is sorted out." Caius warned, turning his attention to Sora, and told him, "Your very existance is what caused everything to come to an end, Sora."

Sora glared hard, demanding, "Am I supposed to believe that after everything my friends and I went through?" though there was the hint of doubt creeping in his voice. What if Caius was right? Was it really his own fault that everything's messed up?

"Soon you will find out..." Caius nodded, then turned his attention to Shelke and Shalua, adding, "Just as there are traitors among you. One of them whom has murdered Strelitzia and took her place."

"Traitor...?" Shelke muttered, confusion on what Caius was talking about. Strelitzia gasped in shock when she heard this. Could that be right?

Lea's eyes widened as well as realization began to creep up, but before he could even think of what to say, Caius grunted again before vanishing into darkness and the redhead shouted, "Hey, get back here!"

But it was too late as Caius was gone.

"...There's a traitor among us...? How is that possible?" Shalua muttered, disbelief forming on her expression.

"Whether Caius was speaking the truth or not, is left to debate. However, I cannot help but acknowledge that Lamuria and Arlene are the candidates." Shelke muttered, deep in thought.

Sora's group gazed at them, before turning to gaze at whoever it was that saved them from Caius. The person who stepped out was someone they didn't expect to see again and the real shock and horror filled their expressions. The familiar dark skinned man, those golden eyes, the silver hair, and...a black coat that belonged to Organization XIII.

"Xehanort's Heartless!?" Mickey exclaimed in shock, before glaring and stood in defense along with his friends to fight, just in case. Yet as they did, he couldn't help but sense that something was different and familiar within Xehanort's Heartless-Aka: Ansem the Seeker of Darkness. Riku felt the same thing as his eyes narrowed. But it couldn't be...could it?

Xehanort's Heartless did not say anything, or even smirk evilly like he normally would. Instead, he wordlessly closed his eyes as darkness formed and evoloped all around him and the group tensed. But when the darkness faded away, the real shock, confusion and disbelief took place as their eyes widened the size of plates. While the Black Coat was still in place, the body was different...at least the head was. Serah and Strelitzia shared a glance, while Shelke and Shalua were admittedly shocked and confused at what they were seeing.

But most shocked one of all was Mickey who felt deja vu kick in, and so did Riku and Roxas. In place of Xehanort's Heartless was a tall man, close to his fifties, short blond hair with a matching small beard and orange eyes, the same man who Sora, Riku, Mickey, Roxas, and Lea never thought they would see again, and it has been a year and a half already.

Mickey felt faint, and he could've sworn he almost dropped his Keyblade in absolute shock and disbelief, and for a brief moment thought this was just an illusion, a trick, or simply a dream. Was this even real? Or was it another of Ardyn's tricks? Aced's, maybe? Or Caius's? A new enemy disguising themselves? Was Xehanort still alive and simply trying to trick him and his friends?

"Who are you?" Aqua asked, suspiciously. While the powers within this man to transform into the Heartless of Xehanort was the same as Xehanort's darkness, there was no evidence of the dead evil Keyblade Master within this man, except for a small and extremely weak speck of it within this man's Heart. Yet there was some Light within him and while she was wiry, she didn't sense any real danger from him.

Neither did Terra, as he added, "How did you do that?"

"...Are you...?" Riku trailed off, not sure whether this was who he thought it was. It felt like him, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"...King Mickey, Sora, Riku, Roxas, and Axel. It's been too long." The man spoke at last after the moment of silence.

The King felt his heart race, his bottom lip quivering as the urge to cry began to swell up. Still, just to make sure, Mickey approached the man with caution while the others stood firmly in place, just in case. When the King approached him, the man bend down to his height level and held out a hand to him as though sensing what the Mouse was trying to do. Mickey hesitately placed his hand into the man's and after taking taking a deep breath to brace himself, closed his eyes as the man smiled warmly at him.

In Mickey's vision, he saw the same man holding hands with him, not a trace of anyone else. The King opened his eyes and with his heart telling him that this was indeed whom he knew it was, tears quickly formed as Mickey couldn't hold it back anymore.

It was him; Ansem the Wise.

"Ansem...it's you...It's really you!" Mickey sobbed, as he hugged Ansem around the neck and cried on his shoulder. It was too much for him and the sadness of the thought of never seeing his old friend again was slowly becoming replaced with relief. It eased his heart, knowing that Ansem was safe and alive.

"I am sorry, my friend." Ansem muttered as guilt rose in his heart, and he gently hugged the younger ruler back to comfort him. It has been too long since they were this close, and the fact that Mickey was crying made him feel even worse. The younger King really must have been on mourning.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Mickey cried harder, not wanting to let go as though he was afraid that Ansem would simply vanish or that this really was a dream.

"Ansem the Wise..." Riku breathed in shock.

"It _is_ Ansem the Wise! He's okay!" Sora exclaimed in relief. Last time he'd seen Ansem was when the man had sacrificed himself to damage Xemnas' Kingdom Hearts a year ago. He knew how Ansem's supposed demise hurt Mickey and while he hadn't admit it, the younger King had been mourning for the loss. It hadn't helped that Aced kidnapped Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis.

"Wait...he's Ansem the Wise?" Aqua asked in disbelief and shock.

"How is he still alive?" Terra questioned Lea.

"I have no idea." The redhead replied, just as lost as the others were. He remembered, as Axel, that Ansem was engulfed by the explosion of the device the older man had used to try and absorb Kingdom Hearts. That explosion also resulted in not only restoring Riku back to his normal self, but also, along with Cosmos' help and the wishes of his friends, Axel and Lea rejoined and restored as one. "I thought the explosion took him out."

"Hold on...This is the same Ansem you told us about?" Serah asked, shocked as she remembered when, at her and Strelitzia's first meeting with the group in Twilight Town, they had mentioned of Mickey's friend having sacrificed himself.

"How is he here? Unless Ansem the Wise was brought back the same way I was." Strelitzia thought, while Isa was speechless as he gazed at Lea who sensed this and looked at his childhood friend and shruggged.

Donald and Goofy were both speechless and when they both shared a glance, the latter just shrugged cluelessly. On the other hand, they were feeling emotional for their childhood friend and King who had also been close to Ansem the Wise.

Roxas didn't know how he should feel. Sure he heard of DiZ being Ansem and his actions and had seen everything through Sora before becoming a full human and even heard Ansem's apology for everything he did to him, but the young former Nobody wasn't certain if he should feel glad that the King has his old friend back, or furious in seeing the man who messed up with his memories just to merge with Sora again.

Mickey by then had began to calm down, but he wasn't quite ready to end the embrace just yet. He wanted this moment to last a bit longer. Sure Ansem made mistakes, but Mickey had long forgiven him, even before his old friend even asked for forgiveness. While he had been angry with him for not telling Mickey about the situation or come to him when things got so bad, but when he heard Ansem's reasons and how the older man had come to realize his mistakes and how much it made him feel guilty, Mickey understood and forgiven him. He couldn't help with revenge against Xehanort, but he certainly had been wanting to make sure Ansem made it home and was glad he'd been okay.

He had wanted to save him from the explosion, but Ansem's Heart chose to remain behind to give Mickey himself, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy and Lea the chance to finish off Xemnas. Mickey had respected Ansem since the day they met, and for a long time saw him as a very close friend, an advisor, a wise and kind ruler, and like Yen Sid, a parent figure.

Eventually, though, he knew this moment couldn't last forever. Sniffling and calming down, Mickey reluctantly let go and felt that Ansem was reluctant to do the same, before the younger King asked, "Where've you been? I thought that gadget blew you up."

"I admit I had thought I would be sent to my demise as well." Ansem nodded in agreement. "Instead, I was sent away into the Realm of Darkness and found myself wandering for a year after that."

Mickey's heart sank when he heard this. "I'm so sorry, Ansem. If I'd known, I woulda come save ya a lot sooner. It's all my fault." He apologized.

"No it is not." Ansem ensured him, placing a hand onto his friend's shoulder. "Had I known Braig's treachery and known the origins of Xehanort, I would have not taken him in as my apprentince. Ienzo blames himself as well."

"Ienzo? You met up with him in Radiant Garden?" Mickey asked, surprised.

"Only a short time ago, actually." Another familiar voice answered before Ansem could. Speak of the devil.

Mickey and the others looked and saw Queen Minnie, Daisy, Kairi, Xion, Skuld, Ven, Myde and, to everyone else's except Ansem's shock and confusion, a rather exhausted Ienzo who had spoken, a tired and relieved Namine, and a bit traumatized Von Drake approach.

"Namine?" Roxas and Lea both muttered in confusion and shock.

"Ienzo and the Professor?" Goofy asked, confused.

"Right...the Professor and gang. Thanks for coming back...too late." Von Drake sarcastically said, spinning in disorientation before collapsing onto the ground comically.

"What happened? Are Leon and the others okay?" Sora asked, quickly worried for the others in Radiant Garden.

"Leon, Yuna, Paine and Rikku are okay, and Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, Cid and Merlin aren't hurt. But Even, Aeleus and Dilan...they've been kidnapped." Namine answered.

"What!?" Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Aqua, Terra, Serah and Strelitzia exclaimed in shock, while Shelke and Shalua shared a glance.

"Who did this?" Lea demanded, angrily. Whoever it was that attacked his friends, especially one of his adoptive sisters, he was going to make them pay.

"Perhaps it's best I explain somewhere else." Ansem suggested.

"Good idea, and in a meantime, we'll hav'ta make sure these two don't get away. They've got a lotta explainin' to do." Mickey agreed while turning to glare at the two young women. The fact that Shelke had spilled the beans in her and her sister working with Lamuria and Arlene confirmed the suspicions that they too worked for Aced and that meant they knew where Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis were.

He then whistled out and right on cue, the magical brooms approached which came as a surprise to Isa, Serah, Strelitzia, Terra and Myde who looked amazed.

"Guards, keep an eye out on these two and tie 'em up with the ropes." Mickey commanded firmly. The Brooms obeyed his command and stomped over to Shelke and Shalua who decided that fighting was futile, especially since, after hearing what Caius said earlier, both began to doubt the motives of their comrades. Instead, after Aqua released them from the Keyblade's chains reluctantly, they allowed the magical 'guards' surround them and stood tightly around the two young women.

Myde let out an impressed whistle as he saw the preformance. "Now that's really cool. You don't see that every day." He admitted, before asking, "Um, but what about the other guards?"

"Well, every guard in the Castle are these fellas and uh...I've brought them to life when I was Master Yen Sid's Apprentice." Mickey admitted sheepishly.

"I remember the Queen summoning them to send Pete to another dimension." Aqua recalled, giggling and Minnie giggled at that memory as well.

Once they were certain that Shelke and Shalua made no attempts of escaping, everyone followed Mickey back to the castle while helping to clean up the mess the monsters made around town along the way. Though both Sora and Strelitzia still had their minds on the single monster that attacked the other monsters and what it said about Light, as well as thinking of Caius's words about other Alternate Universes beginning to merge with their Dimension.

And the War of the Gods...was it already beginning to start?

* * *

Half an hour later, everyone met up in the Throne Room where the entrance to the Hall of the Cornerstone was once again sealed off just in case. Shelke and Shalua were both tied up in ropes and secured by the Enchanted Brooms for questioning a little later once the group would find out what happened in Radiant Garden.

So far, Namine, Ienzo and Von Drake got to the part where Ardyn and Blaine had told them about fragments of Xehanort's Heart and the plot they had learned, which resulted shock from Sora's group.

"Whaaaaaat!?" Sora, Mickey, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Riku, Ven, Lea, Isa, Myde, Skuld, Terra, Aqua, Serah, Strelitzia and Chirithy who appeared to join the conversation, exclaimed in shock and horror.

"Those lowlifes!" Sora grunted angrily shortly after.

"Wait a minute. Wasn't Blaine one of the new Foretellers along with you, Ven, Ephemer, and either Lauriam or Strelitzia?" Kairi asked Skuld who nodded, just as shocked as the others were.

"...That's right." Skuld answered, feeling more memories return to her as she explained, "Blaine was the fourth person to appear after the Keyblade War. But for some reason, he sided with Lauriam and betrayed us. I don't know how he would have survived or why he was brought back to side with Ardyn."

Sora thought about what he heard in the dream he had earlier, and thought that it was because Blaine and Lauriam were responsible for awakening Bhunivelze for the second time and caused things to get even worse to the point of Ven using the X-Blade, and everything that's happened after that. Wait...Lauriam and Blaine went into deep sleep after awakening the God, just like Ava said. Could it be possible that Blaine has sided with Chaos and Ardyn and Caius are looking into reviving-

"That means Ardyn has tricked Caius." Sora muttered, causing his friends to glance at him as he explained, "Think about it. Caius is blaming us for things that had gotten so bad, and he doesn't seem like he wants things to be destroyed, right?"

"...That's true. Caius has atoned before by staying behind in the Unseen Realm. But then he somehow escaped and now sides with Ardyn who has Blaine with him and that he tried to kidnap Namine and the others..." Serah gasped in realization, "Caius doesn't know that Ardyn has manipulated him into trying to stop us while doing something terrible!"

"But if it ain't Aced and Xehanort's gone with only pieces of 'im, then must be somebody else who's their leader, right?" Goofy thought, worriedly after thinking hard about it.

"I bet this has Chaos' name written all over it." Lea growled angrily, clutching his fist that shook while he tried to keep his anger in check. "Who else but that guy?"

"And Maleficent wouldn't want anyone like Ardyn or Blaine either." Donald agreed.

"But if Ardyn and Blaine are after Namine, the pieces of Xehanort's Heart that had scattered and left unchecked in the Realm of Sleep, and even Ienzo, Even, Aeleus and Dilan..." Mickey began, before gasping in realization, "That means they're gonna try and do what Xehanort did; to summon and open up Kingdom Hearts, and the only way to do that is..."

"The X-Blade!" The worldly travellers finished in horrified unison.

"Of course...if they are intending to to this, only Chaos would want such destruction, and to do that is to recreate the War in Xehanort's place. He wants to use vessels and seven hearts of pure light to achieve this goal and with Namine having the power over memories, my theory is that he, Ardyn and Blaine intend of replacing our memories or whatever else they wish to do with her." Ienzo realized firmly.

"Well, that's just great." Myde said sarcastically as he groaned in dismay. "How much worse can this get?"

Kairi then gasped before muttering in realization, "The dreams...that's what they're trying to tell me."

"Kairi?" Sora asked, worriedly.

"Remember the dreams I've told you guys about? It's starting to make sense. Chaos and Bhunivelze were in my nightmares, and that bright light, and the latest one stealing the light from my heart...they're going to use Kingdom Hearts!" Kairi told them which had everyone gasp in shock as well.

"Oh no! That means you and the other Princesses are in danger!" Mickey exclaimed in realizaiton.

A tensed pause.

"Okay, it just got worse." Myde groaned, slumping.

"There's something I still don't get." Roxas spoke up, turning to Ansem the Wise and asked, "What happened after you disappeared in that explosion and sent into the Realm of Darkness?"

"As I had mentioned, I was wandering in the Realm of Darkness with this coat as my only protection. Yet, at the time my memories were washed away at the time. Until sometime ago, while you were all travelling across the worlds and I can only surmise it was after you defeated Xehanort for good, that I had come across a warm light, and a young woman named Lunafreya." Ansem explained.

"Lunafreya? Noct's girlfriend who he calls Luna?" Lea asked, blinking in confusion. He remembered Noctis mention her back at Olympus before Caius sent Captain Jack Sparrow into the Locker in the latter's Homeworld.

"And a warm light...did it come from her as well?" Isa inquired.

"No. It belonged to someone else; a Goddess as I was told. It was that light that my memories had returned, and Lady Lunafreya helped me escape the Realm of Darkness. After that, I was told that of the situation of what was happening, by the young woman herself...and Lightning Farron." Ansem answered.

"Lightning? You've seen her?" Serah asked, feeling hope rise in her heart. "I've been looking for her!"

"I know. I was requested to watch over you and Strelitzia for a little while before I sensed that Ardyn would arrive in Radiant Garden." Ansem nodded.

Strelitzia's eyes widened as memories came back to her; of her and Serah's journey in finding Sora and the others.

 _Flash-Backs: During the events of "Second Life: Strelitzia's Story"..._

 _ **In the world of Swan Lake...**_

 _Just as Strelitzia was about to follow Serah and Chirithy into the Corridor of Light after saying goodbye to Odette, Derek and their friends, she sensed movement and looked behind her to see a figure in a Black Coat who then vanished through a Corridor of Darkness. She blinked in suspicion, wondering who that was. A new enemy, perhaps?_

 _ **In Midgar...**_

 _While Serah giggled, and both Cloud and Rude smirked and Snow chuckled at the scene of Elena critizing Reno over her and Tseng's relationship while the said redhead tried to apologise and held his hands up in surrender, Strelitzia gasped before spinning around and saw, on top of the metal beams, was the familiar figure in the Black Coat who again disappeared._

 _Who in the worlds was he?_

 _ **In Agrabah...**_

 _Having had help from the mysterious figure who helped her and Aladdin escape the Cell that Nasira's possessed guards locked them both into, Strelitzia tried to tell the cloaked figure to wait, but he was already gone by then._

 _ **In Gummi Glen...**_

 _While Strelitzia, Serah and the Gummi Bears watched Kevin speak to Princess Calia, her father the King and the guards while the boy kept to his promise in not revealing the existance of the Gummi Bears, the young Keyblade Wielder again noticed the figure near the Castle before he turned and vanished without a trace. Was he spying on her and Serah? For what reason?_

 _ **In the Keyblade Graveyard...**_

 _As the figure who revealed his face as Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness who hasn't told his name to Strelitzia or Serah, had blocked Garland's attack but was knocked back and crashed into the ground himself and while Garland made his escape after telling that he will be waiting for the two young women, Strelitzia and Serah ran up to him and cradled him gently in their arms as he grunted and hissed in pain._

 _"You...you saved us. Why...why did you do that?" Strelitzia asked in disbelief and concern._

 _"It was...to atone for my...actions." Ansem panted, "Do not worry. I will be alright. You and Serah...must go stop Garland...before he destroys the Realm of Light."_

 _"Why? Who are you?" Serah asked._

 _"I am no one. Just a castaway from the Darkness." The man replied._

End of Flash-Backs;

"...It was you." Strelitzia realized as it finally made sense to her. "You were watching over us, because Serah's sister asked you to, and you saved us from Garland's attack before we both defeated him for good."

"That's right. I am sorry for not revealing myself sooner." Ansem replied, looking away slightly.

The young ginger-haired girl shook her head, "I understand. You looked out for us through our journey to find Sora and to stop Garland...Thank you, Wise Ansem."

Surprised by the gratitude and that Serah nodded in agreement to that, Ansem smiled a little and nodded back.

"Ansem, you were tasked to watch over them. But what about the power to turn yourself into Xehanort's Heartless like Riku did?" Mickey inquired.

"I can only surmise that the remains of Xehanort's Heartless had been away from Riku's heart and thus restoring him to his true self, and found their way into me instead. While I cannot sense or evil Xehanort's heart within me, the darkness enables me to do what Riku did, and I am able to keep it at bay, while being allowed to being able to fight. However, I know that I cannot keep doing this forever." Ansem told him.

"Are you aware of what happened in the Realm of Sleep?" Terra inquired.

"I was told, but I was not there when it happened." The older man answered.

"So the Ansem we saw was him before he was defeated and brought into the future by Xehanort, and was sent back in time. And seeing he hasn't mention anything about that to anyone, I guess everyone who were brought into the future returned to their own times and lost their memories." Riku thought.

"So you kept on watching us until you realized that the others in Radiant Garden were in trouble and then went to at least rescue three of them, right?" Lea questioned with a quirked eye-brow.

* * *

 _ **Back when Ienzo and the others were knocked out...**_

"This is...this is absurd!" Even exclaimed, glaring at the apparent Keyblade wielder of Darkness.

Blaine didn't say anything. Instead he held up his Keyblade in the air and simply chanted, "Sleep."

By this magic spell, all except Ardyn were covered by Blaine's magic and no matter how hard they tried...no one could resist the Sleeping Spell, and the last thing Namine and her allies saw were the two evil men slowly approach before their world went black.

"Well, this makes things far easier than we thought. Shall we go take our guests to Chaos?" Ardyn smirked evilly to Blaine who returned it with a smirk of his own.

"At least Namine used to be half of Kairi, right? So it made her one of the new Princesses of Pure Light." Blaine inquired.

"Maybe, though she did have the power to summon a Corridor of Darkness, so it's not possible. Yet her power over controlling and re-arranging memories can be useful." Ardyn shrugged, only for him and his companion to frown deeply when a pillar of darkness suddenly appeared in front of them, between the two men and the unconscious group even though Leon was knocked out behind them.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" A figure in a dark voice demanded, in a black coat that could only belong to Organization XIII. His hood was up, so they couldn't see his face.

"That's my question, bozo." Blaine grunted, holding a tight grip on his Keyblade.

"I would kindly pardon you to move and step away from our guests...Ansem." Ardyn smiled dangerously.

The figure gasped in shock. How did this man-Of course. Grunting, he slid down his hood to reveal his face, of that of Xehanort's Heartless; Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness. Yet, that wasn't who he really was. He was Ansem the Wise, under the same power as Riku had a year ago.

"I had thought you were much more clever than anticipated, Ardyn Izunia. Especially how you and Caius attempted to meddle with the minds of Serah Farron and Strelitzia, but failed because of the light within their hearts." Ansem frowned deeply.

"And I knew you were keeping an eye on them. You think you can fool me with the power to disguise yourself, which I admit is impressive. But in the end, not even YOU will stop our ultimate goal." Ardyn smirked back.

"You will not! Any world of yours or Chaos and Bhunivelze will be an Empire of ignorance, blankfulness and no emotions. Like Xehanort, you, Chaos and Bhunivelze are destined fall! I will not allow you to take Namine, Ienzo or anyone else!" Ansem bellowed.

Ardyn and Blaine, who was confused at this, both just smirked as they found Ansem's bravery to be foolish and amusing. So the two stood in position as Ardyn summoned energy around him; the same kind of power that Noctis has before sending them towards Ansem who blocked it with the power of darkness and responded by casting an Orb of Darkness right back. But Blaine blocked it with his Keyblade. By the time he dismantled it, Blaine and Ardyn frowned deeply as Ansem used this to pick up the unconscious bodies of Namine and Ienzo, glaring hard at the two villains.

"Attempting to defend those who betrayed you and the girl whom you wished to dispose because of her original existance as a Nobody? You have become too soft Ansem. Just like Sora." Ardyn mocked cruelly.

"That was a long time ago. Things are different and I know that they side with Sora who has saved them from Xehanort's influence. I will not allow you to take them!" Ansem yelled back, though he knew it would be difficult considering how he still had to protect Even, Aeleus and Dilan as well. He had to save all five of them from Chaos' clutches.

"Is this guy for real?" Blaine scoffed.

"Perhaps it's old age that has gotten to him. After all, old aging can make one utterly foolish." Ardyn chuckled, before disappearing instantly via darkness and while Ansem gasped as he looked around for any trace of the man, the magenta-haired man suddenly reappeared and held out a sword at Ansem's back. Sensing it, Ansem held a firm grip on Namine and Ienzo and leaped away to avoid in getting stabbed, only to be hit in the chest by Blaine who whacked him with his Keyblade and sent him, Namine and Ienzo flying and crashing into the wall where the teleporter to inside the Computer rested. Despite this Ansem prevented himself from falling and casted another orb of darkness at the two men who blocked it once more.

Then, Ardyn and Blaine relaxed their postures and held half victorious grins as darkness began to evolope around the unconscious forms of Even, Aeleus and Dilan, which made Ansem realize too late of what was happening and grunted, mentally smacking himself for falling to their tricks.

"Fine. You can keep the little witch and that orphaned traitor. But we'll be taking these three with us and gather more vessels for our goal. Until we meet again, Ansem." Ardyn spoke, waving a farewell as he, Blaine who laughed evilly, and their three unconscious prisoners vanish into darkness.

Ansem hissed, slamming a fist against the wall behind him in anger. How could he have fallen for that? Now three of his former Apprentinces will again be forced to serve for evil and darkness. Sighing as he knew there wasn't much he could do now, Ansem instead turned his attention on those who he managed to save who, along with everyone else under Blaine's spell which now that the evil young wielder wasn't around, was broken. Thus it allowed Namine, Ienzo, Leon, Von Drake, Yuna, Rikku and Paine to awaken.

So Ansem did his best to make Namine and Ienzo a bit more comfortable before moving away and went to stand in front of the door leading towards the Chamber of Repose. He had thought of simply disappearing, but then decided against it. No doubt Ienzo and the others would want an explaination, and while it would be uneasy at first, it was time to make things right with those who he hurt and those who had betrayed him but were now on Sora's side.

Feeling sore and tired, Ienzo felt a bit disorientated as he placed a hand to his forehead as a sense of deja vu kicked in. Almost immediately, as his vision began to clear, his memories came flooding back and blinked in confusion. He looked around and noticed Namine moaning as she woke up as well, before seeing Leon, Von Drake, Yuna, Rikku and Paine also waking up.

But Even, Aeleus and Dilan...they were missing, and there were no trace of Ardyn or Blaine.

"Now that was some kooky nap." Von Drake grumbled, before his memories returned and immediately leaped to his feet and clutches his fists while demanding as he imagined in fighting the bad guys, "Where are those-those evil villains? I'll give them a punch of their lives!"

"I'll bet they'll go running and screaming to their parents." Paine remarked sarcastically. "What did happen to them?"

"Yeah, and where are those big guys and that cranky old man of a scientist?" Rikku added, taking notice the absence of Even, Aeleus and Dilan.

Realization quickly dawned as Leon approached Ienzo and Namine who shakily stood up, with the young teenage girl saying, "Those two men must have taken them...! But...they were gonna take us too. Why are we still here?"

"Excellent question. It is strange." Ienzo agreed. He was about to look at Leon to inquire if the man had somehow resisted Blaine's Sleeping spell when he finally noticed that while the said five are missing, they had another company. Someone quite familiar; Ansem stood there watching.

"Xehanort's Heartless!?" Namine exclaimed in horror while Ienzo tensed and Leon stood in front of both of them, Gunblade ready. Yuna and Rikku both gasped while Paine blinked suspiciously and Von Drake, having heard tales of the adventures of the past two years, screamed and leaped into Paine's arms, quivering in fear while the said young woman raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

Ansem said nothing, and instead closed his eyes as darkness formed and evoloped all around him and the group tensed. But when the darkness faded away, the real shock kicked in. Right before their eyes and, as heard from Sora's group of what happened to Riku before the latter was restored to normal, was the true form of Ansem. They weren't certain if this was real or not.

"Who's he?" Yuna asked, confused.

"...Master Ansem?" Ienzo stuttered, unable to believe what he was seeing. The man, whom had adopted and raised him since the day his mother and father had died, the one he betrayed due to have been young and foolish, and thought to have died...was standing right there.

"Ansem the Wise? How can this be?" Leon muttered, his eyes wide as he lowered his Gunblade.

"You're really here?" Namine asked, hesitatedly. She still had a slight fear of Ansem, remembering how, via Riku and Axel explaining, wanted to get rid of her once she fixed up Sora's memories and Roxas merged with him.

"Am I the only one lost here?" Rikku asked her two friends who shook their heads along with Von Drake, just as clueless.

"Are all of you alright?" Ansem inquired after a moment of pause.

"Yeah, we're fine, sir." Leon replied awkwardly.

Ienzo was silent. He didn't know how to even speak to his former mentor as his heart ached of the guilt which he felt upon awakening and learning of had happened earlier by Mickey and the others. To see that Ansem the Wise was alive, made his guilt grow. How can he even face the man whom he utterly betrayed?

"Ansem...how are you here?" Namine asked, nervously.

"It is a long story, Namine. And to answer the whereabouts of the others...I'm afraid I was unable to stop Ardyn and his new accomplince from abducting them." Ansem answered.

"How do you know him?" The former Nobody asked.

"As I said, it's a long story." Ansem began, before explaining everything that has happened to him up until this point as everyone in the room listened in carefully on what he had to say. When he finished, they understood.

"You were able to at least save us..." Ienzo muttered, looking away as he tried to hold in his emotions. "Yet...I don't believe I deserve to be saved by you...not after...what ever the crimes I committed."

"Ienzo..." Namine muttered, worriedly as she understood where the other former Nobody was talking about and why he was feeling uncomfortable. She wasn't comfortable with this either.

Ansem sighed, knowing what Ienzo was feeling. Yes he had been furious, but he realized that the ones he really should have been furious with were Braig and Xehanort, the latter having been actually older than Ansem himself but in Terra's body. Other than that, while he was disappointed in him, Ienzo had only been a child back then...who didn't even deserve to have his life ruined as it had been bad enough to begin with. Ansem remembered the day he saw Ienzo alone in town, orphaned by the deaths of his parents and no one to take him in. He remembered having approached the boy, feeling sympathy for him, and when he discovered of what had happened, the ruler had taken it upon himself to take care of Ienzo with the help of his other Apprentinces.

Ansem had grown to care for him...not only as an Apprentince, but as a son.

"Ienzo..." Ansem began as he approached the younger man who had grown up from an orphaned boy into an intellegent and fine young man.

"Master Ansem...I...I am so sorry...I'm so sorry for betraying you...!" Ienzo began to hyperlate and break down, unable to hold in his emotions any longer, uncharacteriztically crying. He knew he wouldn't be having forgiveness, but this was the man who had saved him from the streets, and he had betrayed him.

"Ienzo...I am to blame for the outcome of what happened. Had I not taken in Xehanort, none of this would have happened." Ansem sighed, gently placing his hands onto the younger man's shoulders. "While I am disappointed in you...you were only a child back then...and Xehanort had fooled us all. I forgive you, Ienzo, and I am sorry for causing you and everyone else pain."

Ienzo felt some relief of being forgiven, but it still hurt that had done so and while Ansem was right about Xehanort...the younger scientist wanted now to atone for betraying his mentor. Which was why he was surprised when Ansem hugged him, to give him comfort. Hesitating a little, Ienzo hugged him back. This was the closest touch they had since the time they met. Deep down, Ansem had been a father to him.

Namine felt the moisture of tears form in her eyes at the scene. She never knew that Ienzo and Ansem had been close before Xehanort attacked. It was a touching moment. Leon looked away, feeling awkward. Yuna and Rikku both both felt emotional themselves, the latter sniffling and trying not to cry. Paine smiled a little and Von Drake scratched the top of his head.

After a moment, the two men let go as Ienzo calmed down. Ansem in the meantime turned to Namine who cringed slightly in fear.

"Namine...I am also deeply sorry for treating you the way I had." Ansem told her.

Seeing how Ansem wasn't hostile to her, Namine nodded with a small smile of her own. "It's alright, Wise Ansem. I forgive you." She replied.

"Master Ansem, do you know what else is happening?" Ienzo inquired.

"Yes, I do. Which is why Chaos and his allies must be stopped before Bhunivelze awakens once more, and with Ardyn obeying Chaos, Sora and his friends are in mortal danger." Ansem replied firmly.

"Our other allies have to be warned about this too. Especially Cloud and Zack." Leon spoke up this time. "Not only that, Aced has kidnapped Yen Sid and two other guys; Angel and Genesis."

"We have to warn them before it's too late." Namine realized, before sighing. "Problem is, Sora and the others could be anywhere by now."

"Do not worry. I have a feeling I know where they are going." Ansem informed them and told the group what the next plan was.

* * *

 _ **Back when Kairi and the others are protecting Queen Minnie...**_

It wasn't long after Sora and the others went into town to see what was going on, as Kairi, Xion, Skuld, Ven and Minnie were anxiously waiting for their return. Even Myde was on edge as he paced back and forth.

' _Sora, Riku...everyone. Please be okay._ ' Kairi pleaded in her mind. She knew they would be fine, but she couldn't stop fearing the worst.

"...1 missipie, 2 missipie, 3 missipie..." Myde randomly began to count, which earned him confused stares from the others.

"Myde, why are you counting like that?" Ven asked, puzzled.

"So I don't go hysterical." The mullet-haired man replied.

"Oh, Myde. We're all worried. But we have to be calm and have faith in everybody." Minnie ensured the young man before sighing. "I just wish I knew why all of these awful things keep happening."

"We all do, Your Majesty." Xion told her.

"Even though we have learned quite a lot, there's still many more things we're missing. Nothing will settle down until this journey is over." Skuld sighed, before she and the others flinched as they sensed darkness beginning to form behind them.

The six of them spun around and saw a Corridor of Darkness open up. Tensed, Kairi, Xion, Skuld and Ven quickly summoned their Keyblades while Myde summoned his Sitar, all five of the worldly travellers standing to defend the Queen who gasped in fear and shock. To their great confusion and new shock, a familiar old man, followed by a worn out Ienzo, Namine and nervous Von Drake emerged while the Corridor disappeared behind them.

"Ansem the Wise!?" Kairi and Xion exclaimed in shock and confusion.

"Uh...who?" Myde asked, confused.

"Namine, Ienzo and Professor Von Drake?" Ven asked, surprised and confused, sharing a glance with Skuld.

"Are you okay?" Namine asked hurriedly, racing over to her friends and former Original self who along with Xion hugged her in relief.

"We're fine. But, what happened?" Kairi asked her former Nobody, worriedly.

"We were attacked by Ardyn and an ally of his and Wise Ansem had saved most of us." Ienzo explained.

"It has been too long, Kairi, Xion and Roxas." Ansem greeted, and like many others, he mistook Ven for Roxas.

Ven blinked in confusion, then realized what the older man had said and apologetically corrected him, "Um, actually sir, Roxas is with Sora and the others right now. I'm Ventus, but you can call me Ven."

Blinking in surprise until realization kicked in, Ansem nodded, "My apologizes, Ventus. You look exactly like Sora and Roxas, or perhaps it should be the other way around." Before noticing Skuld, Myde and the Queen and inquiring, "And I take you are Queen Minnie. King Mickey has spoken about you."

"It's an honor to meet you too, Wise Ansem." Minne replied warmly, giving the older ruler a curtsy.

"Wait, this is Ansem? As in, Ansem the Wise Ansem? The REAL Ansem guy?" Myde asked, shocked beyond believe as he pointed at the older man who raised a skeptical eyebrow while Ienzo placed a hand to his face in exasperation. Kairi, Namine, Xion, Skuld and Ven shook their heads, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Where had his parents been all this time?" Von Drake groaned, mentally wondering where Myde had learned his manners from.

"Ha, ha. Real classic." Myde muttered sarcastically, before quickly covering his mouth with his hands as he remembered he was in a room with two royals at the moment.

"Our apologises with Myde, sir. He tends...well, it's a long story." Skuld spoke to Ansem with respect. To think that Ansem the Wise was alive was a miracle.

"It's quite alright, young lady. I may though ask who you are..." Ansem replied.

"My name is Skuld. I recently began to travel with Sora and everyone else." Skuld introduced herself.

"Where is Sora and the others?" Ienzo questioned.

"They're in town fighting monsters that suddenly appeared. The rest of us stayed behind to protect the Queen." Ven replied, before adding worriedly, "Though they should've been back by now."

Kairi felt the same thing before her eyes narrowed as determination formed inside her heart.

Thankfully, Namine felt the same because she said, "There's something everyone has to know; it's about Ardyn and Chaos, and another Keyblade wielder who's on their side."

This shocked Kairi's group, which was enough for them to make the final decision, and with Ansem, Ienzo and Von Drake here, maybe they might have another clue into the situation. For one thing, Sora's group were in for a huge shock when they see Ansem the Wise alive and well.

* * *

 _ **Back in the Present...**_

"Yes. Even though I had done my best, I was unable to rescue Even, Aeleus and Dilan." Ansem answered Lea's question.

"Which means we gotta figure out where to find them and save them before they end up in the plot similar to Xehanort's." Mickey realized with a serious frown. Things had just gotten more difficult and his heart raced at the fear that, while it was a huge relief that Ansem was alive, Yen Sid may not be so lucky.

"And Aced may not realize that Lamuria and Arlene are traitors, if Caius is telling the truth." Aqua nodded in agreement.

"Wouldn't it make more sense if all three of them were with Chaos too?" Myde asked.

"Nah, Aced wants to save the Realm of Light by controlling it and taking out the bad guys and us, not work for Chaos or Bhunivelze." Lea pointed out while shrugging with one arm. He then frowned as he remembered what he thought off earlier and didn't get the chance to question Caius on what he knew. "On the other hand, I think I've finally figured out who Lamuria is."

"Really? Who?" Sora asked, half curious and half concerned.

"Well, Caius said that Lamuria and Arlene are with those two as they work for Aced, right? And that one of them killed Strelitzia before the Keyblade War; But, the guy's actual name is Lauriam whom we discovered in his diary in Twilight Town. If you can form an diagram of both names and Marluxia, there is a way to arrange Lauriam even without callin' him Marluxia. You get my drift?" The redhead explained.

A pause.

"Lamuria is Lauriam?" Goofy asked.

"That's what I'm thinkin'." Lea nodded, confirming the suspicion.

"WHAAAAAAT!?" Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Myde, Ven, Strelitzia, Serah, Von Drake, and even Minnie exclaimed in shock as they, Isa, Terra, Aqua, Ienzo and Ansem all realized that Lea was right.

"...So it was him all along? And none of us knew until now?" Strelitzia asked, in utter disbelief. She hasn't yet seen Lamuria who was now identified as Lauriam, but the thought of the one who had ended her life and stolen her place as the Dandelion leader chilled her.

"So he had been lying to all of us, and why Arlene was suspicious. But Master Aced doesn't know about this." Shalua realized in shock and disgust.

"I should have known. That fool." Shelke hissed angrily, which what she and her sister said caused everyone else to turn to face them and, realizing that the conversation was now connected to the interrogation they intended on doing afterwards, knew that it was time to question them.

Now it was time to learn the truth of Aced's whereabouts and hopefully this may lead them into where he is so that they can rescue Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis.

If the three of them were still alive.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this Chapter seemed shorter, but thankfully things are starting to fully get on track. Yet things don't look good as Chaos's goal for Kingdom Hearts is slowly becoming a reality. Will Sora's group be able to accomplish the impossible and save the Realm of Light, in the similar way as their other selves in the Original Timeline which is the real Kingdom Hearts 3 coming out in two months?**

 **Only time will tell. I may not update this again until after Christmas as I have other stories to update before the end of the year, plus Christmas Shopping, plus my Mother's Birthday coming up. See you in the next chapter as soon as possible!**


	51. CH50: Secrets Unveiled

**Author's Note: When I first started writing this, I thought I would finish it before the release of the real KH3, but now it won't happen as we're still a long way to go before we reach the ending of this story and the game is really out. Plus with other stories needing to be completed, it's even harder. Not to mention daily life and such keeping me busy...well, you guys know.**

 **Anway, here's another chapter. By the way, this chapter will have more shocking(and even more confusing) spoilers from "Union X" as well as major spoilers from KH3-the real one.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

 _ **CH50: Secrets Unveiled.**_

* * *

As Arlene teleported into the forest of a random world, still injured from her recent battle against Sora, Kairi and King Mickey, she was beyond furious and frustrated. How can she have been defeated yet again by that irritating Keyblade Master? For the FOURTH time since she's met him. Even worse, Aced would be utterly disappointed in her constant failures, and on top of that, she suspected that Lamuria would've been one step ahead of her by now.

"This is so frustrating...this is all Axel's fault! ALL HIS FAULT! If I ever see that jerk again, he's going to wish _he was never born!_ " The former nymh of the Organization hissed angrily, summoning her knives and blindlessly tossed them all over the place while they sparked electricity as she yelled and screamed in fury. As she did, the trees were being hit while becoming either electrocuted or having knife marks with pieces of bark being shreded off as they went.

Even worse, no matter how hard she tried to forget it, her mind kept on rewinding to what Sora and his friends had told her in that giant world. About that revenge wouldn't make a difference and how Xehanort was the one who ruined everything.

They just don't get it. None of them have any idea what it's like to be in her or her cohort's position. Arlene, as Larxene, had been delighted to see how Sora's memories were mixed up by Namine's powers. It had been so close to over take the Organization, but Axel had suspected as much, and foiled everything because he had been really loyal to Xemnas. Even though he eventually left because of Roxas and that little puppet-turned-human, Arlene had not forgiven him for everything he's done.

Feeling exhausted and her energy spent, Arlene panted before leaning against an unscathed tree, gazing up at the towering leaves above. She then heard the wisps of winds and darkness materialize from her right, but she didn't bother to turn and look as she caught a flash of pink and silver in the corner of her eye as Lamuria emerged.

"I take that Sora has defeated you once more." The man spoke in a tone that wasn't a question but rather a statement.

"That's a understatement." The blonde-haired woman snorted, folding her arms to her chest. "What do you want?"

"...To ensure that you had not perished. Not like the last time." Lamuria replied after a moment. "You have another chance to get back to them, you know."

"They keep getting in the way with everything...! EVERTHING! You know what makes it more frustrating? They get what they wanted and most of them even stay together, no matter how much or how many times Sora ends up being the one needing to be rescued!" Arlene snapped angrily, turning to glare at him.

"And their memories are restored for the most part. Not even twelve years will make a difference compared to what has happened, and Ventus may have originized from Daybreak Town, he was not as close to Skuld or Ephemer as he is with Terra and Aqua." Lamuria nodded in agreement.

Arlene said nothing for a moment, before shrugging, "Yeah, well, neither were you...Laruiam."

"Heh...I've been wondering when you would call me by my true name." He replied, smirking. "Makes me wonder if I should do the same for you...Elrena."

"I've given up that name a long time ago. Besides, there's a female Turk named Elena except she doesn't have an 'R' in her name and I'm starting to think that maybe Xemnas added the R for me on purpose since he couldn't figure out how else to rearrange my name with the X when I become a Nobody." Arlene snorted again, slightly disgusted over the fact that, like her cohort, she had re-named herself to hide the real truth of their origins.

"Many people share certain same names, but fair enough." Lamuria, or rather Laruiam, chuckled softly. "But you're right. I wasn't close to any of them at all. Except for Blaine, but unfortunately like Sora, Ventus and Skuld, my memories are rather...supressed."

"More like mixed up like Namine mixed up Sora's." Arlene rolled her eyes. "All I remember is meeting you for the first time asking a question. But my memories are so messed up, I can't even remember if I had a sister or you were asking me if I'd seen your sister?"

Laruiam frowned as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "Unfortunately, I do not remember either. What I do know is that Strelitzia is connected and may be the key into this. But it does not change the fact that as long as Chaos, and Sora continue to get in the way, we cannot achieve our goal in getting the one that one of us lost back."

"Right now she'll have to wait. All I want is to kill those losers and that jerk so that way they won't be a bother to us. But thanks to that brat, his girlfriend and that short king of theirs, I can't even get back to Aced without him giving me a final warning which again will ruin everything." Arlene grumbled, gritting her teeth as she did.

"Which reminds me, and it may upset you even further or please you. Shelke and Shalua had been defeated and captured by Sora and his friends."

"UGH!" Arlene growled, even more frustrated before sighing as she calmed down a little. "Well, can't say I liked those two sisters. Their presence just irritates me even further. But it looks like Aced just lost three more of his own allies."

"Four, actually." Laruiam corrected. "The time has come for us to forgo him. If he wishes to dispose of us, then he has another thing coming."

"You mean play the betrayal game again, huh?" Arlene questioned, rising an eye-brow. She wasn't against going at Aced's back as she wasn't overly fond of him. She and her cohort had been playing along until this point, hoping that things would go into their favor by getting rid of Sora and his friends. Sadly that didn't turn out as planned.

"Indeed. I have found the location of the actual Book." Laruiam answered, and his companion gazed at him curiously.

"Oh yeah, where?"

The man smirked and gave her his answer.

* * *

 _ **Back at Disney Castle...**_

"Okay, you two know about this and had been working with Aced." Sora began, glaring at the two sisters that were tied up. "Why is he saying that we made many mistakes and not fit to save the Realm of Light?"

"And why has he taken Master Yen Sid?" Mickey added. "He hadn't done anything wrong either."

"Because you are all fools for not focusing on protecting the Realm of Light and instead resolved to save those who had no right to fully exist." Shelke responded, unfazed by the expressions of the group.

"Coming from two girls who worked for an old guy who, if I'm guessing correctly, messed up and ended up being part of the problem that caused the Keyblade War in the first place. If we aren't meant to exist, would that mean that we have to just other lives die just to focus on the task without any thoughts of happiness?" Lea questioned, frowning.

"And you believe releasing one of the darkest gods is what you call saving lives? Your very existence is what triggered this mess." Shalua pointed out snappishly.

"Was Master Aced watching everything we did? If so, than it was not our fault!" Strelitzia pointed out. "We were just trying to figure out what is it that Chaos would want and how to stop him from getting it and prevent Bhunivelze from awakening."

Shelke shook her head, "Master Aced has come to strong conclusion that only dominance will prevail to ensure the Realm of Light's future. Even if you fight him, you will only fail. Everything you did was completely wrong; rescusing those who are connected to Sora, when their fates had already been sealed. No matter what decision Sora would make either way, he should have just focused on power."

"That still doesn't make any sense. How was this any of Sora's fault? Xehanort's the one who caused all of this ever since twelve years ago! Back then, most of us were just children." Kairi pointed out, confused and desperate.

"Plus, Xehanort and his real Organization hijacked the Mark of Mastery and Genesis did what he could to stop them from getting to Sora and Riku. Not like with Aqua and Terra's Mark of Mastery." Mickey added.

"Not only that, if me and Roxas didn't save Axel, he wouldn't have returned as Lea a lot sooner as he did, or everything that's happened; Right now, Roxas and Xion would've still been inside me, Namine would've still been in Kairi, Aqua would've been trapped in the Realm of Darkness and maybe even taken over, and Xehanort would've still been alive and gotten his wish to start the second Keyblade War. Plus, I would've been one of the newer members of the Organization when I never wanted to and I still don't." Sora added.

"But it was your existance that still allowed Xehanort to move on with his goal." Shelke pointed out to the spiky-haired teen. "Your heart allowed the survival of Ventus the day you were born. Because of that, Xehanort was able to continue with what he intended on doing."

Sora froze in shock when the words hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn't even thought of that. Suddenly remembering what Ven told him a while back before this new mess started, he realized that he somehow helped the latter give him a second chance and Sora himself had only been a newborn back then. At least, that what Roxas told him.

"H-how was I supposed to know!? And how were my parents to know about this too!? I was just a little kid." Sora pointed out, even though he felt guilt rise inside his heart and doubt creep into his tone. "I'm not a psychic."

"You're only blaming Sora for something that isn't his fault." Aqua said sternly to the Rai sisters. She then gazed to the floor with a look of guilt on her face. "If anything, I'm the one who let things get so bad. I only wanted to save Terra, and didn't think what could've happened."

"Not everything works out the way you want, and sometimes it can go wrong. But eventually things will work out." Serah said, approaching the two as she continued. "Bhunivelze was defeated before, and he can be defeated again. Just have faith in humanity and all other life forms in the Realm of Light. It's not power that makes everything right. It's the power of love that's the key to resolve all of this."

"Not only that, but Garland is a major part of the problem. By the time Serah and I stopped him, we were too late to prevent him from breaking the seal that kept Chaos at bay." Strelitzia added, which had everyone else glance at her and Serah in confusion and shock.

"Who's Garland?" Myde asked.

"A dark being connected to Chaos and the leader of a group of villians we fought and defeated before meeting all of you in Twilight Town." Strelitzia explained. "That included Fuhito in Midgar, like Reno mentioned. They somehow knew who I was and where I came from and how I was brought back to life. Their goal other than unleashing Chaos was to destroy Xehanort and take control of all of you...especially Sora."

"Gawrsh, but it wasn't Sora's fault that things went really bad." Goofy pointed out, shrugging.

"I'm not saying it is. Garland and the other villains are gone, so don't worry about that." The female Keyblade Wielder said.

"Maybe it is my fault." Sora muttered, gazing at the floor with a look of strong guilt. "And not just here but...in other dimensions too, no matter what choice I make."

"What are you talking about?" Riku asked, confused and concerned.

Hesitating and briefly wondering if he should tell them or not, it was only a reminder of what Lea told him back in the Locker that Sora decided it was best to tell them the truth again, and he sighed while bracing himself and then explained the dream he had before he woke up in the Land of Giants with Kairi and Mickey; about meeting the other Foretellers, including Ira whom he saw in the dream before arriving at Olympus Coliseum not long after leaving Midgar, about what they told him and the other realities due to the time-line being split.

By the time he finished, everyone else, including Ienzo and Ansem were shocked to hear this and almost rendered completely speechless and not yet certain what to say about what Sora just told them. To think that what Sora had been told was horrifying enough, but other versions of themselves existing? And only two foretold positive futures of survival?

"The time-line is split...into many?" Terra asked in disbelief.

"So...am I the only one thinking we're all gonna die?" Myde asked, nervously.

"In certain time-lines, perhaps. But there's no guarantee what will become of us in our dimension." Ienzo responded.

The mullet-haired man glared at him, saying aloud which had everyone else gaze at him. "Yeah, well I didn't sign up to be told the whole thing is pointless! Not that I don't have faith in everyone else here, but I'm useless! I'm chicken!(1) The only thing I'm good at is tagging along and getting into heaps of trouble."

"Garwsh, Myde. That's not true." Goofy pointed out ensuringly. "You're a great fighter and you helped us out a lotta times."

"Still..." Myde muttered.

"There's something odd about this, though." Skuld spoke up thoughtfully, getting everyone's attention. "First Master Aced came back, then the Master of Masters, and now the rest of the Foretellers contacting Sora through dreams. It's almost as though...they making direct contact with him."

"And Xehanort's Keyblade being destroyed somehow brought the Master of Master's back because of it...how would anyone would've known about this?" Riku asked.

"Maybe Master Yen Sid would know more, but we still gotta save him, and both Angeal and Genesis." Mickey reminded, turning his attention back to the Rai sisters and said once more, "Please, you gotta tell us where they are."

"What importance are they when you have others with you?" Shelke responded coolly.

The King was fighting back tears of fear and desperation, but his pleas were undeniably unmistakable as he replied, "Because Master Yen Sid's our teacher and...and our friend too. Just like how Zack and Angeal are close to each other and we trust Genesis because he helped to protect Sora and Riku from Xehanort."

By now, Mickey clutched his fists to keep them from shaking. "I-If anything happened to everyone I care about and love...I'll-I'll never forgive myself...!"

"Oh, Mickey." Minnie said softly, approaching her distraught husband and hugged him from behind to give him the much needed comfort he desperately needed. She'd known he'd been struggling, but this was more than enough that actually began to break her heart. The fact they'd been separated for a little over a year, Mickey failed to save Aqua, Terra and Ven twelve years ago, trying to help Sora, Riku and the others, Ansem the Wise thought to have died, then Aced blocking them from coming home, and now Yen Sid taken away from him, it was no wonder Mickey was an emotional wreck.

Everyone else gazed at the King with expressions of concern, shock and sympathy and in both Ansem and Aqua's cases...lingering guilt for having Mickey go through such burdens.

Sora felt it the most and his heart hurt to see King Mickey in such a state. He never knew...but...the teenager then realized that despite their differences, they were both very much alike. If anything happened to everyone around him, Sora knew he wouldn't forgive himself either.

Both Shelke and Shalua shared a glance in muted shock at the King's honesty. To think that whether it was many or a few, it appears their enemies had such a strong bond that it would shatter their resolves if anything happened to everyone the one of them loved so much. The more they absorbed the words from Mickey into their minds, the more they began to realize...they were not much different than the two sisters themselves. Perhaps that is why they kept doing regardless to the situation.

Maybe Aced had it all wrong and he was the one being manipulated.

Finally sighing in defeat, the two Rai sisters turned their attention back to the worldly travellers and everyone else, with Shalua answering Mickey's pleading question, "The ruins of Daybreak Town. That is where you will find Master Aced's stronghold."

Everyone gazed at them in shock and surprise. But the ones that were most shocked were both Skuld and Strelitzia, while Ven slowly blinked in muted shock and familiarity.

"The ruins of Daybreak Town?" Roxas blinked.

"Where is it?" Aqua asked.

"On the other side of a world where some of you are familiar with; one where War raged and separated the world into what is known today." Shelke answered, "I'm certain you can figure that out."

"The Keyblade Graveyard." Mickey realized correctly, feeling hope and determination rise inside his chest. He should've known! That place was where everything ended and began. It was the last place on his mind to have expected Aced to hide along with Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis.

"Uh, not to sound like a pessimist here, but isn't that where Xehanort wanted to have his Keyblade War in the first place?" Lea inquired worriedly, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah...where everything changed." Ven nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure about that?" Donald asked Shelke and Shalua suspiciously, not entirely trusting on what they are saying.

The sisters ignored Donald, and instead Shelke told the group, "But even if you do rescue the captives, you're no match for Aced's power."

"That's what he thinks. I don't care how big and tough Aced is, that guy had his way long enough!" Sora declared boldly. "We beaten Xehanort, we can beat Aced! Right, guys?"

"It won't be easy, but you're right. We can't let Aced have his way any longer. Plus, we still have to be careful around the Master of Masters, Laruiam, Arlene, Ardyn, Caius and Chaos. Hopefully not Bhunivelze, but we have to brace ourselves for him too." Riku agreed.

"And there's Maleficent and Pete too." Goofy added worriedly.

"Not only that, but Even, Aeleus and Dilan need to be saved too." Namine nodded, which both Ansem and Ienzo nodded in agreement.

"However, there is no lead on their whereabouts. So it's best to focus on rescuing Yen Sid and the other two men you speak of." Ansem pointed out.

Sora and his companions shared a glance before nodding in mental agreement.

"Then we'll head over to the Keyblade Graveyard tomorrow. For now, let's rest for the day." Mickey decided, adding to his friends who were not originally from this world. "The Castle's got plenty of guest rooms for all of ya's."

"And you're all welcome here as long as you like the next time you come and visit." Minnie added, with Mickey nodded with a smile and both Donald and Goofy looked equally enthusiastic.

"Wow! Thanks, your majesties!" Sora thanked with a beaming smile, and Kairi, Roxas, Xion, Namine and Ven looked equally excited while Riku, Aqua, Terra, Lea, Isa, Skuld, Ansem, Ienzo and Myde nodded their thanks as well.

"Thank you, but it's perhaps best Ienzo and I return to Radiant Garden to continue the research until we come up with an answer in solving this." Ansem kindly declined, with Ienzo nodding in agreement.

"Plus, don't you think it'd be a good idea to let Cloud and the others know what we found?" Kairi reminded.

"Oh, right." Sora realized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, that's reminds me." Mickey suddenly remembered, and turned to his wife, asking. "Minnie, are the Gummiphones ready?"

"Of course. They have been ready since before you came back." Minnie replied.

"Gummiphones?" Sora asked, confused. He turned his gaze to Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Lea, Isa, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Skuld, Myde, Strelitzia, Mog, Chirithy and Serah who all shrugged, just as confused as he was.

Von Drake, Donald and Goofy on the other hand knew what the King and Queen were talking about and apparently so did Ienzo. So after having Shelke and Shalua follow them, they followed Mickey and Minnie to the wall next to the doors of the Library, a room which again Mickey felt re-familiarized after being away from home and unable to get back until now warmed his heart. While those who didn't know what was going on gazed at the wall in confusion, Mickey approached it and placed his hand on the wall, where his royal symbol suddenly appeared with a glow of light and a huge large square appeared before the wall vanished as it slid down into the floor, revealing a secret room.

"Cooooooool!" Sora, Lea, Roxas, Ven and Myde all exclaimed in awe while everyone else who hadn't seen this room before were stunned in slightly mouth-opened awe.

The room was similar in a mixture of both the Gummiship hold and the Computer room in Radiant Garden and surprisingly held a welcoming feeling to it. There were computers here, gears there and a few other cool things. To Aqua, Terra and Ven, it reminded them of the very clean and gear-liked sewers outside of the castle.

"This is the inventor's room, where we built all kinds of new stuff once and a while." Goofy explained. "And not just doo-hickeys, but with magic too."

"Impressive. This is all fasinating." Ienzo admitted.

"Yup. These fellas always come in handy whenever we need 'em." Mickey nodded, before adding sheepishly. "Though, sometimes they kinda go all haywire when it comes in using too much magic without realizin'."

"And even though my inventions go all kooky-mad, Donald's mainly the one who messes with the magical ones." Von Drake added, giving a disapproaving glare at Donald who, realizing that everyone was now looking at him skeptically, chuckled nervously.

"This place is very cool. No wonder you guys manage to keep up without anyone else realizing this even exists." Lea remarked, gazing around.

"Ha-ha! Welp, now we've got a better way in keeping touch just in case we don't have time to visit each other and it does make keeping in contact a lot easier." Mickey declared, as he and Minnie both approached a table where three familiar figures stood in front of row of items until they heard a familiar voice and turned to see who it was. Instantly everyone who knew the trio recoginized them, especially the Cricket.

"Well, as I live and breathe! Sora, Donald, Goofy, your Majesty and everyone!" The familiar Cricket greeted.

"Jiminy! Hey there!" Sora greeted happily, with Kairi, Riku, Namine, Lea, Roxas, Xion, Donald and Goofy giving their greetings as well.

"Uh, who?" Isa asked, not recognizing Jiminy Cricket. Thankfully he wasn't the only one because Terra, Aqua, Ven, Strelitzia, Skuld, Serah, Mog and Chirithy had no clue either.

Jiminy nodded to his friends and asked, "Where had you all been? I've been worried sick, and the Queen was just as worried!"

"We couldn't get back 'cause a feller named Aced blocked us from gettin' home 'til Sora's Keyblade unlocked the barrier that surrounded it." Goofy replied while shrugging apologetically.

"A lot has happened and um...Aced had kidnapped Master Yen Sid along with two other guys who helped us out; Angeal and Genesis." Sora added.

"That's terrible! Why would this Aced do such a thing?" Jiminy exclaimed on shock.

Mickey forced himself not to break down again, and instead replied, "We'll tell ya later. But the good news is, now we know where they are, so when we get in contact with Cloud and the others, we'll be headin' over to the Keyblade Graveyard to save Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis."

Even though Jiminy could sense the ache in the King's voice, he also heard hope in there as well, and once he put the pieces of the puzzle together, nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, you arrived just in time, because I think we're ready to try them out."

"Try out what?" Roxas asked, curiously.

"The Gummiphones." Mickey answered as he, Jiminy, Chip and Dale move away slightly to reveal the items on the table, with the King pronouncing, "Ta-da!"

(Cue of the "Ta-da" fanfare*Pokemon anime style*)

On the table were small square like half-flat objects with a black square in the middle. The outside of it was in red and gold and the top of it was designed like a crown. There were at least about twenty of them.

"...Uh...how do they work?" Lea asked the first thing that came into his mind.

"Welp, it'll be a little tricky at first, but the Gummiphone will let us talk to each other from different worlds." Mickey explained.

"All you gotta do is select the names of whoever you wanna call and press the button to ring them, and to answer their phone calls, push the green button right here." Chip added while instructing everyone who it works as he and Dale heaved on and gave it to Mickey who gave his thanks to them.

"The red button is to hang up and the call will be over. There's also other neat stuff too, like a Camera which lets you take photos of anything you want." Dale added.

"The King has provided us one as well, but because of Aced blocking access to this world, we couldn't get in contact with either of you due to the fact that you had not yet aqquired one yourselves." Ienzo spoke up, which surprised the rest of the worldly travellers.

"One more thing about Aced to worry about." Lea grumbled as he slumped low dramatically.

"So you gave one to Cloud and the others too, your majesty?" Strelitzia asked.

Mickey smiled sheepishly, "Yep. Sorry, I was meant to tell ya's, but a lotta things were goin' on and well, gosh, it's a long story. But now that we're here, we can check to see if the gummiphones work."

Without hesitation, the King tapped onto the black square which opened up a screen by the touch of his finger, and after a few scrolls, he phone what he was looking for and tapped it. It made a ringing noise which had Sora approach in curiosity for a better look, fasinated with the new gadget. Finally after a few rings, it stopped and the ringing phone icon was replaced by an image of a strikingly familiar redhead in goggles.

" _Hey, this new phone finally works!_ " Greeted Reno who held a grin, before asking, " _You can hear me, right...King Mickey, was it?_ "

"Hiya, Reno." Mickey greeted with a smile. "Yup, loud and clear."

"Reno!" Sora greeted behind Mickey who was startled a bit, before chuckling at the teenager's excited expression. "This thing is so awesome!"

" _Heh, you got that right, kid. This thing is higher tech than the phones we got here in Midgar._ " Reno laughed.

"Hey, lemme see!" Lea called out, hovering over Sora and Mickey who both stumbled a bit while the latter tried to hold onto the phone. "I thought it was you! Long time no see, Reno."

Reno's grin grew when he saw his 'twin', and laughed, " _Looks like you guys finally got the new phones, right? And here I thought you'd forgotten 'bout me._ "

Lea grinned in return, "You kidding? I never forget anyone. Got it memorized?"

"Guys, I think we should move before things get too crowded." Riku advised as he tugged Sora by the arm while Isa did the same with Lea, the two spiky-haired young men grumbling while everyone else including the King and Queen laughed.

"Sorry about that. We haven't been home for long. Say, are Cloud, Zack and Rufus there? We found out where Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis are." Mickey responded to Reno who, hearing this, had his expression turn to surprise and seriousness.

" _Yeah, we were just talkin' about what Cloud and the others told us and the info we figured out. Hold on a sec, I'll get the Prez' for ya._ " Reno replied, before handing over the gummiphone to the familiar blonde-haired man as Mickey could see.

" _Ah, your majesty. Good, I was thinking of having Cloud and his friends locate you once more. Now it seems there is no need._ " Rufus greeted.

"Yup. We've only been here for a few hours, but I'm sure glad the Gummiphones work." Mickey responded as everyone else gathered but not too close as to end up getting too crowded around the King, but close enough to hear. "Anyway, we found out where Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis are; from what we heard from Shelke and Shalua since we stopped them from causin' trouble, everybody's at the Keyblade Graveyard, and Aqua, Terra, Ven and I know where that is since we've been there before when we first fought against Master Xehanort."

" _I see._ " Rufus muttered thoughtfully. " _Then it shouldn't be too much trouble for Cloud and the others to join y-_ "

" _Wait, you mean they found where Angeal is!?_ " Another familiar voice exclaimed, as suddenly Zack's face appeared behind Rufus despite Tseng and Cloud doing their best to calm him down. " _Where's this Keyblade Graveyard!? Are Angeal, Genesis and that Yen Sid guy okay!?_ "

" _Calm down, Zack and let the King explain._ " Tseng informed him calmly despite trying to restrain the younger man.

" _Sorry, your majesty._ " Cloud apologized over the phone.

"It's okay, Cloud. I know how Zack feels." Mickey replied, before continuing to Rufus, "And I know what you were tryin' to say, Mr. President. But just in case Aced figures out his barrier Spell is broken by Sora, we'll meet Cloud and Zack at Twilight Town and then we'll give out directions over to the Keyblade Graveyard."

Rufus nodded, " _Very well. We'll keep in touch now that you have access to the Gummiphones, your majesty._ "

"Great! See you real soon." Mickey farewelled along with the others on both ends of the two worlds before he and Rufus hung up and the screen on the gummiphone went blank once more.

"I love these things already." Myde remarked with a grin.

"Well at least we're finally getting somewhere. Still, we have to prepare for the dangers that are up ahead." Terra remarked.

"But what about Namine? Won't she be in danger incase Ardyn comes looking for her?" Kairi reminded, which made everyone else realize that she was right. If Ardyn was targeting her as well as Kairi herself and the Princesses of Heart, then leaving Namine in Radiant Garden wasn't an option anymore and Mickey didn't want to run the risk of putting Minnie in danger again either here in Disney Castle.

The group thought a moment, before Roxas remembered something and suggested, "Hey, maybe Hayner, Pence and Olette can help. Twilight Town could be the last place they might be able to find her."

"That's not a bad idea, Rox'. Just hope we don't run into those guys and Caius there again." Lea replied, even though he felt something was bound to happen in that place.

"Plus we haven't seen them when we went back there a little while ago, and it'll be great to see them again." Sora nodded in agreement, and the others nodded in agreement.

With the plan settled and at both Mickey and Minnie's request, everyone stayed for dinner which they all thanked the royals for their hospitality while preparing themselves for the events that would occur the next day.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Keyblade Graveyard itself where thousands of lifeless Keyblade always stood on the four path fork in the road, the Master of Masters stood in the middle with his hands behind his back as he gazed up at the sky. No one was the wiser that he would come here, and that's the way he liked it. He knew that things were starting to run smoothly yet something about this felt a bit...off, he had to admit.

"Never would have guessed the time-line would be split into millions. But I guess the rules of it broke a long time ago." He said to himself with a casual shrug. "Heh, at least Sora and his friends are putting on a great story whatever they're doing. Especially that kid himself; he's the most unique one in all realities."

The Master of Master's then sensed movement behind him and grinned under his hood, speaking once again, "Though if I'm gonna guess, you still think he's a _"dud"_ , right? Not half the hero is the others are."

Behind him was a Corridor of Darkness that opened just before he'd spoken again, and another man in black coat, but one more signified to Organization XIII emerged a bit awkwardly but rather calmly.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you saw the whole thing?" The other figure replied, and if anyone who knew this man was around, they'd be in complete shock at the sound of his voice since those who had known him would've thought he'd died not that long ago.

"Well, yes and no." The Master of Masters shrugged, as though he was embarrassed by it. "Didn't count on that you'd lose your eye in a more painful way and it wasn't even intentional."

"Yeah well...blame Terra and that old coot Xehanort for that one." The figure replied, pulling off his hood to reveal his face for the first time; he had long black hair with silver streaks tied up in a long tight pony-tail, a single golden eye that once belonged to the colour of Xehanort, an eyepatch that covered the socket of where his right eye used to be, and a large scar on the left side of his cheek.

He is revealed to be Xigbar: Aka-Braig. Apparently back from the dead as well.

The Master of Masters choked back a laugh. "And to think that they were totally oblivious that you were on their case the whole time! If things were different, you could go and do acting in a world where it has movies and stuff like that."

"Heh...As if. That kind of job is dull and boring. Not much of real excitement." Xigbar responded. "There were times I forgot I was really acting and things I really didn't expect. Like Axel-Aka; Flamesilocks, coming in to the rescue and everything that's happened."

"Looks like I finally rubbed it off on you. Makes me feel like a proud parent to the former shy apprentice in history!" The Master of Masters gleed.

Xigbar felt a little uncomfortable, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Am I...really that different? 'Cause despite the new body and all that I kept on doing for centuries, I don't think I'm that different."

"Nah, you just gained more confidence." The other man said ensuringly. "Sora on the other hand is beginning to lose his. However,"

He gazed back at the sky and continued with seriousness, "With the realites of other timelines beginning to merge, he's the only one who can fix it. Otherwise it's bye-bye every single Realm of Light."

"Thus Darkness shall prevail and the Light will expire." Xigbar concluded.

"Bingo!" The Master of Masters approved, pointing at Xigbar who jumped a little, caught off-guard. "And to think that temporal paradoxes would even happen, even without the Book of Prophecies. But hey, it's not your fault so, no biggie."

"...It's too bad things didn't work out the way you wanted." The eyepatched man grumbled.

"Just a minor inconvience. At least in this timeline."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"In one timeline, the Guardians of Light lost and everything is destroyed." The Master of Masters explained. "Yet Sora didn't completely lose himself, and so to change the future, he had to restore everyone he lost to before the darkness consumed them while losing himself, except he made it back with the help of his little Princess, thus the timeline where they all perished ceased to exist, trapped in a loop that will forever be in their memories."

"So without helping Axel, things went on the way it should in that time-line that got split and then refixed. On the other hand, there are such things as 'What ifs' and there are many possibilities out there, untouched by a single beginning and all are real. There are a few exceptions and alternate universes too, but hey, that's how it works. One big giant mess, just like Bhunivelze's so called master plan to turn people into his puppets." He continued.

"But then you wouldn't have come back sooner either." Xigbar pointed out.

An awkward pause.

"Good point." The Master of Masters agreed. "So I guess we'd better take what we got in this time-line since things will get more interesting. So, should I call you Xigbar or Braig...or do you wanna be like you were before...Luxu?"

"Whatever name's fine by me, Master." Xigbar, officially known as Luxu, replied.

It looks like things are getting more complicated than anyone ever thought.

* * *

 _ **Back in Disney Castle...**_

It was well late into night when after Ansem and Ienzo returned to Radiant Garden with Von Drake to continue the research of the enemies, Sora and everyone else settled in for the night to rest up before the worldly traveller's departure back to Twilight Town the following day. Each formed in groups in each rooms with very cosy beds. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy had retired to their own bed rooms. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Namine shared one room, Roxas, Lea, Xion and Isa shared another, Terra, Aqua, Ven and Skuld shared one as well, and Strelitzia, Serah, Mog and Chirithy shared the other guest room. Myde had a room to himself which was okay with him.

But it seems that a good night's sleep wouldn't come to the heroes, because one by one, the worldly travellers were seemingly struggling. Especially Sora who groaned while tossing and turning in his sleep, his breathing become breathless and cold sweat began to form on his face.

* * *

 _Sora at first didn't know where he was, but when he did after a moment of confusion, shock came to him. Everywhere he looked were Keyblades left abandoned and rusted. But this part of the area which he'd seen before was a bit different to what he'd seen before but never actually ventured in real life._

 _"This is...this must be the place I saw Aqua, Ven, Terra and Xehanort in; the Keyblade Graveyard." Sora remarked to himself, remembering that name from King Mickey and had by then realized the dream he had within the Realm of Sleep was what Genesis had been showing him via Ven's memories._

 _As the teenager looked around, he gasped softly as he saw, right ahead of him were the familiar figures of himself, Riku, Kairi and King Mickey who all wore different outfits compared to what he was wearing now, (and Sora couldn't help but take notice of Kairi's new haircut), as well as Lea who was wearing his Organization XIII coat, Donald, Goofy, Ven and Aqua. But there were no signs of Isa, Roxas, Xion, Myde, Skuld or Terra..._

 _Except that out of the small dust storm, Terra approached but to Sora's shock, in the appearance he was in when Xehanort's heart was still inside him like in the Realm of Sleep._

 _"This is...!" Sora muttered in horrified shock, finding himself trailing off._

 _To his dismay, Vanitas materialized next to him and continued for the shocked Keyblade wielder, "_ _ **The possible future if you and Roxas hadn't saved Axel. Watch more closely, and you'll get a better idea.**_ _" before vanishing once more._

 _Sora wanted to move, to try and help his friends and his other self, but like a the grasps of the Heartless or Nobodies, he was unable to do so. Thus all he could do was watch in pure horror as while he couldn't hear what Terra-Xehanort was saying, but judging the look on the man's face, and how everyone else were looking...beginning to lose hope...it wasn't good at all. Which was why no one, not even the real Sora saw it coming, as Terra-Xehanort summoned the dark evil Keyblade and before anyone could stop him...he struck both Ven and Aqua down in an instant._

 _"Aqua! Ven!" Sora screamed out, and for a split second thought he heard his friends, and even Aqua and Ven for a mysterious reason, exclaim in horror themselves while the said latter two vanished before their eyes._

 _Then things went from bad to worse, because Sora choked a sob as he watched in pure devastation that one by one his remaining friends were suddenly engulfed by the largest horde of Heartless he'd ever seen and his other self was helpless just like he was...and then when it came to Kairi, Sora let out an agonized scream which seemed to copy the other Sora who fell to his knees and holding his head._

 _Sora then saw Riku say something to the other Sora, and then calmly approached the Heartless horde which then ultimately claimed him as well and within the next seconds, Sora felt more than heard his other self scream just as the Heartless engulfed him, vanishing as well._

 _The real Sora, somehow free from his restrains, fell to his knees and hands and sobbed, his tears falling freely. Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Lea, Aqua, Ven, Mickey...and himself...all gone._

 _"No...! NO!" Sora screamed loudly, punching the ground with a furious and heart-breaking fist, only for the Heartless began to then spread through out the entire area and he forced himself to look up. The Heartless were now forming into a cyclone of pure darkness. Sora felt his heart stop as it seems they sensed he was here, because another wave of Heartless went straight for him._

 _Sora's eyes widened before he let out a terrified scream before shielding himself with his arms and all he could do was brace himself for his ultimate end. But he didn't feel a thing. Not a single Heartless hitting him or clawing him or anything like that. He didn't even feel the darkness pull out his own heart. Hesitating, Sora opened his eyes and lowered his arms and saw the area, not swallowed up in darkness, but just blanketed in a dark sky like night. On top of that, he realized he was in a different and much more familiar part of the Keyblade Graveyard._

 _And it was much more heart-breaking and horrifying than what he just witnessed. Sora let out a shakening gasp, as all around him were lifeless bodies of all of his friends he just witnessed in getting killed by the Heartless; that now included the normal Terra, Isa, Myde and Skuld._

 _However, as Sora stood up and made to run towards them, they all vanished in golden light which ripped his heart even more...until only one remained and Sora was shocked when the body of Kairi disappeared, replaced by a more alive Kairi who looked around in devastation and horror, until she saw Sora stand there when he came to a stop. Immediately, both their expressions turned to relief and yet sorrow._

 _"Sora!" Kairi cried out, tears in both her eyes and her voice as she raced up to him._

 _"Kairi!" Sora replied, meeting her in the middle and immediately held her in his arms, the mixed waves of relief and sorrow filling his heart and he felt her arms around his lower back as she sobbed on his shoulder. "I-it's okay...I'm here."_

 _He couldn't hold back the urge to cry himself as he felt more tears burn his eyes, but at the moment he didn't care. He didn't want to let go of her, afraid that she would just disappear._

 _Kairi continued to cry, holding her friend tighter in her arms as she could, afraid to lose him as well. She and Sora then heard manical laughter that made them both seize up before looking from behind Kairi. The two teenagers gasped in complete horror as a bright light of a silhouttee of a being Sora had never seen before appeared before him and Kairi, along with a monsterous form of Chaos and...a giant ghostly black form of the evil man they never thought they'd see again._

 _Kairi let out a terrified gasp, clinging onto Sora who held her more tightly in his arms while doing his best to shield her from the evil in front of them, as she whispered, "No...please not this again! Not this nightmare!"_

 _Sora gasped softly when he heard her say this. Nightmare? Wait, was he having the same dream as she was?_

 _"What's going on?" Sora asked, both in confusion, anger and fear. "Why are Xehanort and Chaos here!?"_

 _Sora and Kairi both shrank back in defense and fear as Xehanort's massive shadow loomed over them menacingly, then vanished as his grasp went right through them and for a split second they heard a familiar high-pitched scream and looked behind them, before gasping in horror that a ghostly form of King Mickey was clasped in giant hand of the Shadow Xehanort who was holding him around the lower part of the King's body while continuing to laugh._

 _"Your Majesty!" Sora and Kairi both exclaimed in horror, and for another split second, saw everyone else in the same position before fading which left only them, Mickey, Xehanort, Chaos and the mysterious thing in light._

 _"Lemme go! Lemme go!" Mickey yelled, futilessly trying to pull himself free and pound on the hand he was trapped in while Xehanort continued to laugh, resting his other hand around the one that held the King. "Lemme go!"_

 _Then both the King and Xehanort vanished as the light of the monster behind Xehanort emerged and reached out it's hand to grab Kairi. But Sora brought her and himself to the ground as he tried his best to shield her underneath him as they both squeezed their eyes shut just as they were both clasped within the massive hand which began to draw the struggling teenagers towards it's face._

 _"_ _ **If you wish to die along with the light that shines your way, then so be it.**_ _" The huge being of light spoke darkly and in distoration that made Sora's ears hurt._

 _"Sora!" Kairi screamed, burying her face into his chest._

 _"Kairi, I won't leave you!" Sora yelled back, holding onto her in his arms before he and Kairi screamed as they were drawn right towards the mouth of the thing the last thing Sora saw was darkness as he and Kairi were both engulfed..._

* * *

"AHHH!" Sora screamed as he jolted upright in bed and shockingly, both Kairi and Riku did the same, the three islanders panting in panic before the spiky haired teen looked around and cried out in worry and slowly growning relief, "Kairi! Riku!"

His best friends did the same with each other and Sora himself, before the three of them, without thinking, joined together over Kairi's bed and held each other in their embrace in an attempts to calm each other and themselves down. The one who was crying the most was Kairi, but Sora was close in doing so himself and even Riku wasn't immune to the emotion of what was going on.

Soon the trio calmed down, but were still more than a little shaken.

"I-it was...that dream again...e-except...it was...it was different." Kairi said between sniffles. "We were all there, first differently and then the Heartless swallowed up everyone...you and Riku...where the last...to be taken away...and then...I saw what I've been seeing lately."

Sora's heart ached in horror and sorrow. So he and Kairi were sharing that dream, which made things even worse.

"I won't let anything happen to any of you, or the others." Was all Sora could say.

"Neither will I." Riku added, yet unaware to his friends, he had that very same dream from his point of view and he tried to reach out to Namine and Mickey in his nightmare before being taken over by Xehanort's Heartless all over again which made his nightmare even worse.

The three of them stayed like this until Kairi fell asleep in Sora's arms which the latter noticed. He and Riku then gently layed her back in bed and tucked her in. Sora wanted to gently move a stray of hair from her face, but he held that desire back. Even though she needed comfort, Sora felt out of place with Riku here and even though they all grew up together, deep down Sora didn't want to make his best friend jealous that he...that he and Kairi had shared their first kiss in the Kingdom of Corona.

In truth, he knew that Riku liked Kairi more than a friend, and Maleficent used that jealously and rivally against Sora for her own schemes, but the more everyone made it obvious that he and Kairi were more than friends, the more the Keyblade wielder felt his heart sink in the growing deepening fear that this could ruin his friendship with Riku whom he knew much longer. They met when they were infants, or maybe it was preschool, Sora couldn't remember.

"Sora."

Blinking at Riku gently saying his name, Sora looked up and saw, to his surprise, remose and firmness but also the ensuring gesture in his eyes.

"You have to tell Kairi how you feel." Riku told him, and that's when Sora knew with a doubt at those words, that even Riku knew and...had come to accept that.

"Riku...I..." Sora began, struggling with his words or what to say to that. Gulping, he then asked nervously, "You're...not mad?"

"Well, I was a little jealous at first that Kairi prefered you." Riku admitted with a slightly embarrassed smile, before it faded as he continued, "But then I realized I cared for Kairi more of a sister and that...you both were always very close even when she first arrived on the island eleven years ago. It just took me a while to finally realize it."

Sora still didn't know what to say about that, or even ask how long Riku had noticed. Still, he then realized that everyone was right about him and Kairi, or at least about Sora himself. He couldn't deny his feelings anymore and the kiss the two of them shared confirmed it.

"...I'm not sure how to do it." Sora finally admitted defeat, adding, "And everyone keeps teasing us about it. But...my journey began the day I lost her, and everytime I find her, she's taken away from me. I don't want to lose her again...Though maybe...we're not meant to be together."

"You think it's because what those Foretellers told you earlier?" Riku asked, concerned with a frown. "Don't listen to them, Sora. Just because they said doesn't mean they know the future."

"But what if they're right? And..." Sora trailed off again, unable to meet his friend's gaze. In defeat, he stood up and glumy excused himself, "I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

He stood and began to walk away, half expecting Riku to stop him. But as Sora neared the door and opened it, he knew that his best friend wouldn't, because Riku knew him all too well. Head hung low, the younger teenage boy silently closed the door behind, leaving Riku behind to sigh. Riku went silent as he closed his eyes in guilt. Sora was scared, and that scared Riku more than anything.

* * *

Sora passed the corridors of Disney Castle, hearing soft talking of familiar voices that came from his friends but ignored them even though he had a feeling they weren't having a good night's sleep either. It was when he began to pass the main royal bedroom that belonged to the King and Queen that Sora heard Mickey screaming which startled the Keyblade wielder. Sora stopped in his tracks just outside of the bedroom doors and made to open it but stopped himself, realizing it was a wrong idea to intrude.

Plus when he heard Minnie's voice, Sora just began to listen.

" _Mickey! Are you alright?_ " Minnie cried out worriedly from the other side, and it was a moment or two before Mickey, somewhat shaken as far as Sora could hear, spoke.

" _Minnie...I'm sorry. I didn't meant to wake ya'._ " Mickey replied apologetically, realizing that his scream as he awoke from the nightmare woke his wife up as well and he felt bad about it.

" _Oh, it's alright Mickey. I know you didn't mean it._ " Minnie said gently, then asked worriedly, " _Is everything okay?_ "

Sora and Minnie both waited for Mickey to reply, but the King fell silent for what felt like five minutes before the Queen gently spoke his name again and this time Mickey spoke once more.

* * *

Realizing there was no point in hiding it, Mickey sniffled as the ache in his heart over the loss of his friends in the nightmare lingered and he didn't want that to become a reality, but he had a terrible feeling that it will be.

"I just had the most horrible nightmare. E-Everyone including me...we were all...we were all killed by a large army of Heartless...and Xehanort was still alive." Mickey admitted, and when Minnie gasped in horror at this, he couldn't hold it back anymore as he began to cry, tears falling freely. "I don't want that happenin' for real...but I don't know if it's the future telling me it'll happen or not...! I don't wanna lose everyone!"

"Oh, Mickey. It'll be alright." Minnie tried to soothe him, pulling her husband into an embrace as Mickey, needing comfort, hugged her back and cried on her shoulder. In truth, Minnie didn't want to lose Mickey either. She almost lost him more times than she can count, but she knew at this moment she couldn't cry herself. Mickey was in despair, and he needed her. Now more than ever.

"I-I love you, Minnie." Mickey sobbed, not wanting to let go of his true love, his stronger light.

* * *

Sora's eyes widened when he heard what Mickey had said. So even the King had the same nightmare he, Riku and Kairi had? The spiky haired Keyblade Wielder felt a horrified feeling within his own heart, before lowering his gaze to the floor and somberly walked away, his heart heavy and the hope he held in saving the Realm of Light now fading faster than the Heartless killing his friends and himself in the nightmare he just had.

Sora entered the hallway that overlooked the Garden of the Castle, and stopped to lean against the railing as he gazed up at the starry night sky. Possibly for the last time in whatever peace he and his friends had before the next step of their quest started in the morning. It hurt...very much. He thought he understood hurt, but now it was clear that he didn't. He never did understand how much it hurt to lose people close to him. The nightmare he, Kairi, Riku and Mickey had just proved it.

Even though Sora knew that Xehanort is gone, the fact that Chaos and very possibly Bhunivelze-and Sora suddenly felt and realized it was Bhunivelze-appeared didn't help matters. The battle against the two evil gods could very well play out like how Xehanort would want; then everyone including himself were doomed to face death for all eternity...

Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Roxas, Lea, Xion, Namine, Isa, Myde, Skuld, Ven, Terra, Aqua...and Kairi.

Sora could clearly remember the kiss he and Kairi shared, and while he wouldn't admit it to anyone else except to Riku like he did a short time ago, it was the most wonderful experience he ever had.

* * *

 _Sora blushed heavily as Kairi leaned up while closing her eyes and kissed him on the lips. Surprised at first, Sora soon found himself returning it while closing his eyes and the two wrapped each other in their arms as they kissed._

 _Though when it did, both of them sighed before Kairi snuggled up in Sora's chest, and he held her close._

* * *

To think that such a wonderful moment would never happen again made Sora tear up before he began to cry softly as the cold realization hit him almost like how the Heartless took away his friends before killing him in that nightmare...a nightmare that looked and felt all too real, like he was seeing an alternate universe right before his eyes. His tears trailed down his face and onto the cold stone of the railing.

 _"_ _I didn't sign up to be told the whole thing is pointless! Not that I don't have faith in everyone else here, but I'm useless! I'm chicken!"_ Myde's words echoed in Sora's mind from earlier today, or yesterday by now.

' _...I'm more useless than he is. I can't do this by myself...I can't do anything on my own without everyone else helping me._ ' Sora thought to himself, which made him cry harder.

" _The others are what make us stronger. Especially Kairi._ "

"H-huh?" Sora blinked. That voice. It was his own...but he didn't say that, even though it did sound like him. Groaning in half-realization, Sora lowered his head and grumbled to what he thought was Vanitas talking to him again. "I'm not in the mood for you, Vanitas. If you're trying to make me feel better with a mocking joke, it's not working."

" _What are you talking about, idiot? That wasn't me._ " Vanitas spoke in his mind in confusion and annoyance.

" _Wait. Vanitas? You got Vanitas inside you?_ " The second voice asked in shock and disbelief.

This time it was Sora's turn to be very confused as he realized he was hearing two voices now and not just one and he wasn't even speaking other than what he just said to Ven's dark embodiment in his mind. If that wasn't Vanitas, then who...? Sora turned around to see who was talking to him in his voice...and found himself staring at himself, but a bit of a hair cut, and while Sora still wore the clothes he retrieved from the three Good Faries when he, Donald and Goofy first arrived at Yen Sid's Tower, the other Sora was wearing what he'd seen in his nightmare;

This other Sora not only looked a bit see-through like a ghost, but he was wearing a black jacket having grey pockets and a stripe of red on each sleeve. The hood, sleeves and jacket had red lining and six buttons on the front. Underneath was a grey t-shirt with a V-style collor and a white lining. He also wore gaunlets that matched his jacket except they had grey circles on the backs, with the palms of his hands exposed. His shorts were roughly the same length as the ones the real Sora was wearing with armored sides that were attached to red straps and black that wrapped around his legs. His shoes looked the same except they didn't have the blue stripes or zippers.

The same clothes Sora within his dream wore. To say that he was shocked beyond belief would've been an understatement.

"AH!" Sora yelped, nearly falling off the railing but stopped himself as he leaned back in fright. His outburst startled his other self who reacted the same way as he did. "Y-you're-!"

" _Oh wonderful. Now I can torment two of you instead of just one. Wonder who I'll pick on first today?_ " Vanitas remarked sarcastically. Like many times before, Sora just ignored him.

" _Yeah, I guess this is totally weird, huh? Me meeting my alternate self after changing the future for as best as I could. On the other hand, Time really is messed up._ " The other Sora admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Huh? Change the future? But, I somehow already did that; Me and Roxas saved Axel." Sora pointed to his...alternate-self as he could call the other Sora. He then realized something else and gasped, becoming horrified again. "Wait! You're wearing the same clothes I saw in the nightmare! So...that means...everyone in your time-line is gone?"

" _For a while, yeah. But Chirithy helped me figure out how to save everyone's hearts and bring them all back. I even managed to stay whole even after I died, because Kairi guided me; the Kairi I know. She's the light in the darkness that helps guide the way back. We both brought everyone back to just before we were all killed by the Heartless._ " The Other Sora explained.

"Uh..." Sora held a puzzled look, tilting his head to the side slightly. What was his other self talking about? What did Chirithy had to do with it?

" _The power of waking. First I had to find myself and put myself back together in the Final World; where everyone who perished go to. Then I had to traverse to each world to find the hearts of the others and guide them back to just before we faced Terra when he was still possessed by Xehanort. His armor, thanks to Namine reaching him, saved Aqua and Ven, and when I charged towards the Heartless Horde, I had help from the Keyblade Wielders of the past and their Keyblades. They helped me and the others to stop the Heartless and we all survived._ "

"The other Time-line the Foretellers told me; the one that has the other promising future." Sora realized, hope that he felt fade suddenly return to him slowly. Though the chances of that happening to him may be unlikely, but Sora couldn't give up now. Not when they still had a lot to do. Especially if the same thing could potentially happen in reality.

" _Huh?_ " The other Sora blinked, confused this time.

"Uh, n-never mind." Sora stuttered sheepishly, before he gasped in confusion and realization. "Wait, the power of waking? It can do that? I thought it was to only to wake up sleeping worlds and sleeping hearts."

" _Not really. But...the downside to that is...if the power of waking is used too much and not properly...you'd have to...well, this is the result of what's happened to me. I had to fade away in order to save Kairi after we all closed up Kingdom Hearts._ " The other Sora admitted.

"You mean...fade away?" Sora stuttered, his own hope now plummeting right back to where it started just moments ago. So if he used the power of waking if everyone else died, the result would him be dying too after they were brought back to life?

Then...did Xehanort kill Kairi in the other dimension? Given what Sora's other self had said, it made sense and Sora himself felt fear linger in his heart. The very thought of Kairi being killed by the hands of that horrible man...it was devastating and Sora knew he would never be able to live without her. Which meant, given the choice, the only way for her to live is for him to sacrifice himself which, while it wasn't fair that he wouldn't be with her at all, as long as she and everyone else were safe, alive and happy, that was enough for him.

" _It was a choice I made, and I am sad I can't be with everyone anymore, I don't regret it. On the other hand, I've seen two other futures of what would happen to me._ " Alternate-Sora replied.

"Like what?" Sora asked.

" _In one, I stay dead forever which is okay. In another...well, Riku is trying to figure out how to bring me back without doing the same thing I did. Though whichever way works, I'm pretty okay with being like this. What I didn't expect was that I end up in an alternate universe to see that Xehanort is defeated another way._ "

"Yeah, well, it's not any better. Now we got Chaos and Bhunivelze and one of the Foretellers to worry about. Not to mention Caius and Ardyn, and Maleficent and Pete looking for the Book of Prophecies and a black box." Sora sighed.

The other Sora suddenly groaned, because he grumbled. " _Ugh! I forgot about Maleficent and Pete looking for the black box! Great, now the others have to stop them without me._ "

" _Heh. Looks like every other version of you is the same._ " Vanitas retorted, with a hint of a smugged look in his voice.

' _Will you please be quiet?_ ' Sora groaned mentally. Why couldn't Vanitas just shut up and leave him alone?

" _Well, anyway. Even though Xehanort's gone in both dimensions, you gotta try really hard in not making the same mistake I did and being forced to change history a little. Our hearts are the real keys into this. Do me a favor and don't let anything happen to your Kairi, okay? I don't want any other versions of us go through what I went through._ " Alternate-Sora advised.

While Sora had no idea how to respond to that, he knew that his other self was right; what had happened in the nightmare had happened in the original-time line that had his alternate self to change history to stop the deaths of everyone else and then Sora realized he was now beginning to see other dimensions, just as Caius had warned.

All dimensions of every reality were beginning to merge, and Sora in this dimension had to do everything he could to fix that without losing everyone.

"...I'll do my best. I'll protect Kairi, and everyone else." Sora finally replied. No, he will do harder than that; he had to do everything he could to prevent this and do everything he can to stop Chaos and the other villains out there. He just had to make sure how to master the power of waking without losing himself the same way his alternate self did.

" _Thank you. Oh, and another thing; go easy on the other Organization members who aren't Xehanort._ "

"Uh...okay? The only ones I can't figure out are Marluxia and Larxene. Everyone else is cool, and-oh, right! Even, Aeleus and Dilan need to be saved." Sora remembered.

" _Okay. Be careful out there. If we're lucky, maybe I can help you in spirit since I'm a ghost now. Gotta stop you and our other selves from ending up like me._ " Alternate-Sora held out his hand to Sora who smiled a little in saddness.

The two Sora's shook hands and Sora was surprised that the grip was somehow solid even though it was light and somewhat cold but warm at the same time. Soon as they did, Sora's other self then vanished like a wisp in the wind and Sora's grip on his other self's hand was gone.

It was...so weird to be talking to himself from another dimension. But at the same time, Sora knew now that he had to try more than his best to ensure that what had happened in that dimension would not happen here.

"I'll protect Kairi...and everyone else. I won't let anyone of my friends die." Sora vowed to himself, turning to face the night sky once more.

He had to do this...without the power of waking. With his resolve somewhat restored, after gazing at the sky for a while, Sora sighed before making his way back to the guest room he, Kairi and Riku shared.

Yet what they were about to discover was going to be more than what Sora was expecting.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter took long to do. Writer's block and all. But now with the real KH3 out, it's given me new ideas to continue this story and to finish it. As some of you noticed, some parts of this chapter are from the "Second Chance Universe(Series): Behind the Scenes" side-story.**

 **(1)The part where Myde admits he's chicken is one the lines he...well, you guys know if you already played KH3.**

 **So the next chapter will see the heroes return to Twilight Town and more reunions will be made. Oh and sorry for the lack of battles. I'll try and make it up in the next chapter. And I originally intended on leaving Xigbar out, but...well, for those you who already played the real KH3, you get the idea.**

 **See you then and hopefully I'll be posting it sooner than this one...Hopefully. ^_^;**


	52. CH51: Twilight Reunion

**Author's Note: As promised, another chapter is posted.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH51: Twilight Reunion.**_

Next morning, even though it was noted that the worldly travellers didn't get much sleep as everyone noticed how tired they all looked, they freshened up as best as possible with breakfest and cleaning themselves up again(thankfully the Gummiship came installed with a shower as well), no sooner had Sora sealed Disney Castle's Keyhole and Mickey made a vow to return home without the worry of Aced.

But not before deciding to take Shalua and Shelke, who despite their troubles were given their room guest rooms under heavy guard just in case they caused trouble again, with them, the group which now included Namine, Strelitzia, Serah, Mog and Chirithy, were once again boarding the Gummiship after making a few repairs after saying their goodbyes to Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, Chip, Dale and Jiminy who decided to stay behind this time, which the group understood.

But as Mickey took the pilot's seat, suddenly remembering the importance of this launch sequence, the King looked back at everyone who wouldn't know or didn't remember straight away, and advised sheepishly, "Uh, fellas? Ya might wanna tighten your seatbelts. It's not gonna be a fun fall."

"What fall?" Ven asked, confused as he, Skuld, Aqua, Terra, Strelitzia, Serah, Mog, Chirhity, Isa, Myde, and even Shelke and Shalua shared confused glances.

"Yeah, aren't we gonna blast off through there?" Myde added, pointing at the Tunnel that was also shaped like Mickey's head as Runway lights flashed lit it up.

Unfortunately, Donald, Goofy, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Lea, Roxas, Xion and Namine all remembered and quickly did as Mickey instructed just as Donald, Goofy and especially Mickey gulped when a giant red neon arrow appeared pointing downward.

"Uh oh." Lea muttered nervously.

"Forgot about tha-aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Sora ended up screaming when the ship suddenly fell when the real launch tunnel opened up underneath them and he and his friends all found themselves struggling to keep their bearings and hold on tight. Everyone else echoed his scream as the ship tumbled through the tunnel.

As soon as they reached the exit, Mickey quickly corrected the Gummiship's position and soon launched it on the journey back to Twilight Town while everyone else all slumped in their seats and sighed in relief, some of them looking a bit shaken by the experience. Especially Myde who looked almost as pale as a ghost.

"...I see what you mean." Ven muttered after a moment or two of recovering.

"W-who's idea...was that?" Myde trembled, as though he was traumatized but was ignored.

Lea, feeling as though his entire stomach was about to eject itself during the ordeal, groaned before stating to the Disney Trio, "No offense, your majesty, but ya couldn't have made a launch sequence that wouldn't make anybody feel as though they're about to die?"

"Sorry." Mickey, Donald and Goofy chorused an apology, feeling guilty for scaring their friends like that and now that they thought about it, maybe it was time to change that as they didn't like that either.

Mickey then explained sheepishly, "It was kind of a budget issue and uh, well, there wasn't anywhere else to launch it upward so Professor Von Drake had to install it that way."

"Next time, we'll let Gyro do that." Donald grumbled, folded his arms in annoyance and both Goofy and even Mickey couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Well, at least we're okay. No biggie." Sora, not one to be holding a grudge over little things like this, said optimistically to lighten the mood despite the situation that was going on.

At this statement, the group decided that he was right and continued sailing through the sea of stars on their way to Twilight Town, with Strelitzia and Serah marveling over how everyone else travelled in this vessel and even both Shelke and Shalua had to admit they were impressed. The rest of the group still felt a bit tired but they wouldn't allow this to wear them down. They had a mission to do, and now that they were finally close in saving Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis, it was only the matter of meeting up with Cloud, Zack and possibly Vincent before they would all go together to the Ruins of Daybreak Town which was located on the other side of the Keyblade Graveyard.

Though Lea couldn't help but stretch and yawn before grumbling, "Man, if it weren't for the worst nightmare of my life last night, I would've gotten much better decent night's sleep."

"You had a nightmare too?" Goofy asked, surprised. This cauht everyone else's attentions as they gazed at him in confusion and shock while he continued, "'Cause I had the most awful dream and it sure felt real I thought it was actually happenin'."

"Hey, I had a nightmare too!" Donald exclaimed.

"Oh, gosh! I had one too, and I couldn't even get back to sleep for an entire hour and I even woke Minnie up by accident." Mickey exclaimed in shock and worry, feeling guilty all over again and shuddered slightly. "I hate to admit it, but I was so scared I kinda didn't wanna go back to sleep."

"I had a nightmare too, and since then I couldn't get back to sleep at all." Roxas added.

"Me too." Xion nodded, and soon Namine, Isa, Ven, Aqua, Terra and Myde all made their comments of having nightmares as well which stunned and shocked both the Disney Trio and the Destiny Island Trio.

"Seriously!? Riku, Kairi and I had nightmares too, and it felt as though...it was really happening!" Sora exclaimed in shock, gazing at Kairi who returned the gaze while rubbing her arms. He then gasped softly and then asked in worry, "Wait, if we're all having nightmares at the same time, then that means the situation is getting worse?"

"I dunno, Sora." Mickey admitted, adding. "But what I do know is that...in my nightmare, we were at the Keyblade Graveyard, but Isa, Myde, Roxas and Xion weren't there, and Terra...he..."

"I was still possessed." Terra continued, which had the King gaze up at him in shock. "Is that what you're talking about, your majesty? About Xehanort still possessing by body?"

Mickey gulped nervously, not liking where this was going. "Uh, y-yeah."

"Wait, your dreams wouldn't include Xehanort first taking out Ven and Aqua and then sending out a giant tornado of Heartless that swallowed us up one by one, would they!?" Lea exclaimed in shock, horror becoming more apparent on his expression and soon everyone else was beginning to share that expression and feeling.

"Yes...and we were all powerless to stop them even with the lights in our hearts." Aqua muttered gravely.

"And I was the last to go." Sora muttered, clutching his fist to stop his hands from shaking. "Then I found myself where..."

"Where everyone but one of us gone, lying on the ground and not moving." Kairi continued on. "That's the first part of the nightmares I've been having. Except this time, Sora was there and it felt so real like he was there."

Sora gapped at her as he exclaimed, "That felt that way to me too! But with you and...Xehanort somehow returned and he was a large shadow that-"

"That grabbed me." Mickey interrupted with an apologetic look at Sora. "Just after everyone else disappeared, Xehanort was there in front of Chaos and...a huge monster in light I've never seen before."

The King gasped in realization and turned to Kairi while continuing, "That's the dream you were havin', Kairi! And if I'm gonna guess right, that light must'a been Bhunivelze and now if we're havin' the same dream..."

"Then the awakening of Bhunivelze is among us and Chaos's goal is exactly like Xehanort's." Isa concluded in realization.

"And with Ardyn and the unusual man wanting to kidnap seven hearts of pure like including me, and kidnapping Even, Aeleus and Dilan, Xehanort could return too." Namine added in fear.

"Or...maybe it's both showing us that Chaos and Bhunivelze are coming soon and what we saw are from an alternate universe." Sora muttered with his own realization.

"What do you mean, Sora?" Strelitzia questioned, "I know that I went into an alternate universe not long ago, but how can you possibly tell?"

The spiky haired young man shrugged, thinking about his meeting with his alternate self who is now long gone. "Not sure. Might've been a crazy dream after I went back to bed after getting some fresh air last night, but I met someone...a ghost of someone. I know this is gonna sound crazy, but...what if Caius is right and Time is getting so messed up that ghosts are starting to appear?"

"You're right; that is crazy. And ghosts!? Don't we have enough problems as it is!?" Myde exclaimed.

"That's strange. I didn't have a nightmare of what you're all describing, but I do know I saw the rest of the dream which concludes is the same as Kairi's. But then, in the nightmare that I had, it was like...a memory; of someone mentioning something about become a 'Virus'." Skuld said, thoughtfully in worry.

"A virus?" Donald asked, dumbfounded.

"Gawrsh, maybe Sora's right. Maybe time really is becomin' all ker-skuffled." Goofy stated in concern.

"Just like all of the Realms of the Dead are in danger, like Master Yen Sid said." Mickey realized, his heart sinking at that very thought. Eyes narrowing, the King looked back at his friends and declared, "We'd better hurry! There's not much time left! We can't let Chaos win!"

Everyone else nodded in agreement, knowing that the sooner they rescued their friends and figure out where Chaos is hiding, the better. Otherwise reality will cease to exist as they know it, and, as much as Sora hated to admit it, things could end up to the point where much like his Alternate-self, he would have to change the future and use the power of waking to bring back everyone.

' _No. I promised I wouldn't do that. I have to do everything and more to make sure everyone is okay._ ' Sora thought to himself, determined to protect everyone he cared about and loved. He returned his gaze to Kairi who turned her attention to the stars the gummiship was flying past. More than anything, Sora had to keep Kairi safe.

Because she was the light within the darkness. His light. More than anything, Riku was right. Sora had to tell Kairi how he felt about her sooner her later, before it was too late.

' _Kairi..._ ' Sora thought, realizing now he couldn't hold back that feeling. He loved her.

" _If you two kiss again, I swear I'm_ _ **really**_ _gonna be sick._ " Vanitas grunted in disgust, apparently having read Sora's thoughts.

' _You know, you can close your eyes and pretend it's not happening. Ever thought of that?_ ' Sora retorted in his mind, annoyed by Vanitas' taunting and really getting tired of the dark embodiment in his head.

" _I would, but after the first time it's too late to get it out of my head. Anyway, hope you're prepared for what's coming, Sora. Because it's not going to be like you want and who knows? You could end up like your otherself and end up using the Power of Waking and be long gone forever._ " Vanitas said darkly.

Sora shut his eyes, trying hard not to think of that worse case scenario. ' _Only if that happens. But until then, I'm not losing my friends. Not by a long shot._ '

" _Suit yourself._ "

Sora mentally shook his head, and just focused on meeting up with Cloud and the others in Twilight Town before heading over to the real Keyblade Graveyard. Yet he couldn't help but feel like...something bad was going to happen. All of them were unaware that Shelke and Shalua were both sharing a concerned and thoughtful gaze.

* * *

Not long after disembarking at the Train Station, the worldly travellers, Shelke and Shalua made their way down the path towards the Market Street: Tram Common only to quickly discover something that made them gasp in shock. Cloud, Zack and Vincent were there already, but obviously needing some help because they were fighting a large horde of Heartless that were formed into a huge snake-like wave and were horrifyingly fast.

"Heartless!" Sora exclaimed, quickly summoning his Keyblade, with Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Roxas, Lea, Xion, Isa, Ven, Terra, Aqua, Skuld, and Strelitzia following his lead while Donald summoned his Staff, Goofy his shield, Mog turning into Serah's bow and Arrow, Myde his Sitar, Shelke her Laserblades and both Namine and Shalua standing their guard.

"This one is called the Demon Wave. One of the most powerful and deadly bread of Heartless. Be cautious." Shelke advised.

"Gee, thanks for the last minute info." Lea said sarcastically.

"Namine, go hide somewhere that's safe!" Xion instructed her friend who, despite wanting to stay and fight, nodded and hidden herself behind a store.

Sora and the rest of the group hurried over to join Cloud, Zack and Vincent who noticed them quickly and with shared nods despite the wary glances at the Rai sisters, everyone stood firm before they leaped out of the way when the Demon Wave whooshed over towards them. Aqua summoned Master Eraqus's Keyblade and unleashed a chain spell to hold it in place just like she did in the Realm of Darkness when she sacrificed herself to protect both Riku and Mickey. As she grunted while struggling to hold it in place, the others wasted no time in attacking it. Sora and Ven both tossed their Keyblades at the trapped Demon Wave to decrease it's defense before the former raced over and bashed it with his Kingdom Key just as the Heartless began to break free.

No sooner had Sora leaped away and was about to fire another attack with the others following with their own, the Demon Wave broke free from the chains and began to fly even faster. Riku chanted a Thunderaga Spell right at it followed by Terra jumping and thrusting his Keyblade right in the middle of it just as it was about to crash into the rest of the group. Zack and Cloud both followed Terra's example and thrust both the Buster Sword and the Fusion Sword at the front of the Demon Wave which allowed Lea to flare up a huge wave of Fire as he thrusts his Keyblade at it before leaping out of the way to avoid in getting engulfed. Isa thrusted his Keyblade at it several times when it came flying by him after he jumped to narrowly avoid it's attack, sending in a huge gust of Wind to capture it in his own attack. But it managed to avoid it and merge itself into the ground before re-emerging and nearly hitting Goofy who cried out in alarm.

Luckly Kairi came to the rescue and chanted her Pink Orb of Light which somehow managed to do even more damage before she pulled Goofy out of the way and both narrowly avoided in getting hit. Serah fired several Arrows at it while Strelitiza chanted Blizzagara which took shape of a crystal Snow Flake that completely froze the Demon Wave in place briefly but it broke free and it made to attack her had Vincent not scoop her up within his cape and escaped narrowly while firing shots at it before landing on the ground and gently set the young Keyblade wielder down and checked his ammo quickly before the two rejoined the fight.

Aqua cartwheeled out of the way when the Demon Wave went for her, but it managed to knock her back and up into the air and was about to engulf her had Mickey not come to the rescue as he blasted three Orbs of Light at it to drive it back before using Gravita to slow Aqua's descend to the ground. The blue haired young woman nodded her thanks to the King who nodded back.

Aqua then used her Rainbow Magic which sent different colours of light at it no matter where it went before switching to her Dream Weaver Spell, twirling around while holding her Keyblade above her, sending out waves of Light at it. Mickey used his speed and skills to attack the Heartless with his Kingdom Key-D Keyblade he was using for this battle and then spun himself while making a circle of light as he did while holding his weapon out. The Demon Wave lost several shadows when it tried to attack and engulf him. Skuld then unleashed Light Aero magic she combined while slamming her newest attack at the Heartless as soon as Mickey's attack stopped to save his life while he landed safely on the ground.

Donald used his Fireworks Spell and flared it at the Heartless so that it wouldn't escape but it nearly hit him which caused the mage to scream while running to avoid it. Roxas jumped and leaped while slashing at the Heartless several times with the Oblivion Keyblade before slamming it downward, causing it to shatter into several other Heartless before he noticed a deep crimson ball with a few other Heartless on it, and when it shot out a Thunderaga at it, it weakened it even further and that's when he and everyone else who noticed while defeating the scattered Heartless realized it was the weak spot. Shelke jumped and slashed at it with her Laser Blades while Shalua jumped and punched and kicked it which had Cloud join in along with Sora and soon everyone else before the Demon Wave could re-assemble itself as quickly as they could.

Xion held her Oathkeeper Keyblade above her as it began to glow in light before she jumped and slashed at the ball of Heartless just as everyone else leaped out of the way when she decided to give out a new move. The former Replica stabbed her Keyblade right into it and digging deeper into it despite the rest of the Wave about to engulf her. Xion then jumped and narrowly avoided in becoming engulfed by it in the nick of time. Sora then had an idea and held up his Keyblade and spun it over his head while the Demon Wave was still reforming. To everyone else's surprise even his own, a train appeared out of nowhere covered in lights and it could fly which made everyone get another crazy idea. So they all hopped on board and held on while, as they were careful with their Magical Mana and Elixirs, they attacked the Demon Wave while flying around on the train that Sora had somehow summoned with his Keyblade.

The Demon Wave flew right at the side of them though and nearly made them tumble and fall over, but they held on as long as possible as Sora, at the head of the train, controlled it with his power and had it hit the Heartless and successfully forcing it back until he commanded it to fly higher and at his signal once they were above it and the Demon Wave flew right towards them for a head on collision, they all jumped out and used Gravita to land safely on the ground while both the train and the Demon Wave crashed into each other, causing a huge explosion of light that had the worldly travellers shield their eyes for a moment before it faded. When they looked up, the Demon Wave had thinned but still posed a threat.

So readying themselves, the worldly travellers dashed forward in a combined finishing strike, half of them slashing at the lower half, and the rest slashing at the upper half in a downward strike, eliminating it completely as it disappeared from sight and faded into nothing. Or so they thought as it suddenly reappeared behind them and the group sensed it too late when they spun around and gasped in shock. Namine, seeing this from her hiding place, gasped before making herself to rush over to help them. But there was no need because just as the remains of the Demon Wave was about to strike, Ephemer and a strikingly familiar woman suddenly appeared from behind it and finished it off in a pose that half of the worldly travellers did and eliminated it for real.

Sora and his companions stood there in stunned shock and awe while Namine rejoined them. Most of them didn't recognize the white-haired boy with a Keyblade that was much like Skuld's or the woman that resembled a bit like Serah. But while Skuld recognized Ephemer, Serah recognize the other woman who was no doubt three years older than her. Vincent though recognized both of them.

"You?" The former Turk muttered in surprise and confusion.

Both Ephemer and Lightning nodded, before turning their gazes at the stunned two who recognized both of them while Ven looked torn between confusion and the feeling of he'd seen Ephemer before.

"Skuld, Ven. Long time no see!" Ephemer greeted with a smile as he approached both of them.

"Ephemer..." Skuld whispered, torn between feeling relieved and overwhelmed. She then pouted and growled softly which made her old friend worried, before she whacked him hard on the back of the head which made Ven and everyone else wince in sympathy in shock. "Where have you been!? I've been worried sick about you!"

"Ow! What was that for!?" Ephemer complained while rubbing the sore spot on his head.

Ven, even though he couldn't remember Ephemer and felt terrible about it, suddenly felt as though he was starting to remember a few more bits and pieces from his lost memories. So he couldn't help but say sheepishly, "Even though I don't remember either of you guys much, I kinda get the feeling you deserved that for making her worry."

"You really don't remember, do you?" Ephemer asked as he turned his attention to the other boy, and couldn't hide the disappointment that was noticable in his voice.

"No. Ven lost most of his memories of all of us together, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised because there are memories even I don't remember either except our time together which is in bits and pieces." Skuld replied sadly, before adding a bit angrily, "And he's right that you deserved that! Where were you?"

Ephemer shrank back a little in fright while holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! But you know me, when there's something needed to be investigating, you know I always go out and try and figure it out."

The dark haired young woman pouted while placing her hands on her hips, scolding, "You always do that; go on your own and vanish for ages, leaving behind your friends to figure out what happened to you. That kind of habit is gonna end up with you not coming back alive one of these days and this time poor Haruo wouldn't be here to see you again."

"Haruo?" Ven blinked, confused. Why did that name sound familiar?

"A friend of ours...it's a long story." Ephemer replied in a hint of sadness. "As for where I was, well...part of it was that I was helping her out."

He turned to Lightning with both Ven and Skuld noticed as the woman was approached by Serah who hesitately approached her in disbelief, relief, uncertainty and doubt.

"Lightning? Is...is that really you?" Serah whispered.

"Do you doubt me?" Lightning questioned at her younger sister who nodded slightly. The older woman shook her head, "I told you before, Serah. It's good to doubt. You really have grown up."

Serah didn't respond to that at first. She was feeling the mixture of emotions rise inside her, because her sister was right here! Safe and sound! Having saved her and everyone else when they needed it. The younger Farron finally let it all out and hugged her older sister who returned it with a few tears of her own as Serah began to cry.

"It is you! I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?" Serah sobbed on her sister's shoulder.

Strelitzia smiled in relief, feeling moisture of tears of her own and for some reason...she felt as though something was missing inside her own heart. While she was so happy that her friend had finally found her sister, there was something about the reunion that made the Keyblade Wielder feel...like someone like family within her was missing as well and she had yet to find them. Almost as though...she was missing an older sibling of her own and then suddenly she realized that like Ven and Skuld, some of her own memories were missing as well since she returned to life.

The rest of the group felt the mixtures of emotions as well. For Sora, it was more the case of this reunion and Serah's words of looking for her older sister reminded him of when he finally reunited with Riku that one year ago, when he also reunited with Kairi.

* * *

 _ **Flash-Back: During the events of "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Second Chance"...**_

 _Kairi told Sora to approach, which he did, before she held hers, Sora's and 'Ansem's' hands together, saying, "Here. You'll understand. Close your eyes."_

 _Still puzzled, Sora did close his eyes, just as 'Ansem' turned to look at him. Within his closed vision, Sora could see a familiar silver-haired teen, a year older than him, in an Organization coat, but with aqua eyes, looking at him in the same stance. Opening his eyes again, Sora's heart seemed to stop. Despite the different body, the teen came to realize that 'Ansem' was none other than Riku all along. Sora didn't know how, or why, but now he understood why Mickey was reluctant. He knew all along and promised not to reveal the bad news to Sora, but thanks to Kairi, Sora knew half of the truth._

 _"Riku..." Sora mumbled, beginning to cry, "It's Riku. Riku's here..." before falling onto his knees while still holding Riku's hand, tears falling, relieved, sad and happy to finally reunite with his best friend who was also a brother to him. "I looked for you!" said Sora, silently crying._

 _Seeing this made Riku say, back in his normal voice, "C'mon, Sora. You've got to pull it together."_

 _Wiping his tears, Sora said again, "I looked everywhere for you!"_

* * *

End Flash-Back;

As soon as the memory ended, Sora smiled as a single tear slid down his face, which he noticed and in surprise by this he wiped it away.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Kairi asked, worriedly when she noticed this.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Don't know where it came from." He replied, sheepishly.

"Hey, wait..." Goofy began in slow realization, as a memory came into his mind which combined to what Serah just said.

"What is it, Goof'?" Mickey asked as he and the rest of the group gazed at him.

"Serah said that her sister's name is Lightning. Didn't Zeus say that the person who stopped Bhunivelze was named Lightning too?" Goofy asked and reminded.

"So?" Myde shrugged, not getting the picture.

Lea did, however, because he exclaimed in shock while remembering that Isa told him that Serah knew about the story of Bhunivelze and that she was cut off from explaining something before Davy Jones attacked Sao Feng's ship. "Wait a sec! Serah's sister's the same Lightning!?"

Serah and Lightning both released each other as they, Strelitzia and Ephemer gazed at Lea and everyone else with slight guilty and apologetic looks that were also slightly firm.

"That's right." Serah replied, having heard what Lea said.

"HUH!?" Donald asked, eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

"Serah...that means you...are like Ven, Skuld, Strelitzia and even Ephemer?" Sora asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Serah and Lightning shared a glance before gazing back at Sora, with the former answering. "Kind of."

"Hey, what do you mean 'kind of'?" Donald demanded, folding his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"That's my question." Zack pouted, folding his arms as well.

Before either of them could answer, a familiar voice called out, "Is everything okay?" and as everyone turned to the source of the voice, most of the worldly travellers were surprised to see a familiar teenage girl run up to them, having brown hair and green eyes.

"Oh, hey Olette!" Sora and Roxas both greeted happily as Xion ran up to Olette who, seeing them and the others, ran up them while Lea gave her a smile and a friendly wave.

"Hey." The redhead greeted.

"Roxas, Xion, Axel, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, your majesty, Namine and Riku! How are you?" Olette greeted happily while holding hands with Xion.

"Oh, you know. Travelling the worlds, fighting off the Heartless and Nobodies, beating up bad guys, that sort of thing." Sora replied, holding his hands behind his head.

"You okay?" Lightning asked Olette who nodded, which again surprised the worldly travellers and before they could say anything even further, they heard footsteps approach as well as panting. When they all looked, two more familiar faces approached; it was Hayner and Pence who, after catching their breath, looked up.

"You guys okay?" Olette asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, no problem." Hayner grinned.

"No one knows Twilight Town better than us." Pence added, before noticing Sora and the others and greeted. "Hey, you guys are here! Great timing!"

"You sure know how to turn up at the right time." Hayner greeted as well.

"Yeah, well..." Roxas began, awkwardly, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Before the former Nobody could continue, the Twilight Trio then noticed those that were unfamiliar to them, but the one who really caught their eye was Ven and when they did, they gapped in shock and disbelief.

"Hey, whoa! You're..." Hayner began, trailing off.

"You look like..." Pence added.

"...Just like Roxas." Olette finished for her two best friends.

"Oh, um...yeah, I guess." Ven replied sheepishly, before introducing himself, "Just call me Ven."

Lea just chuckled while Isa shook his head, as the former turned to the trio, "You think you three are shocked, imagine how Roxas felt when they both met for the first time a while ago. I had to try and explain things that they looked like each other while sorting out the major whacko-ness."

"Did those three call Lea 'Axel'?" Serah asked Strelitzia who nodded, also confused.

"Uh...why did they call you 'Axel'?" Zack asked the redhead.

"That was my Nobody's name, but since we're both the same person, not like Sora and Roxas, now it's my nick-name. Got it memorized?" Lea answered with a grin.

"If you say 'Got it memorized' one more time, I'll definitely turn you into a human swiss cheese, Axel!" A familiar and unwelcomed voice grunted, alarming Lea and everyone else as they turned to their right in the same direction to find Arlene as well as Lauriam who was smirking at them. Immediately the worldly travellers including Ephemer and Lightning stood in defense while Hayner, Pence and Olette stood nervously with Namine.

"Arlene! Lamuria!" Sora grunted angrily.

"Why are you here?" Aqua demanded.

"Only to gain what Ephemer and Lightning had found. It is however good to see that they and those friends of yours had escaped Maleficent and Pete, Sora, and Roxas." Lauriam replied.

"Maleficent and Pete were here!?" Mickey exclaimed, shocked. He and the others turned to the said five as while Ephemer and Lightning nodded, Hayner, Pence and Olette shared a worried glance.

"Not sure how you guys know them, but they were at that Mansion causing trouble to these two guys." Hayner answered while gesturing at Ephemer and Lightning. "It's a long story."

"It's become clear that they were searching what Master Aced sought out." Lauriam continued coldly.

"You mean what you and Arlene were looking for, Lamuria." Shelke corrected coldly as she and her older sister gave him and Arlene cold glares. "You were the traitors of the old times and made to betray Master Aced as well."

"However, it's become clear that Master Aced's views are wrong and despite the situation, the Realm of Light may be in better hands of Sora and his friends." Shalua added.

Arlene rolled her eyes, "Oh, gimme a break! You two seriously think that those losers got what it takes to take on Chaos and Master Aced and those Ardyn and Caius guys?" before sighing and shrugged, "Not that Aced's our major problem anymore."

"No longer...?" Shelke began.

"We knew from the beginning of Aced's views, but you could say we played double agent to find clues of the truth. The key to our memories as well as what the future holds." Lauriam explained, turning his gaze to Lea, continuing, "But a more minor fashion than what you had done, Axel."

"Hey, I'm not happy with what I did, okay?" Lea argued.

"Then what would you say to your old superior if Xemnas was still alive?"

"Well, let me think." Lea said sarcastically, then answered. "How 'bout, 'He was never my superior'."

"He wasn't my superior either." Isa spoke up. "In truth, we both were like you, but much more careful right up until...well...things that started to fall apart which is more my fault than Lea's."

Arlene raised an eye-brow in curiosity, smirking. "Oh, so you two were traitors too? That's news flash to me. No wonder you played double agent way too well, Axel. More like a triple agent!"

"Look who's talking! What, what you guys did? Yeah, we figured out who Mar''s real name is here." Myde pointed out while crossing his arms. "He's Lauriam and I bet you didn't even notice."

This brought shocked expressions from Ephemer and Strelitiza, because they, Skuld and even Ven somehow suddenly turned completely to Lauriam. Suddenly they all felt a sense of brooding form and none of them knew how or why it was even possible. For Strelitzia, it seemed to be a hardest hit for her than anyone else. She never fully understood the feelings ever since learning of his name...except that he was her killer, the one who stole her rulebook.

Yet her heart was telling her that it was not the case, but something entirely different. Something more...familiar and longinging and it made no sense to her at all. There was also now something familiar with Arlene as well; she'd seen her before...but how was it possible?

"So you now know? When did you learn of that?" Lauriam frowned.

"You kidding? Some names do get arranged in different ways. Yours just got in two instead of what Xehanort did to all of us by re-arranging our names." Lea scoffed.

"Ugh, not only I hate you, but that old geezer is just...UGH!" Arlene grunted in disgust.

"Okay, that's enough!" Sora snapped impatiently. "Since you two worked for Aced like Shelke and Shalua, where's Master Yen Sid?"

"And Where are Angeal and Genesis?" Zack added, just as impatiently.

"What? The two annoying sisters wouldn't tell you?" Arlene asked.

"What we mean is are they still alive?" Sora corrected himself.

The blonde-haired woman scoffed while looking away, answering. "Last I checked, they were and knowing their luck, they probably are. That grandpa and those two freak-shows may be locked up, but Aced is keeping them alive for more info."

"On what?" Riku demanded.

"Not telling."

Mickey felt some relief, but at the same time didn't want to fully hope that his mentor as well as Zack's mentor and Genesis were alive now, knowing that it maybe completely different. Especially since Arlene said 'Last I checked' which could've meant weeks ago or even longer than that. His heart was in the mixture of relief and severe dread and worry.

Before he can ask or even plead with Lauriam and Arlene on what Aced wanted with Yen Sid, Mickey blinked when Strelitzia hesitatedly approached the two enemies who gazed at her and, much to the confusion and shock of everyone, their expressions turned to that of confusion, suspicion and...familiarity?

"...You said you were looking for ways to recover your memories?" The ginger-haired girl asked softly. "Was that what you looking for? The journal you left behind in that Mansion, Lauriam? Or is it...the Book of Prophieces that Maleficent wants?"

While Sora and the rest of the worldly travellers shared a shocked and realized expressions, Lauriam and Arlene gazed at Strelitzia, not answering her question.

"You...you are Strelitzia." Lauriam remarked.

The young Keyblade wielder nodded, nervously at the man who had taken her life. "Yes...I...I'm the one you killed, back before the Keyblade War began. I want to ask you, Lauriam, before we have to fight; why did you kill me and take my place as a new Foreteller? What was it that you wanted that you couldn't do on your own? Why did you and Blaine team up against everyone?"

Lauriam and even Arlene were silent which was unusual for everyone else who waited. What was it that the pink haired man really want? What was his motive to killed Strelitzia? Was it to gain access to Kingdom Hearts? To the X-Blade?

Somehow Lauriam looked extremely uncomfortable, which made Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion and Myde share uncertain glances at their former co-worker of the Organization. Now that they thought about it, they hardly knew anything about him or Arlene apart from the fact that Xemnas picked them to be members of Organization XIII: to eventually become vessels of Xehanort's heart which thankfully never happened.

"It was...to..." Lauriam began, as something dull and intense was growing inside his mind, which he then blurted out almost unconsciously. "...Find my younger sister."

"Oh, right. I think I'm starting to remember now; it's you who had a sister, not me." Arlene muttered, which she quickly realized she sounded suddenly weak as she was feeling the same thing as Lauriam was feeling.

"Your sister?" Ephemer asked, only for him, Strelitzia and even Skuld, Lauriam, Arlene and even Ven suddenly feel intensed jolts flash into their minds as waves of images suddenly appeared their minds; Strelitzia in Daybreak Town with her Chirithy, seeing Ven pass her, Ven, Skuld, Ephemer, Lauriam and someone in a hat, which was Blaine who was reading a book, Lauriam speaking to a young girl who resembled to a slightly younger Arlene...in fact it was a younger Arlene.

All of these came flooding too quickly and too painfully to all six of them as each of them clutched their heads, bending forward and grunted and groaned which worried Sora and everyone else who gasped in horror on what was happening. Just then something similar was happening to Myde, except his was different and shook it away which it still felt like a headache, but he focused on what was going on and gazed worriedly at Ven, Skuld, Ephemer and Strelitzia.

"Ven!?" Aqua and Terra exclaimed worriedly, gently holding their younger friend in grave concern.

"Ven!" Mickey cried out in horror.

"Skuld!" Roxas, Xion, Lea and Isa exclaimed worriedly as they reached over to the girl.

"Strelitzia!?" Serah cried out as she and Mog hurried over to their friend.

"Ephemer!" Lightning held her young companion gently in grave concern as well.

"Ven! Skuld! Strelitiza!" Sora and everyone else cried out worriedly, wondering fearfully on what was happening.

"Hey, what's going on?" Hayner cried out, concerned while Pence was frozen stiff and whimpering, and Olette covered her mouth with her hands, terrified.

Riku shook his head, "I don't know. But something's happening...maybe they're remembering memories that are too painful for them."

"Oh, wonderful. It looks like my spell is finally wearing off. I knew this would happen." An unfamiliar voice to most of them spoke in a bored tone. When Sora and everyone else who weren't suffering such painful flash-backs looked up, they gasped in shock and horror at the sight of Blaine. Skuld and Ephemer looked up despite their skulls feeling like they were about to split in half, managed to look up and gasped in shock and horror as they recognized the newcommer.

"Blaine!?" The two Keyblade wielders exclaimed.

"Oh, hello, Skuld, Mr. Leader, Lauriam, Ven. It's been too long." Blaine greeted coldly.

Namine shivered and hidden herself behind Kairi who instantly knew who this man was as the Princess of Heart glared hard. "You're the one who tried to kidnap Namine, are you!?" She demanded.

Blaine smirked, "Fancy in finally meeting you, Princess. You as well, Sora. This just makes things a little more easier. Then again with this number, I can't get near the Princess of Heart or even her Nobody."

"Out with it! You work for Ardyn, don't you? What do really want?" Sora demanded, while he and Riku stood protectively around Kairi and Namine as did Mickey, Donald and Goofy.

"That's none of your business. Except for one little thing, which I'm gonna have to re-arrange these two's memories all over again. Too bad the girl I killed as well as Ephemer, Skuld and Ventus will remember, but so what? It's not like any of you will survive the War that's coming." Blaine smirked while gazing down at the still struggling Lauriam and Arlene.

"What do you mean!?" Sora snapped angrily.

"Don't tell me you haven't figured it out, Sora? Hmph, and you're the so called hero of the Realm of Light? The Keyblade really made a mistake in choosing a dud like you." The feather-hat young man scoffed, not impressed.

"Shut up!" Roxas snapped, and without thinking, summoned his Oblivion Keyblade and leaped up despite his friends' protests. He descended to attack Blaine, but to his and everyone else's shock, the latter summoned his own and easily knocked away the former Nobody who screamed and crashed onto the ground.

"ROXAS!" Sora, Lea, Xion, Namine, Isa, Hayner, Pence and Olette screamed out in horror, before the former five glared angrily at Blaine.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Lea yelled, summoning his Keyblade and despite that he was about to make the same mistake, he still tried to thrust at the boy who blocked it, gruntined a little but held himself in place.

"Is this and what Roxas held supposed to be Keyblades, or just a couple of jokes?" Blaine scoffed again. He didn't wait for an answer and instead smacked Lea back while the redhead yelled but unlike Roxas, he regained himself and flipped over before landing safely, but fell to one knee, panting and glared angrily at the Keyblade wielder in the hat.

"What do you think you're doing?" Vincent hissed.

Blaine smirked, "For a former vessel of Chaos, I'm surprised you and Sephiroth's puppet next to you are just as clueless. You both should consider yourselves the true Nobodies; vessels for the darkness of both."

"Shut up!" Cloud snapped, readying himself but careful not to attack foolishly. "You don't know any of us!"

"Yes, I do. But...I'll be needing a refresher later. For now, I'll be taking Strelitzia's...precious older brother," Blaine began, grasping the hair on the back of Lauriam's head, continuing when he did the same to Arlene as the two sudden captives grunted in the pain which was different compared to what was happening inside their heads, "And his loyal zappy helping girlfriend."

The group couldn't believe what Blaine just said, as Strelitizia, still whimpering at the agony she was going through, asked weakly and in disbelief. "My...older brother?"

"Oopsie! Looks like I made a bit of a slip. Heh, not that Marluxia here will remember this anytime soon. I'll be seeing you all again soon, I ensure you. Ta-ta!" Blaine chuckled as he used his powers to teleport away in a corridor of darkness.

"Stop!" Mickey and Cloud shouted and charged to try and stop Blaine, but were forced to skid to as they were too late.

"Who...was that?" Olette asked after a few moments of silence and that everyone else realized that Blaine was gone, with Lauriam and Arlene now held captive. By then, Roxas and Lea slowly stood up as they recovered, while the pain within the minds of Ven, Skuld, Ephemer and Strelitzia eased.

"Blaine...but he's not the Blaine we knew. Or at least...he's the darker side of him." Skuld replied, slowly.

"If he could re-arrange memories like I used to...then why does he and Ardyn need me for?" Namine muttered, worriedly.

"And why would he take Lauriam and Arlene?" Myde added. He never really liked Marluxia and Larxene always scared him. But there was something about this that didn't quite add up at all.

"He said he killed a girl...but that would mean..." Zack muttered, having heard of what was discovered earlier.

"It wasn't Lauriam who killed Strelitzia. It was Blaine, and he re-arranged everyone's memories but his own." Serah finished, and Lightning nodded in agreement.

Strelitzia, still panting from her ordeal, finally saw the truth and her heart ached terribly in guilt and sorrow. Tears began to form in her eyes. She should've known! The truth had been right there, and yet she had been fooled into believing a member of an Organization created by a terrible man who wanted Kingdom Hearts was the one who took away her life before Cosmos revived her.

"Lauriam...my brother...he...he was looking for me." Strelitzia whispered to herself. All this time, and her death had lead Lauriam and Arlene on a wild goose chase, very likely unaware of her death and they, Ven, Skuld and Ephemer were used as tools for whatever Blaine had in mind at the time.

The rest of the group gazed at her in sorrow, sympathy and worry.

"We were all played as fools. But why?" Shelke whispered to herself, in disbelief as even she was shocked by the entire thing. Why would Blaine do such a thing? Was the entire thing a set up by one who wanted a goal that was unknown?

"Master Yen Sid..." Mickey whispered to himself, closing his eyes in even greater worry.

"...Angeal." Zack muttered, thinking of his mentor and best friend.

Sora didn't know what to do. So many things were happening and everything was being placed somehow squarely on his shoulders. The weight of being the hero of the Realm of Light was becoming more and more difficult. Now he knew what his other self had meant on the Organization members; even Lauriam and Arlene didn't deserve any of this. Everything was completely messed up. It was like one step forward, ten steps back.

* * *

To ease off the stress that was happening and hoping to get Ven, Skuld, Ephemer and Strelitzia recovered, Lea suggested they all buy Sea-Salt Ice Cream and meet up on the top of the Clock Tower which, it was a bit cramped given that there was so many of them, they managed.

The redhead, Roxas, Xion and Isa sat on the usual railing even though they were sharing the conversation with everyone else. First Serah and Lightning explained the entire truth about their past-lives and their last battle against Bhunivelze which shocked the worldly travellers and at first they demanded to know why they hidden it, until Lightning pointed out was that it wasn't much of a choice. But she did give out good advice on how to defeat the God should he return to life and that she will be there to help if or when that ever happened.

They then moved on to calm down with more minor conversations as they knew they had another big day tomorrow.

"I can see why you guys used to come here so often." Terra commented.

"The view from here is beautiful." Aqua agreed as she gazed at the sunset.

"Yeah, even on our day off we came up here." Lea chuckled, "Not that it made a difference. Usually I do something more meaningful on those days."

"You mean sleep?" Roxas, Xion and Isa deadpanned with smirks. Lea just shrugged.

"What else did you do on your day offs?" Cloud asked, skeptically.

The redhead shrugged again, "Sleep, roll over and sleep some more."

"And everybody says I always slept a lot." Sora laughed, while Kairi and Riku both shook their heads. Everyone else, even Strelitzia and surprisingly Lightning, Shelke and Shalua shared laughs, before they all sombered up to return to their situtation.

"So, um...what did happen at the mansion earlier?" Lea asked Ephemer, Lightning, Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"We were looking for the Book of Prophecies, hoping it would give us a clue on how to solve all this without War going off or summoning Kingdom Hearts. Turns out that's where it was hidden all along." Ephemer explained, digging into his pockets and pulled out the very old designed book which has everyone else's eyes widen in awe and surprise, while Hayner, Pence and Olette were even more confused.

"What's a Book of Prophecies?" Pence asked Hayner.

"How should I know?" His friend shrugged cluelessly.

"It's a book that contains strong power as we thought about earlier, and Maleficent wants to use it to cause all kinds of trouble. It's very dangerous so it's best not to say anything much." Mickey replied firmly, with the rest of the worldly travellers nodding in agreement.

"We searched that mansion for a couple of days and by the time we found it and began to leave, well, that's when Maleficent and Pete found us." Lightning grumbled, as she stood while having her arms folded to her chest in the same manner as Cloud and Vincent.

"What about you guys? Did something happen?" Sora asked Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"We heard several rumors of things and people appearing at that old mansion, so we thought we'd do some investigating of our own to find out. When we did, we found out that old lady you guys call Maleficent and that big guy which I'm guessing is Pete had shown up." Hayner began to retell the story of what happened before the worldly travellers' arrival earlier.

* * *

 _ **Flash-Back: Hours earlier...**_

 _Something strange was going on. First the white things, then new black things that were just as bad as the other monsters, now two mysterious people appearing out of nowhere; a woman with pink hair and a boy about sixteen or something, were spotted vanishing into the wall which lead to the forest that was the hiding place of the old, abandoned mansion. Hayner, Pence and Olette tried to find them, but had to fall back a couple of times. So today was their latest attempt to figure out what was happening._

 _As luck would have it, while the three teenage friends were silently creeping towards their destination, they hidden themselves behind a tree where out of a Corridor of Darkness, Maleficent and Pete emerged just outside of the gates of the old mansion just as Ephemer and Lightning emerged from the mansion's doors, before two, seeing the evil duo, quickly stood in fighting stances._

 _"Hmm? What do we have here? More fools to meddle?" Maleficent inquired._

 _"Who are you?" Lightning demanded._

 _"I know who that is; she's Maleficent and if I'm guessing what, that big guy's Pete!" Ephemer grunted angrily._

 _"Hey, how'd you know 'bout us, you brat?" Pete demanded angrily._

 _"Indeed. This boy is yet another fool, yet a clever one which we cannot allow to go free on his way." Maleficent nodded in agreement._

 _Pence, unable to contain his excitement, whispered a little too loudly, "It's about time!" only for Hayner to quickly cover his mouth hurriedly._

 _"Keep it down!" Hayner whispered angrily. He and his two friends carefully checked to see if the evil fairy and the big fat cat heard them before sighing in relief when it was clear that they didn't. So the taller teen whispered to Pence and Olette, "Come on."_

 _"Why are you here? If it's for anything to hurt others, you're making a big mistake on your part." Lightning hissed._

 _"That is none of your concern, child." Maleficent responded, before adding with a smirk, "Yet, I do sense darkness within your heart, waiting to be awakened. Join me, warriors and together we will rule all the worlds!"_

 _The pink-haired woman scoffed angrily. "Thanks, but no thanks. Why would I want to work for an old hag like you? Let alone rule all of the worlds? I already had enough experience doing as I'm told through lies to help them get what they want before I learn the truth. What makes you think I would do something as stupid as helping you?"_

 _"You dare to speak to me like that?" Maleficent growled angrily._

 _"Yeah, nobody and I do mean nobody, calls Maleficent any bad names! Youse best mind your manners, pipsqueak! 'Cause when I'm through with both of ya's, you'll be wanderin' in darkness with nobody comin' to save ya's!" Pete yelled at Lightning and Ephemer who just glared harder._

 _Ephemer quirked an eyebrow at Pete's claims. Was this guy for real? He looked more like a clown as far as the Keyblade wielder was concerned._

 _"Yeah right, and you call taking over every single world and casting them into darkness 'manners'?" Ephemer scoffed. "You might wanna consider finding something much nicer to do."_

 _"D'oooooooh! That's what that goof-brain with the Keyblade brat said and by the way, if ya's know 'bout me and Maleficent, then you must know about those twerps too!" The large cat growled in sheer annoyance._

 _"Why, yes. Of course. It's now clear that you two are allies with Sora and his meddling friends. Then you must know of the Book of Prophecies and the Black Box." Maleficent agreed, her frown turning into a cruel evil smirk._

 _Just outside of the mansion walls, both Pence and Olette gasped on the one side while Hayner was hiding at the other opposite to them._

 _"She said Sora, and that guy must mean Goofy." Pence whispered and Hayner whispered in agreement._

 _"Those two people need us!" Olette whispered urgently, knowing that if the other boy and the woman know about Sora and the others, it's clear that they are friends and they know that something is going on. The three teenagers continued spying and listening in while coming up with a plan on how to do this without getting caught or killed._

 _While Ephemer and Lightning grunted at the mention of the Book which they had finally found in the library after searching through it for the last couple of days, the mention of the black box was quite still new to them so they shared a confused glance._

 _"What book and box?" Lightning asked, as she and Ephemer gazed back at the two villains._

 _"You think you can lie? The Book of Prophecies as the power to create worlds and gain full control of everything." Maleficent answered._

 _"As for that there black box...well, nobody knows what's inside d'at thing." Pete added, in which he continued with uncertainty, "I'm not even sure if such a thing even exists."_

 _That made Lightning smirk in amusement, "Well if it doesn't, then you're just wasting your time going on a wild goose chase."_

 _"And good luck finding whatever it is you're looking for, because number 1, we were looking for something entirely different and number 2, we've come up empty handed." Ephemer added._

 _"Perhaps, but we will search this place. However, in order to do that, you two must prepare to meet your doom!" Maleficent declared. But just before she was about to cast a spell on the two young fools before her and Pete..._

 _"Yoo hoo!" Pence called out, interrupting as he came out from his hiding and caused the two villains to stop what they were doing and turned to face the teenage boy. "Excuse me!"_

 _"Hey, where'd you come from, pipsqueak?" Pete pouted angrily. "Can't ya see we're busy?"_

 _Pence, who wasn't expecting this kind of greeting, awkwardly tried to continue the conversation. "Oh, well, I'm looking for a friend who used to live here."_

 _Unaware to everyone except Pence, Olette had snuck in by climbing the walls and hidden herself behind tombstones while making her way to Ephemer and Lightning who both looked concerned, wondering who Pence was or why he would come all the way out here._

 _"Do not be foolish, child. No one lives here." Maleficent told him impatiently._

 _"This ain't no place for you, kid. So go on, scram!" Pete waved off, attempting to shoo the teenager away._

 _"But um, sir and miss..." Pence stepped closer, attempting to continue to distract the two villains._

 _Now Pete was getting worried while Maleficent was getting even more impatient to the point that she was willing to do the boy harm. Pete on the other hand, began to say awkwardly, "H-hey, kid! I said scram! Didn't your mother teach you not to talk to strangers?"_

 _By now, Olette used this oppotunity to grab Ephemer by the arm which caught the boy's and Lightning's attentions as the teenage girl whispered urgently to the two, "This way!" and pulled the boy away, with Lightning, despite wanting to stay behind realized what was happening and with no other choice, hurried along as she and Ephemer suddenly sensed more unexpected help was about to arrive._

 _Sensing movement behind them, Maleficent and Pete both turned to see what Ephemer and Lightning were suddenly gone, which caused the latter villain to stutter in shock and confusion. "Wha? Where'd they go!?"_

 _Using this distraction, Hayner emerged from his hiding place and jumped to give Maleficent a surprise kick attack, yelling out, "Hey, losers!"_

 _Unfortunately, Maleficent and Pete both turned to see this and the latter, surprisingly quick, grabbed Hayner by the foot._

 _"Or not!" The teenager yelled out while dangling in mid-air, causing Pence to groan in both worry and in dismay at his friend's not so clever idea. Pete just gave the panicked boy a glare before flinging him towards the wall._

 _"Nice try, brat!" Pete smirked before he tossed him._

 _However, just before Hayner was about to hit the wall, a monster that looked a bit like Heartless, but more humaniod, with sharp crimson claws and horns suddenly appeared and caught Hayner in it's arms and gently set him down on the ground before leaping and then began to claw at Pete who, in shock and confusion, was smacked right in the face and attempted to claw at Maleficent who stumbled back in shock and confusion. Hayner on other hand stared at the even more unusual thing in shock. Normally those white things and the black things terrorized Twilight Town. But this thing..._

 _"It saved me..." He whispered in awe and confusion._

 _Pence, once his mind began working again, hurried over to his friend and pulled him up by the arm while saying urgently. "Hayner! Get a move on!"_

 _"Oh, okay!" Hayner nodded once he realized that his friend was right. The two boys then hurried on outta there without looking back and hoped that Maleficent and Pete wouldn't follow. Fortunately for them, they were too busy with their latest problem as the unusual Heartless gazed at them._

 _"This thing ain't no ordinary Heartless! What's goin' on!?" Pete exclaimed, both angrily and in fear._

 _For once, Maleficent had no clue either at first. But the more she gazed at the creature, the more she felt something quite familiar she could not place, one that she only encountered once somewhere not real but at the same time real to her. Suddenly in her mind's eye, a ghostly figure of a boy glowing in golden light appeared in the same place as the monster, glaring at her; a boy with dirty blonde hair, blue vest and white sleeveless shirt, light brown shorts and blue and white shoes with white socks, was in a battle stance holding a very familiar weapon; a Keyblade that matched that of Skuld's._

 _She then suddenly knew who this thing was and she was furious._

 _"YOU!" The evil Fairy snarled, flaring up her staff before sending out a blast of green energy at the creature, but it jumped before it could be hit. The unusual monster gazed at both her and a shocked and now terrified Pete before it vanished into darkness._

 _"Say um, M'lady? Not to question ya or anythin', but do you know what that thing was?" Pete asked hesitatedly._

 _"Hmph. I know not of the kind of creature. However, it has a similar pattern to that of a Heartless, but with a heart and a soul." Maleficent answered. "That soul is that of a boy I once encountered long ago. His fate is questionable, but now he is here in the present, to interfere much like Sora and his friends."_

 _She then turned and summoned a Corridor of Darkness to leave for the time-being, which had Pete to quickly race after her._

 _"Maleficent, wait for me!" He cried out, managing to enter before the Corridor of Darkness vanished._

* * *

End Flash-Back:

"...And then we met up with you guys, so the rest is history." Hayner concluded.

The worldly travellers were surprised by what they were hearing, the fact that Hayner, Pence and Olette had risked their lives to save Ephemer and Lightning from Maleficent and Pete was both worrying and amazing. Not to mention amusing at some parts of the story.

"Heh. Serves those two right." Sora snickered, as Kairi, Mickey, Aqua, Ven, Donald, Goofy, Xion and Namine giggled in agreement.

"But that thing that saved you...we saw those things in Mickey, Donald and Goofy's hometown just yesterday." Riku muttered in realization, which made everyone else realize that he was right.

"Darklings." Skuld muttered in worry. "They're here too?"

"Darklings?" Ven asked, confused.

Skuld nodded, and replied, "Still not sure how they came to be apart from looking for Light, but they used to be Keyblade wielders who had fallen into darkness to become those things. They're the most powerful forms of Heartless and began to appear just before the you-know-what started. But what I don't understand is why one of them would help Hayner and the others."

"Now that you mention it, there was one that helped us out in fighting the rest of those things too, which is really weird." Sora nodded in agreement.

"I think I know who that is but...how can it be?" Strelitzia thought in concern, thinking about the Darkling that helped and then vanished.

"Do you think the thing that helped Hayner is the same one that helped us out?" Roxas asked Lea and Isa who both shrugged.

Lea was the first to answer even though he was just as uncertain as his friend was. "Could be, but who knows? On the other hand, that's the only explaination that makes sense and if given the history of Riku and Terra, I'm thinkin' that it's somebody who's starting to regain control of themselves in a weird way."

"Someone who..." Ephemer trailed off, before gasping softly in realization and sighed in sadness. "Hauro. Could it really be him?"

"Huh? Who's Hauro?" Hayner asked, confused.

"A friend of mine. Someone I met a long time ago before Skuld met him. He...well, that's a long story and none of has seen him in a long time." The white-haired boy shrugged in sadness.

Skuld then realized something and turned to Strelitzia, asking, "Strelitzia, I remember now! Lauriam was searching for clues to find you and I think he and Ephemer when to ask Hauro about it. You ever met him?"

The ginger-haired girl shook her head, "No. I was too shy back then. But I did secretly follow him because, well, I liked what he did. He was so brave and sweet and kind. I really wanted to talk to him but...I never got the chance."

"Bummer." Pence remarked in sympathy.

"I'm sorry. It's because me this has happened. It's just...I didn't want him to go away." Strelitzia muttered, trying hard not to cry.

"Aw, it's not your fault, Strelitzia. Why, nobody ever knew that Blaine and Aced would do such horrible things." Mickey ensured while gently rubbing the girl's back to comfort her.

"He's right. It'll work out." Serah agreed, smiling in sadness yet warmth at her friend. "I know because we're going to set things right. You helped me find Lightning. Now it's my turn to help you and bring Lauriam back to normal."

"Serah...your Majesty." Strelitzia muttered, feeling her heart ease and at Sora and everyone else's determinded nods of agreement, she felt overwhelmed as she smiled yet tears began to fall free. She tried to wipe them free. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Eat your ice cream before it melts. It'll cheer you up. It always does to the rest of us." Lea advised warmly.

"That's the lamest thing I've ever heard, apart from your dumb idea of immorality." Cloud scoffed teasingly, and Zack, Roxas, Sora, and even Vincent nodded in agreement.

"Hey!" Lea pouted, before they all began to laugh.

Though despite this, everyone knew that the dangers were far from over, since they now had to find another hiding place for Namine since Blaine was aware of her being here and it could end up the case when Axel(which Lea still cringed about and apologized again to Kairi who told him she forgives him and that he is her friend) kidnapped Kairi all over again.

Because starting tomorrow, the rescue mission in the Keyblade Graveyard was about to get underway.

* * *

 **A/N: The next chapter will hopefully reach the Keyblade Graveyard. However, the final battle isn't taking place just yet as there are still other things our heroes will have to go through and for that, they need Yen Sid's guidence.**

 **See you then!**


	53. CH52: Ruins of Daybreak Town

**Author's Note: Thank you for your amazing reviews, and I know many of you are looking forward for the epic clash. However, we're still chapters away before that happens as there are more perperations to do.**

 **Until then, brace yourselves for tensions and shock values in this chapter(well, as shocking and tensed as I can make it anyway. :P)**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH52: Ruins of Daybreak Town.**_

To say that Aced was furious was definitely an understatement. Not only he had lost Shelke and Shalua who had been captured by those new generations of the Keyblade who were still just making things worse and had the Rai sisters on their side, now Lamuria and Arlene not only betrayed him by leaving him behind, but as he discovered in the now fading Oracle of World-Sight which is what he was using to keep on eye on the events that was happening, they had been captured a Keyblade Wielder of Darkness as well as Ardyn Izunia, a dangerous man along side the Guardian of the Unseen Realm, Caius Ballad.

Now just as he was about to discover what else was happening, the Oracle of World-Sight how faded completely, which was rendered useless. How can this be possible? Why did everything had to come to this!? The Foreteller growled angrily that he ended up punching the crystal orb without thinking, smashing it off it's pedestal where it rolled while cracking before falling off the table and smashed into pieces on the floor. He panted heavily to try and calm down before sighing. He was on his own, and he had to do something about this. All Aced had were his prisoners who still provided very little information on what they knew.

However, no one was a match against him. He can handle the prisoners later. Because despite having no clue what Sora and his friends intend to do next, he knew one thing; they were coming, for his three prisoners. A waste of time yet the perfect chance to show them how wrong they were.

"Fine. I'll take care of this myself." Aced muttered to himself, beginning to leave the stone chambers as he summons his Keyblade to head out and prepare for the battle, quoting to himself the same words the Master of Master once told him and his fellow Foretellers years before. "May my heart be my guiding key."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Chaos's dominion, the being of Discord himself and Ardyn were listening in on Blaine's latest report in capturing Lauriam and Arlene who now both hanged from chains encrusted on the stone wall alongside the unconscious forms of Even, Aeleus and Dilan. Nearby the unconscious five were the capsules that held Cinderella, Aurora, Alice, Snow White, Belle and now Jasmine who Ardyn had captured just recently.

" **The pieces are coming together along nicely. Soon I will be able to conjour and destroy Kingdom Hearts and return everything into pure Darkness.** " Chaos spoke once Blaine finished his report, before adding with a growl. " **However, it is still far too early to enter a full scale attack as we still are yet to aqquire the aid of the gods of darkness.** "

"Which includes retrieving the light from the Keyblade Princess of Heart, yet Sora will not allow her to die so easily. Now that he is aware of his actions in a time-line where he and Roxas failed to save Axel on time and everything went along Xehanort's way." Ardyn continued, smirking as he did.

"Yeah, but the thing is, there's something inside Sora that can help." Blaine pointed out with a smirk, asking Ardyn. "You said you couldn't find Vanitas, right?"

"At first, but when Xehanort was destroyed, all those pieces faded except one as they returned to their timelines. Now I know where Vanitas is, and it's all linked to that Keyblade wielder. Then again, there are other problems that will clash, so we must do what we can. However, Aced will no doubt learn his lesson." Ardyn replied.

Chaos considered this for a moment, and then smirked cruely as he knew what needed to be done as he came to the same conclusion as his two servants. " **Then you know what you must do. This will work to our advantage. Go forth, Ardyn, Blaine. Bring me the light and dark.** "

Ardyn and Blaine both bowed while saying in unison, "Yes, Lord Chaos."

Yet even they were unaware of the events that were about to unfold. Because watching them from a hiding place of the corner was the figure of Caius Ballad who grunted silently and angrily at Ardyn's direction.

' _I knew it...I have been tricked. Fine, I will handle Ardyn Izunia myself._ ' He thought to himself, before silently leaving to avoid in getting caught.

* * *

After spending a day in Twilight Town yet now concerned that Blaine could return to capture Namine if she stayed here or in Radiant Garden, Cloud suggested that Midgar may be the next best thing and that Tifa will take care of her. So when it was decided what to do, Cloud, Zack, Vincent, Lightning and Serah decided to team up to take Namine to Midgar with Shelke and Shalua joining them to face their actions and hopes to atone while Strelitzia and Ephemer were now joining Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Lea, Xion, Isa, Ven, Skuld, Myde, Terra and Aqua towards their destination to the Keyblade Graveyard and agreed to wait for Cloud's group before they would venture through the ruins of Daybreak Town.

So after saying goodbye to Hayner, Pence and Olette and promising they will return to visit, the worldly travellers set off once more, more determined to rescue Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis while hoping to get through Aced and make him realize his mistakes before figuring out how to stop Chaos and the other villains that threatened to destroy the Realm of Light. Yet as they travelled while following the directions Mickey, Terra, Aqua and Ven were instructing, Sora's mind returned to what Blaine had told him and everyone else earlier yesterday. On top of that, he was certain that Strelitzia was having difficulty in grasping the situation and he couldn't blame her.

Everything was upside down and back to front. Which left one more question; why was Blaine doing all of this? What in the Realm of Light was going on?

Groaning as he was flying the Gummiship this time, Sora leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head. "Everything's so messed up!"

"Yeah, darkness isn't really making things easier for us, is it?" Lea grumbled in agreement. "Seriously, I really thought that once Xehanort is ancient history and everybody's saved we could all finally have peaceful and fun lives. Just goes to show you that reality doesn't work like that."

"Gawrsh, nobody ever knew Chaos was gonna just poof outta nowhere." Goofy pointed out with a shrug, adding in realization. "But I guess that's 'cause not everyone's heard of 'im much either."

"Or Bhunivelze." Strelitzia spoke up, "Until recently."

"Yeah. But...then again no one really knew about about what was happening in the past. Why did the Foretellers fight?" Ven asked, still feeling the dullness of the sudden memories that came back to him. "What did the Master of Masters really want?"

Ephemer sighed as he studied the Book of Prophecies, before shaking his head. "Well, I read this book back to front, but most of it just doesn't make any sense. Apart from the line 'Darkness will Prevail and Light will Expire', I don't know what else to make of it apart from it telling future events."

"What else does it say?" Roxas asked, not certain if he wanted to know or not.

"Well, from what I can tell, it says here that a Keyblade War will begin and tear the world apart, but then lights of children will restore it into a new form. But the dangers will not end there. What really creeps me out is that...it kinda feels imcomplete; like there's a page missing or something." The white-haired young man muttered.

That made Sora and the rest of the Worldly Travellers apart from Strelitzia gasp softly before sharing a glance; a missing page-they had of that one before. Their minds immediately went back to what Milo told them back in Atlantis on what happened to the Shepards Journal.

"Hey, didn't Rourke rip out the part where the Heart of Atlantis lies the eyes of the king on the page he wanted to use to steal that Crystal?" Myde asked.

"Yes, and when Milo said there was a missing page, he couldn't figure it out either until Rourke admitted his crimes." Aqua nodded, frowning as she and soon everyone else who knew began to form on conclusion.

Skuld's brows narrowed as she said, "Perhaps what had happened to the Journal is the same way that has happened to the Book of Prophecies; a page was ripped out to make things more difficult."

"And lead everyone on an endless search to find answers." Isa continued for her as Skuld nodded at him.

"Huh?" Ephemer asked as he and Strelitzia gazed at the rest of the group in confusion.

"When we were in a world called Atlantis, where was this journal that was a map to lead to the lost city itself. But before our friend Milo retrieved it, the enemy Rourke ripped out a page because he wanted to steal the Heart's world which was a giant powerful crystal for money. He kept it to himself until we reached Atlantis." Riku explained.

"So what you're saying is, what happened with this Journal..." Strelitzia trailed off as horrifized realization dawned onto her and Ephemer.

"Is the same thing that happened with the book." Terra confirmed.

"But, the Book of Prophecies isn't a journal about a crystal or anything." Ephemer pointed out, gazing at the book again. "Besides, who could've ripped out a page that was so important?"

"The Master of Masters?" Sora guessed, causing his friends to look at him.

"Whaddya mean, Sora?" Mickey asked.

"It's just a feeling I have." The spiky haired teen shrugged with a concerned expression. "That guy is suspicious and weird and while he did help us out a little in Agrabah...I just don't trust him. Plus, with what those other Foreteller guys told me in my dream earlier, there's something unusual about it."

"But...what if the Foretellers are trying to catch us off-guard?" Kairi asked, uneasily. "Who's to say that they're trying to trick you into slowing down?"

"Hmmm...Good point." Sora muttered, realizing that she was right. What if the Foretellers were trying to trick him? What if they lied even though they were telling the truth about the other Time-line, like Vanitas did-

His thoughts came a halt as Sora's eyes widened in realization...

"Vanitas..." He muttered, his voice shaking which caused everyone else to gaze at him worriedly when they heard him actually beginning to quiver and that was quickly making them all worry and scared.

"Sora?" Donald asked, worriedly.

"Maybe it's Vanitas who's messing with my head. With the foretellers and showing me things that's happened in the alternate universe, I think he's...trying to take over my heart and is getting stronger!" Sora said.

"Oh no!" Mickey exclaimed as everyone else except for Ephemer gasped in horror.

"Hold on. Who's Vanitas?" Ephemer asked, the only one being confused.

Ven glanced at him uncomfortably, and answered. "My darkness. Xehanort extracted the darkness from my heart sixteen years ago which created Vanitas out of pure darkness. That masked guy became Xehanort's apprentice to try and use him and me to create the X-Blade."

"What!?" Ephemer exclaimed in shock, before asking in disbelief. "But, why is Vanitas inside Sora's heart now if he was supposed to have been your darkness, Ven?"

"I guess it happened when Sora and Riku woke me up and returned my heart to my body a while back, before we were attacked by Aced for the first time. Somehow Vanitas entered Sora's heart or something." Ven shrugged helplessly.

"Worse part is," Sora continued to explain for Ven. "I can actually hear that guy and sometimes see him when he feels like it like a ghost."

Lea's expresssion turned to anger as he stated, "Well, if that punk really is messing with your head even further, then we have to do something to get him out of you without hurtin' you. Got it memorized?"

He then tapped Sora's head slightly and continued, this time attempting to commuciate with the dark embodiment. "Yeah, we're talkin' about ya', Vanitas! I know you can hear me! Quit messin' with him, will ya!?"

" _Like I have anything else to do. What do you want me do to, hand him over an imaginary birthday cake?_ " Vanitas snorted in Sora's mind in response to Lea's attempts to talk to him.

"He says he doesn't anything else to do." Sora informed while translating, before taking his turn in talking to Vanitas now that he was aware what was happening. "And would you quit being sarcastic, Vanitas? You keep showing me things that didn't happen to us yet and if this your other way in taking over my body, that's not gonna happen!"

"You tell him, Sora!" Donald encouraged, and Goofy, Kairi, Riku and Mickey nodded in agreement with their own expressions of encouragement.

Sora heard Vanitas laugh insanely which made him cringe and making his ears ring. The dark embodiment then snarled, " _You're the one who keeps ignoring my advice and avoiding the truth, idiot. Just so you know, I have nothing to do with those Foretellers appearing out of nowhere. The only reason I came into that conversation is to have a little bit of fun in helping you admit that you're scared. As for Luxu...well...he's not who he originally was._ "

"You're expecting me to believe that?" Sora asked incredulously to Vanitas.

By then, Ven had approached and angrily but calmly tried his turn to talk to his former darkness, "Get real, Vanitas. Whatever you're telling Sora is not gonna work!"

To his shock and unaware to Sora, Ven could actually hear what Vanitas was saying next. " _Oh, so now you finally decided to join in the conversation, Venty-Wenty? What'm I gonna do with you?_ "

"...No way..." Ven whispered in shock and horror, which by now made Sora and the others gaze at him worriedly.

"Ven?" Sora, Aqua, Mickey and Terra asked, worriedly.

"Ven, what's wrong?" Skuld asked worriedly as she and Ephemer stood from their seats and joined everyone else.

"...I think I heard him. I heard what he said." Ven gasped.

"What!?" Sora exclaimed, "No way! You mean you just heard him say..."

Goofy looked at Donald in confusion and worry, saying. "I didn't hear Vanitas. Did you?"

"Uh uh." Donald shook his head with a shrug.

" _Well, this is a surprise. Looks like I can talk to my brother now. Isn't that thrilling?_ " Vanitas grinned, and Sora shut his eyes while holding his head as Kairi, Riku and everyone else cried out the latter's name in worry and fear.

"Vanitas! J-just go away!" Sora yelled desperately.

" _All right, all right. No need to shout. Geez, ruin a guy's fun why don'tcha? But be warned, Sora, Ventus...I'll be back...but not the way you both and everyone else are expecting the next time around._ " Vanitas grumbled, before his voice faded away, and Sora was breathing hard as he couldn't hear Ven's darkness anymore...for now at least.

"Sora?" Kairi asked, gently resting a hand onto Sora's shoulder which was hesitant. The way how Sora reacted terrified her, especially since Vanitas was now being able to speak with Ven.

Despite that Sora was calming down and the knowledge that Kairi was there that seemed to have soothed him from the traumatic experience that he was going through, he couldn't help but feel guilty for scaring her and everyone else through that episode and if that was happening, it meant that Vanitas was getting stronger. Problem is at the same time, he didn't feel any different...at least he thought he didn't.

"...I'm sorry." Sora muttered, panting hard after a moment or two. He then looked at his friends with a worried expression, asking, "Am I...being more different lately?"

"No. I think because of what's happening that it's really getting to you. I know, because I was so scared when I saw Ven's memories in my nightmares; the ones that where Xehanort told him about the X-Blade when he went to rescue the King." Xion ensured him. She sensed that he was scared, because the entire situation was really scarying her too.

"Xion's right." Aqua nodded in agreement. "We're all feeling the effects of what's been happening and it's really starting to get to us."

Everyone else nodded in agreement, before Mickey ensured the troubled spiky-haired teen. "Don't worry, Sora. We'll figure this out together. You're not alone in any of this. Because when one of our own gets hurt, it hurts us too. We're all a team."

"Besides, you never listened to what that guy was saying, right? So just keep ignoring that jerk in your head. Got it memorized?" Lea grinned in agreement.

"And if anything does happen, we'll be right here." Kairi added warmly.

Even though Sora felt the lingering fear of losing everyone which he tried to ignore, the comforting words and nods from his friends did make him feel better. As long as they had each other, they can do anything, right?

"Thanks, guys." He replied, just as the alarm went off and alerted them to gaze at the panel once more. There floated a barren mountain world ahead of them that looked like a giant floating rock in space. The worldly travellers narrowed their eyes as each and every one of them realized that they had made it; the destination where everything ended and began.

"The Keyblade Graveyard." Ven muttered as he, Aqua and Terra gazed hard at the world where they and Mickey had fought against Master Xehanort and Vanitas twelve years ago.

"The Ruins of Daybreak Town has gotta be on the other side of this world. We'd better be careful and land at close we can." Mickey informed everyone. This was it; this is where they would be able to find and very likely fight Aced and hopefully save Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis.

His companions all nodded in agreement and while Sora was steering the Gummiship to as far other side of the world as possible, Mickey kept his eyes firmly on the place where everything changed.

' _Please hold on, Master Yen Sid. We're almost there._ ' The King thought, hoping his thoughts would reach his teacher and old friend. His heart was hammering in anxiety and dread, yet with hope that his mentor was still alive. But...what if they were too late? Mickey tried not to think about the worse outcome, but he couldn't completely forget about it either. He was terrified to find out, but he knew that they made it this far.

Now it was time to find out for sure.

* * *

 _ **{KEYBLADE GRAVEYARD}**_

Not long as they stopped the Gummiship over the spot as close as they can get near the Ruins of Daybreak Town, the seventeen beams rained down onto the dirt soils of the Keyblade Graveyard which faded to reveal the worldly travellers who looked around their surroundings. They all gasped in shock at where they landed; they were in the middle of a fork in the road of four pathways created by hundreds-no, thousands of discarded Keyblades as far as the eye could see. So many of them that most of them had trouble in keeping count. To Terra, Ven, Aqua and Mickey, they found that the platform that Master Xehanort created twelve years ago was absent. To Ephemer and Skuld, their hearts ached as they recognized this very spot.

"This is where we first met Ven, Blaine and Lauriam." Skuld whispered in sorrow.

"Yeah, and the last time we saw Haruo before that." Ephemer added.

"Gawrsh, there's so many Keyblades." Goofy muttered in fear.

Mickey took a couple steps forward before stopping, and looked around in sadness and still disbelief. "So many died here, and how everything went from bad to worse."

"Hold on." Lea blinked, turning to Ephemer and Skuld, asking as he heard what they said. "You came here after the War ended?"

"Yeah, just afterwards. Haruo was offered to join the Dandelions to try and rebuild the world. But he didn't..." Ephemer answered.

Skuld nodded, "He didn't want to leave everyone who were gonna fight in the war behind. So he stayed...and was the only survivor to have entered the war. Ephemer and I found him and saved him from dying, and sent him into a Realm where everybody who survived the war would forget all about it. But...well, that didn't turn out too well."

"Blaine, right?" Terra guessed.

"Yeah, pretty much. Still not sure what happened, but if my guess is right...he somehow turned into a Darkling and disappeared...until recently." Ephemer nodded.

"I didn't even get the chance to fight in the war or even avoid it as a Dandelion. This is just so horrible." Strelitzia muttered.

Sora nodded in agreement, "Yeah. This is where Xehanort talked about the X-Blade to Ven, Terra and Aqua."

"How did you know?" Riku asked, surprised.

"I saw it in a dream during the Mark of Mastery, when Genesis put me into sleep. That was before I fought against the Darkside and saved Ven's heart and your voice called out to me, Riku. Xehanort said that...that everybody who fought here gave up their lives to get the X-Blade." Sora explained.

"He's right." Ven nodded. "The three of us gathered here not long after Xehanort struck down Master Eraqus. It was here that...I was willing to sacrifice myself to try and stop the X-Blade from being formed."

Aqua and Terra both looked away at the pain of having remembered that, and Sora gazed at the three of them, knowing that he saw that in his dream too.

* * *

 _ **Flash-Back: During the events of "Second Life"...**_

 _Terra and Aqua both went up to their youngest friend, and the former said in a normal tone, "_ Relax, Ven. We're here and we're gonna take care of you. _" and Aqua nodded in agreement._

 _But Ven wasn't convinced, as he looked like he was about to cry, knowing that there was only one thing to do, though Sora felt more pain than ever. "_ I may have to fight Vanitas after all. If I do, guys... I want you to- _"_

 _"_ The three of us can never be torn apart, all right? _" Terra cuts him off, gently squeezing his hold on Ven's shoulder, "_ I'll always find a way. _" while Aqua cupped Ven's cheek with her hand. Seeing this made Sora think about Lea, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Kairi, Riku and himself._

 _Gently pushing away his friends' hands, Ven requested in a heart-broken tone, having made his final decision, "_ I'm asking you, as a friend... Just...put an end to me. _"_

* * *

 _ **End of Flash-Back:**_

Sora and everyone gazed sadly at Ven over everything that he went through, and the time he'd been willing to put an end to his life to try and avoid in having Xehanort get what he wanted. In the end, it didn't work. It still happened, yet Aqua, Ven within his heart, and Mickey did manage to delay Xehanort's plot as much as possible while Terra in his Lingering Will fought him as hard as he could.

"Um..." Myde spoke up awkwardly. "Hate to butt in here, but, don't you think we should get a move on and find that crazy Bear-masked guy and Yen Sid and those other two guys?"

Realizing that the mullet-haired young man was right, the others nodded in agreement.

"We better let Serah and the others know that we're here and to meet them in the Ruins." Strelitzia suggested.

"Right. I'll call Cloud." Sora nodded, pulling his new Gummiphone out of his pockets and, while it was fiddily and tricky at first, he found Cloud's name after scrolling through the list and mumured to himself, "Um...just press it and let it ring?"

Thankfully it did what he hoped it would do and it rang a few times before Cloud's image appeared as the older spiky-haired man responded, " _Hey, Sora._ "

"Hey, Cloud. We're at the Keyblade Graveyard." Sora reported as his friends gathered around.

" _All right. I think we're almost there. Just passing Atlantic now. Which way do we have to turn?_ "

Aqua spoke this time, instructing. "Take a turn to the left and you'll find a world that's mostly barren. It should be easy to spot."

" _Okay. We'll be there soon._ " Cloud understood.

"Right. We'll meet you guys at Daybreak Town." Sora nodded, and the two of them said their goodbyes before Cloud hung up first and Sora replaced the Gummiphone back into his pockets.

"Daybreak Town isn't too far from here. It'll take at least an hour and a half an hour but I'm sure it'll be fine." Skuld told the group, and Ephemer and Strelitzia nodded in agreement.

"We have to careful. Who knows what we'll find besides the Heartless and Aced." Riku cautioned the group who nodded, taking the warning to heart.

Sora cletched his fist, determined to set things right. Still, to think that if Xehanort was still alive, then this would most likely be where the second Keyblade War would've taken place. Where else could the 'destined' place be but here?

"Let's go." Sora told his friends.

* * *

It took a bit longer than Skuld anticipated due to the Heartless appearing each time they turned around a corner after leaving the cross-road behind them. But it was nothing that she and everyone else couldn't handle. Making sure they had enough magic, potions and Elixirs with them, the worldly travellers passed hills via whatever memory Skuld, Ephemer and Strelitzia had of this place and the more they ventured through, the more Ven felt this place becoming more and more familiar.

But as they finally reached the clearing, the sight before them was horrifying.

"No way...!" Sora softly exclaimed in shock and horror.

It was unlike anything Sora had ever seen. He knew that the Ruins of Daybreak Town would be hard, but he never expected it to be in this bad. It was worse than in his nightmares that Vanitas had shown him. The buildings were like made of dust and cracked, and unrecognisable. The fountain was dried up and missing several pieces. Flowers had died out centuries ago wiltered and dry. He could hear the faint gasps of shock and horror from Kairi, Aqua, Xion, and Skuld and he couldn't blame them. Even Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Lea, Isa, Myde, Roxas, Terra, Ven, Myde, Ephemer and Strelitzia gasped in shock and horror as they looked around.

"This is...this is what's left of Daybreak Town?" Strelitzia asked, horrified beyond belief and her heart aching at the devastation. She had known that there wouldn't be anything much left, but this sight of her former home was far worse than she could ever imagine.

Myde let out a low whistle. "Man, the Keyblade War really did a number on this place, didn't it?"

"This is so awful. I knew it was bad but...this is...so terrible." Mickey muttered, shakily. If this is what the first Keyblade War had caused, he was scared to think of what would've happened if Xehanort had still been alive and gotten the War that he wanted.

"I didn't think...it would be this bad. I just hope we'll be able to stop Chaos and Bhunivelze before everything gets worse than it is here." Sora muttered, shaking his head, and he could've sworn his heart was shaking up. He really hoped Bhunivelze wouldn't wake up, but somehow he felt that it was going to happen.

"It was like this when the first war ended. But it's much worse now than it was all those years ago." Ephemer muttered, shaking his head in dismay. "How could've all this happen!?"

Skuld and Ven both gazed at their former fellow Dandelion Leader with sympathized looks and feelings of understanding. They knew what he was saying, but at the same time, it hurt them that their friend was blaming himself for what had happened in the past.

"It wasn't anyone but the Master of Master's fault." Kairi pointed out gently to him. "He knew it would happen and he just let it happen instead of making a difference like Sora did."

"Yeah, that guy sure messed up, much like how Xehanort almost killed us to get what he wanted." Lea nodded in agreement. Something about this place made his heart beat wildly in the intense fear and his stomach dropping at the very thought; had he not been revived a lot sooner, then things would've been different.

"Well, the important thing now is that we gotta find and stop Aced and save Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis. Cloud and the others shouldn't be too far from us." Sora reminded firmly. He knew that they couldn't stand around to gaze at the horrific scenary. Right now, a crazed Keyblade Master needs to be stopped, and Mickey and Zack's Mentors and Genesis need to be saved before Blaine, Ardyn, Caius and Chaos attacked, and before Bhunivelze awakens from his sleep.

But as Sora took a step, he suddenly felt a painful and powerful jolt that not only hit him in his mind, but also seizing his heart that made him cry out in agony. It was making him disorintated and dizzy, his vision becoming blurry.

"Wh-what's happening to me?" Sora grunted, feeling like he's about to pass out.

Apparently he wasn't the only one, because just as Kairi and the others were about to approach him when they saw this happen, she, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Myde, Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Ven and Aqua were all feeling the effects as well as they all held onto their heads, their eyes shut and they were unable to handle the agony. Not only that, Sora and those who were suffering this could hear faints of ringing in their ears, the sounds of weapons clashing, the faints of a familiar evil laughter, screams and agony.

Then a new image filled their senses and when they looked up, Skuld, Ephemer and Strelitzia had vanished, but what they saw filled their hearts with pure horror.

 _They saw themselves, but with Sora, Riku, Kairi and Mickey wearing different clothes, Lea still wearing Axel's Organization Coat, Donald, Goofy, Aqua and Ven, all standing together...and to the real group's horror, was Terra still in possession of Xehanort's heart. None of the worldly travellers heard what the other Terra was saying but judging the look on the man's face, and how everyone else were looking...beginning to lose hope, Sora's group knew it was bad. Which was why no one, not even the real group saw it coming, as Terra-Xehanort summoned the dark evil Keyblade and before anyone could stop him...he struck both Ven and Aqua down in an instant._

 _The real Terra gasped in complete horror, eyes widening at the sight while Ven and Aqua stood frozen of seeing their other selves just...die by Xehanort's heart within Terra's body._

 _It seemed the torture didn't end here, because Xehanort began to laugh manically before he began to burst into pure darkness that spread all, through out the area and before anyone knew it, hundreds, thousands, if not millions of Heartless began to rain down and swarm. Mickey was frozen in fear, as were Sora and the rest of the real group. This was exactly what happened in their nightmares. Though Myde, Isa, Roxas, and Xion were absent, it didn't really matter._

 _The rest of the group's otherselves charged forward to attack the Heartless..._

 _But it was no use. No matter how hard they tried, it wasn't enough. One Heartless Tide Swarm made to attack Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Goofy. But Donald, as though making up his mind, suddenly stepped in and held up his Staff which burst into golden light that drove it away. But as he just stood there, the staff just simply vanished while Donald himself just collapsed onto the ground, fading away in particles of light as everyone else stood in pure horror and agonized sorrow and loss._

 _"WAAAAKK!" The real Donald screamed in horror at seeing himself just sacrifice his own life to save the others, while Goofy, seeing his other self scream in agonized sorrow, gently laid his hands on his friend's shoulders as though afraid Donald would just disappear. Mickey stood by them with tears beginning to form in his eyes, his heart aching at the sight._

 _It only got worse as the other Goofy was quickly taken himself._

 _"GAWRSH!" The real Goofy gasped in fear._

 _Everyone was getting killed by the barrade of Heartless right in front of the real group...and that included Mickey's other self who was swallowed up despite Riku trying to save him and Sora being thrown back and losing hope. Kairi pushed Lea out of the way, but the latter hit his head on the rock and was soon engulfed and swallowed by the Heartless which had both the real Kairi and the real Lea struck in pure horror as were Isa, Roxas and Xion._

 _The Princess of Heart began to cry as did Sora. It wasn't long before Kairi was soon eaten herself by the swarm as she screamed out Sora's name before she too was gone, leaving only Sora and Riku who was fighting the Heartless and Sora fell to his knees, screaming and crying._

 _The real group then gasped as Riku, giving Sora final parting and encouraging words, calmly walked up to face the Heartless but it all but naught, as the silver haired teen was soon quickly gone as well._

 _At last Sora, in despair and fear and on his own, was the final victum as he let out a terrified and agonized scream before was struck and swallowed alive by the Heartless. Soon enough the darkness spread everywhere so quickly that the real group, struck in fear and horror, quickly tried to summon their Keyblades and weapons, but being trapped in a vision, they couldn't. They could only brace themselves and each other as they screamed while squeezing their eyes shut._

 _But they felt nothing._ As soon as it started, the vision had ended, and the real Sora and his friends, including those he had managed to save with the help of everyone else, felt the pain of the vision end, but it left them panting, shaken, horrified and traumatized. Each of them were panting as the pain began to dull.

"Was that...was that the other dimension that's happening right now?" Sora asked, more to himself than to anyone else. This was about the Foretellers in his dreams were telling him; that what could have happened was happening in one of the many alternate timelines that was going on at this moment. What he'd just seen, and he was certain the others had seen it too...

That was the other reality; the tragic reality.

"What did we...just see?" Myde asked in horrified disbelief. He'd come to believe that alternate universes were impossible, but what he just saw horrified him, more than anything. Unlike the others, he saw himself within the Organization with yellow eyes as Demyx, talking to Vexen who was in the similar situation, talking about something before having taken a replica body and brought it to Ienzo in Radiant Garden, before Demyx somehow vanished.

"It's...the other reality that is happening. One of the time-lines split ever since Sora and Xehanort traveled through time." Aqua muttered in horror and dismay. She placed a hand to her heart, feeling it beating far too quickly and she felt it ache.

Lea was shakingly running a hand through his hair, his breathing quivering as he tried to come to the grips of the vision; in the other dimension, he died. Everyone did.

"Does that mean...no matter what we do, the Realm of Light will be lost?" Roxas muttered, in disbelief and dismay. If none of them are able to stop Xehanort in the other dimension, then would that mean all hope was lost here too? Sure they defeated Xehanort here, but that came with a price.

Chaos and Bhunivelze.

"No...it can't be true!" Mickey shook his head quickly in denial, tears beginning to form in his eyes. It was bad enough that he failed in the past, and that Master Yen Sid's life was on the line. But what he had seen...his other self and the other selves of everyone here...were gone, just like that and Xehanort had won. Much like in his nightmare a couple of days ago.

"Guys? What happened?" Ephemer asked, as he, Skuld and Strelizia, who'd been very worried about their friends, approached in great concern.

"...Our other selves have lost." Isa muttered grimly, clutching his fist tightly. "Xehanort has won and now darkness has taken over."

" _'Thus the Darkness prevailed and the Light expired'_..." Terra muttered in lost hope and realization. "That's what happened in that alternate dimension."

"Even the other me is gone." Sora muttered, having fallen to his knees and...his heart was aching badly, tears were forming in his eyes. He didn't know what to do. He'd known that the loss would be devastating here, but...for him to lose everyone he loved in all dimensions in either outcome was even worse.

It was hopeless. Everything was hopeless. No matter what they did, whether it was Xehanort or Bhunivelze or Chaos or whoever else, the results will be the same except for only one. Sora would lose everyone he loved. The Realm of Light is finished in most dimensions except the one where he himself sacrificed himself to bring back Kairi.

"It's...just like in my nightmares, only without Bhunivelze and Chaos." Kairi muttered, sorrowfully, unconsciously holding Lea's hand as though afraid he would die here too.

"Sora?" Riku muttered, noticing his best friend's still kneeling position.

"It's all my fault...no matter what I do...I can't save the Realm of Light." Sora choaked back a sob, which shocked all of his companions. "How can everyone be saved if everything will be destroyed and we're no match for Xehanort's Keyblade or the gods!?"

Caius and Ardyn were right. Aced was right; it was over.

"Aced's right. We just make things worse. I just make things worse..." Sora continued feverishly. "Everyone will be gone and it'll be because of me!"

"Sora, what're you-?" Skuld began, only to gasp as Sora quickly stood up and ran off blindlessly into the ruins of Daybreak Town.

"Sora! Wait!" Kairi cried out, and without second thought, she hurried to follow him.

"Wait, Sora!" Mickey cried out, as he and the others made to follow, but Ephemer stood in front of them and firmly shook his head.

"Let him go. Sora needs to try and figure this out, and while I don't know Kairi as much as you guys do, I think she's the only one who can talk sense into him." The young man told them.

"But what if he ends up falling into darkness the way I had?" Terra pointed out. "I stormed off from Ven and Aqua in Radiant Garden and I didn't listen. If anything, all of this is my fault. If I hadn't been tricked, I would've stopped Xehanort sooner and no one else had to suffer and Sora wouldn't have to go through this or other scenarios which in the end...we lost the war before it even started."

"We don't know if we lost the war here in this time-line." Skuld pointed out firmly. "I don't know what you all saw, but Xehanort is gone, and things are different. Yes, there is that risk that we will not survive, but that doesn't meant we lost to Chaos and Bhunivelze and it's not Sora's fault and it's not your fault either, Terra."

"But what if we still fail to save the Realm of Light? Everyone will be gone." Xion said with tears of hopelessness.

Strelitzia sighed, before facing the group as well and began to explain, "That's the same hopeless Noel felt when Caius stabbed himself since he had the heart of Etro. But even when Serah died and her and Lightning's world had merged with the Unseen Realm and the world had to be rebuild, Serah was still revived and she and everyone else she met were still able to be together through rebirth. Bhunivelze was powerful, but he underestimated the power of Humanity. We can do the same thing again, and save the Realm of Light."

"Just because Xehanort won the war in the other dimension doesn't mean Bhunivelze and Chaos had won here. The only thing we can do is prepare ourselves and work together. We all knew the risks, but I don't want a repeat of what happened in the first Keyblade War." Skuld added.

Mickey and the others shared gloomy expressions, though new hope began to rise, but none of them were certain.

Plus, Sora was disheartened with what he'd seen. They can only hope that Kairi will be able to talk sense into him.

Otherwise things here in their dimension will be much, much worse than in the other dimension where everything is lost and it's all over.

* * *

Sora had stopped running and found himself in a small garden, or what it used to be a garden, once again on his knees as he cried. He knew better, though, that his other self, and Sora was certain it was the same one as he spoke too in Disney Castle, traveled back in time after somehow reviving himself and save everyone's hearts by using the power of Waking, which in the end after Kairi in that dimension died again, the other Sora sacrificed his own life to bring her back.

Still...no matter what outcome would result, Sora had lost all hope in protecting everyone and keeping them safe without using the power of waking. It wasn't fair! Vanitas and the Foretellers were right, and even though all six of them were suspicious and trying to get to him, Sora knew that he wasn't ever going to be with his friends again once this was over. He wouldn't be able to race against Riku just for fun, go on adventures with Donald and Goofy, or hang out with anyone else, or even get further along with King Mickey.

Not even share anymore moments with Kairi. His Kairi. But...maybe it was for the best. Sora began to think that his very existance is what's causing the Time and reality to become such a mess. Problem is, Sora didn't know what to do now.

"Sora?"

Blinking with tears still falling, his heart somehow warming up a bit more, Sora looked behind him to see Kairi standing there with a sorrowed yet concerned look on her beautiful face. Sora's heart ached even further and he tried not to break down into tears again, but it was becoming more difficult. There was the girl he was in love with, and there was a chance he could very well lose her forever.

"...It's all my fault. Everything I do...I just don't know how to fix it." Sora muttered, turning away, unable to gaze at Kairi who approached him and knelt beside him.

"It's not your fault, Sora." Kairi tried to ensure him, even though she was still horrified and shaken on what was seen.

The spiky-haired young man shook his head. "No. I'm useless. When I'm with everyone, even you, all you give me the strength to fight. But on my own, I'm useless! I can't do anything by myself!"

"You don't believe that!" Kairi pointed out, tears beginning to fall of her own. "I know you don't! The Sora I know never gives up! You kept my heart safe inside you, you saved Riku and others, including Donald and Goofy! You sacrificed yourself to save me and-and I didn't want to give you up! You saved Ven's heart within you!"

Now crying herself, Kairi threw her arms around his shoulders which stunned Sora who was shocked by her outburst, never having heard her do that before. So, without anything else to think about, he gently wrapped his arms around her and held her close. They stayed like that for about ten or seven minutes before calming down and reluctantly released each other, gazing at one another.

"...You don't have to do this alone, Sora...even if something were to happen to everyone...happen to me...we're always with you. I know you can bring us back, one way or another." Kairi continued. "I believe in you. I always have, because I know you wouldn't give up."

"Kairi..." Sora didn't know what to really say. Her encouragement really soothed him, and made him feel...well, Sora wasn't certain how he was feeling. Except that he knew there was a way to bring everyone back if things went into the direction that happened in the alternate universe. Her belief in him made him feel stronger.

Sighing, he knew that he should tell her about the outcome. "I know there is a way. It's just...I don't want to lose you and everyone else. Even if I do bring everyone back...Before we...before we left Disney Castle, and I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I met...I met an alternate version of myself; the one we all just saw."

He then told her everything on what the other Sora had told him, about how it happened, about changing history by first using the power of waking to bring everyone back, and everything. When Sora concluded on how his alternate self sacrificed himself to bring back Kairi's alternate self, Kairi gasped in horror and looked ready to hug him again. He couldn't blame her for being so scared of that outcome.

"Sora...I don't want to lose you again. I wish I knew sooner...I'm sorry. That just makes me feel so...useless and weak." Kairi muttered, feeling guilty more than anything else. It was no wonder Sora couldn't say anything or was scared of using the power of waking.

"You're not useless or weak, Kairi. That's why...that's why I'm wanna do everything I can to prevent what happened to us in the alternate universe from happening here. You're right; I shouldn't give up." Sora pointed out to her, with a warm smile as he continued, "I feel strong with you, Kairi. Because I..."

He trailed off, and ended up blushing. Seeing Kairi look bashful and flushed pink on her cheeks made him blush even harder. One thing was certain though, Riku was right; Sora had to tell her his feelings. Now would be a good time to do so, just in case something happened here today.

Swallowing nervously, and finding his voice again, Sora finally forced himself to listen to his heart and tell Kairi his true feelings. "What I mean to say is...I...I love you."

"Sora..." Kairi whispered, feelings tears form in her eyes which one leaked free with a smile as she placed a hand onto his cheek as her face heated up even more. "I love you too. I wanted to tell you that for a while now but, I just didn't know it and I guess I was scared. But not anymore."

"Same here, Kai'." Sora admitted, his heart leaping in happiness as the last bit of doubt and fear faded away. Before he and Kairi knew what they were doing, their lips once again met with another kiss that was blissful and sweet and warm.

" _Oough. Get a room, you two._ " Vanitas groaned in disgust, and sounding like he was really going to throw up. But Sora ignored him and focused on being with Kairi.

Until they heard snickering which had both Sora and Kairi flinch before stopping what they were doing and turned in the same direction even as the snickering was cut off...much too late. Because it came from Donald who had his bill covered up at the last second by Goofy, Mickey and Lea as they, Riku, Xion, Roxas, Isa, Myde, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Skuld, Ephemer and Strelitzia had just arrived, only to have caught the two of them kissing. Sora and Kairi gasped before they both blushed even more heavily as the latter covered her face with her hands and the former looking awkwardly back and forth before facepalming himself.

"I-it's not what it looks like!" Sora quickly stuttered.

"Um...what doesn't look like?" Mickey innocently asked, feeling embarrassed as though trying to deny that he saw what he'd just seen.

"Gawrsh, I thought they were just cheerin' each other up." Goofy thought, shrugging. Mickey responded by shushing him and giving Donald a glare when the mage threatened to burst out laughing.

"About time you two admitted your feelings." Myde on the other hand snickered, giving Sora and Kairi a thumbs up. "Way to go."

That only made Sora and Kairi even more embarrassed, and the worst part was that while Roxas and Xion were very surprised yet the former replica looked ready to squeal happily, everyone else just smiled despite not wanting to make the two even more even though Lea gave the two new lovers a wink. Isa in the meantime tugged Myde's ear hard which made the mullet-haired man yelp in pain...again.

"You okay, Sora?" Ven asked, more about how his friend was feeling from earlier rather than the embarrassing scene that just happened.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Sora replied, both he and Kairi relieved that at least Ven and Mickey were trying to avoid in making them even more awkward. The spiky-haired teen then rubbed the back of his head and said, feeling bad for running off like he did. "Sorry about earlier."

"Aw, it's okay, Sora. We were all pretty much scared on what just saw. But as Skuld and Strelitzia just told us, just because what we saw happened in the other time-line doesn't mean it'll happen to us. Not only that, but I kinda have a feeling that maybe somewhere out there in another timeline you manage to save us and change the future." Mickey ensured, much to Sora's surprise. Did the King know already?

"Uh, I thought you can't change the future." Lea pointed out, confused himself.

Mickey shrugged, "Maybe not in a safest way. But gosh, Master Yen Sid once told me that _"every_ _possiblities and outcomes exists in different realms and dimensions. Yet most share the same or similar pasts and presents."_ Like how Sora and Roxas saved you a year ago, Lea."

Realizing that the King was right, Lea ruffled through his own hair thinking about it before replying. "Good point. It's like how everybody else thought Nobodies couldn't have feelings of their own, but due to Roxas, Xion, Isa and me when the four of us were Nobodies, that ruled out that speculation."

"And like how both Sora and I managed to exist at the same time when it didn't usually happen, because Sora returned to normal after becoming a Heartless." Roxas added.

"You're right. A lot of things that were impossible were possible." Sora nodded in agreement, and even though he knew he should tell the others about what he told Kairi, he glanced at her as she shrugged a little and while he felt a bit of an unease, he saw in her eyes that she understood his decision. He'll tell them when he was ready.

He turned back to the others and continued, "We made it this far, and if we're really careful, we can do this! No way we're gonna back down now."

"Of course!" Donald replied in agreement.

"Let's go rescue Master Yen Sid and those other guys!" Goofy declared.

Sora nodded, his determination renewed as were everyone else's when they all nodded as well. As they were now leaving the area to head over to the large tower which Skuld and Ephemer remembered, Sora paused long enough to smile sheepishly at Riku who smiled ensuringly and proudly at his younger friend. It was clear that the older teen knew what happened between Sora and Kairi and it hadn't taken him long to figure out that his two best friends had finally admitted their feelings to one another.

'Great job.' Riku mouthed.

'Thanks, Riku.' Sora mouthed back, smiling sincererly.

With a nod, the two long time friends hurried to catch up to their friends who were waiting for them. The seventeen travellers hurried back to the fountain area where to their surprise and relief, Cloud, Zack, Vincent, Lightning, Serah, Shalua, Shelke and even Tifa were there waiting as they had just arrived.

"Cloud! Guys!" Sora greeted in relief.

"Sorry for the wait. Took us a while to get here." Cloud greeted in return.

"Yeah, we were nearly ambushed by a bunch of Heartless. It was crazy!" Zack sheepishly explained, scratching the back of his head. "So um, were you trying to find Aced's hideout or something?"

Sora's group looked nervous and embarrassed, awkwardly sharing looks before gazing back at their friends with Sora saying, "It's a long story. But we think we have an idea where Aced could be."

"Where?" Serah asked, curiously.

"In the Tower up ahead." Skuld answered, as she and everyone else gazed at the tallest building of Daybreak Town. "The Master of Masters and the Foretellers used to live there and the only room Ephemer and I are aware of is the Meeting room where the two of us, Ven, Lauriam and Blaine used after the Keyblade War. I'm certain somewhere in there is Master Aced where he is hiding Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis."

"It is. There are several chambers within the tower, reshaped since long after the Keyblade War. Master Aced did what he could to restore it as much as possible." Shelke explained, with Shalua nodding in agreement. "We best proceed with caution."

Despite the unease from trusting the Rai sisters, everyone else nodded in agreement on the less, and began to follow Shelke and her older sister up towards the path.

"Never thought we'd be back here so soon. Even after we fought against Garland." Serah said to Strelitzia who nodded in agreement, remembering their battle against the dark large knight.

"I guess some things always bring us back to places we never thought to see again. But at least we're all in this together." Strelitzia thought.

"Yeah." The youngest Farron nodded.

The group followed Shelke, Shalua, Ephemer and Skuld on the old bridge that once had a river and man-made waterfalls but were now all dried up like the rest of this world when the four of them and everyone else gasped softly before stopping, glaring as a figure began to emerge from a dust of cloud and shadows from the building. That figure was Master Aced who was approaching the worldly travellers and their friends with a deep frown. He paused half-way to them and both sides were silent for a moment.

"I knew you would all come, you fools. You had some nerve in appearing here in Daybreak Town." Aced growled in greeting, turning his gaze to the Rai sisters, adding, "Yet I made a mistake to trust you two. You dare to betray your master?"

"We had reasons to turn your back, Master Aced." Shalua stated.

"Your goals in domination is no longer an option. What Sora and his friends are doing, is the only way to save the Realm of Light. They have a stronger power than ever thought possible." Shelke added coldly.

Aced's frown deepened into a scowl, before turning his gaze back to Sora's group and inquiring, "Tell me. Why are you here?"

"We want Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis back." Mickey answered, taking a couple of steps forward with a determined look and angry frown of his own.

"Tell us where they are, if you know what's good for you." Zack demanded, taking a step forward himself.

"That is your reason? To rescue your friends?" Aced asked, sounding even more furious. "You keep on wasting your time on such foolish goals in rescuing others when the world is the true one needing to be saved! I told you before; you are all disqualified as Keyblade Wielders!"

"Stop it, Master Aced, please! This isn't like back a long time ago! The rules and order has changed!" Skuld cried out, pleadingly. "Sora and everyone else had saved the Realm of Light more times than any of us can count! They know what they're doing and one way or another, Chaos will be defeated!"

Aced eyed her in disgust and distaste, and behind his mask his eyes widened in shock; he knew who this girl was. The young face, the look of innocence. He'd seen her before the Keyblade War began eons ago.

"You...!" He muttered in disbelief. "You are the Keyblade bearer with the one who foolishly tried to fight me before; the boy who you call Haruo. Why are you here?"

"Similar way as you and Ven." Skuld replied.

"Similar how?"

"I was lost in the Realm of Darkness after Blaine betrayed us. Me, and Ven and Ephemer. It was only recently that I found a way out and joined my new friends Sora and the others, and reunited with Ven. Time does not exist in the Realm of Darkness."

"So you, as a Dandelion remained suspended in time. Yet you still wish for a foolish goal." Aced growled.

"You're wrong." Ephemer spoke up this time. "What you're doing is a bad idea, Master Aced. Everything that's happened is what the Master of Masters saw and just allowed it to happen."

"Don't you dare speak of the master's name!" Aced growled, even more furious now that to everyone else's shock, darkness began to form around his body as he gave out a roar of anger which spread on the bridge that made the group quicky summon their weapons. To make things more shocking, a bunch of Heartless of all kinds began to appear all around them.

"He's controlling the Heartless!?" Terra exclaimed in disbelief. "He let the darkness enter his heart!"

"You let the darkness take over your heart!?" Aqua exclaimed to Acd in shock.

The bear-masked man panted, before summoning his Keyblade and took a fighting stance. "I had no choice. With only myself, I had to create an army to destroy you all and once I do that, I will destroy the darkness in my heart along with the heartless! I will save and rebuild the world!"

"You're crazy!" Lea shouted, shouldering his Keyblade as he and his friends prepared to fight. "You can't get rid of the darkness by getting rid of us! If you end up destroying everyone in your path, you'll just destroy yourself!"

"Hate to break to you, Axel, but I don't think he's gonna listen to reason!" Myde pointed out as he began to panic at the sight of the large number of the Heartless surrounding them.

"Then how can we get to Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis? There's too many of 'em!" Goofy cried out worriedly, trying to hide behind his shield.

Aced wasted no more time as he gave out an angry battle cry before launching hismelf towards the group who stood ready to try and block his attack. But before Sora could even attempt to block the crazed Keyblade Master's strike, Riku, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Ephemer and Skuld stood in front of him and blocked Aced's attack with their Keyblades, while Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Myde, Strelitzia, Lightning, Cloud, Serah, Tifa, Zack, Shelke and Shalua began to strike and attack the Heartless.

Vincent, with very little choice and at Riku's nod, suddenly morphed into his red cape and scooped up Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy who all cried out in alarm before flying over above the shocked Aced and the horde of Heartless before landing and returning to his normal form, releasing the said five and then shot several Heartless that attempted to get to them before rejoining the group.

"Go! Find Master Yen Sid and the others!" Riku called out, struggling against Aced's attack.

"Riku, no!" Sora and Kairi both exclaimed in horror, realizing what just happened as did the Disney Trio.

"We're not leaving without any of you!" Mickey added, his heart dreading another possible loss.

"Just go! We'll be fine!" Aqua shouted, quickly using her free hand to flick her wrist which by her magic, created a large barrier that trapped herself and everyone else and even the Heartless while keeping Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy out. The five of them pressed their hands onto the barrier's walls in dismay and horror, calling out to their friends.

"There's not much time! Go!" Cloud shouted, slashing at three more Heartless.

"Sora, Kairi, your Majesty. Follow the path at the entrance; Turn right and follow the corridors leading down into the staircase and then turn left. There is will you will find the dungeon halls. Follow your hearts and they will lead you to Yen Sid, Angeal Hewley and Genesis." Shelke instructed, creating her own barrier to block another Heartless attack while her sister punched and whacked another.

Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy were torn between going to rescue Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis and staying to save their friends who were risking their lives to fight the Heartless and Aced. But at the looks from their friends as Aced was about to shove back the ones he was struggling against, the five of them knew they had no choice. They would have to trust the others to defeat the Heartless and keep Aced busy until they got back.

"Get goin'! Move it before the darkness overtakes you! Got it memorized?" Lea instructed.

"Sora! We're in this as a team! You helped us, now it's our turn to help you!" Roxas concluded.

Despite not wanting to leave his friends, Sora knew that they were right. So he nodded and turned to the others with him who knew that this was their only chance.

"We'll regroup later!" Mickey said firmly.

"Right! Let's go!" Sora commanded.

With that in mind, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy hurried down towards the tower as fast as they could in hopes in locating Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis. As for the rest of the group, they faced both Aced and the Heartless, the crazed Keyblade Master leaping back from Riku, Terra, Ven, Aqua, Ephemer and Skuld who stood ready along with Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Myde, Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Vincent who joined his friends, Lightning, Serah, Strelitzia, Shelke and Shalua who all stood ready.

"Sora..." Strelitzia began in a whisper. "May your heart be your guiding key."

The worldly travellers then began their battle against Aced and the Heartless.

* * *

Sora felt terrible in leaving their friends behind, but Riku must've thought about it and that's why he had secretly instructed Vincent to have him, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy avoid the battle that would've prevented them from saving Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis who were somewhere in the tower. He tried to remember the directions Shelke gave him, but he couldn't stop thinking about the worse possible scenario of everyone getting killed while the five of them searched. But Sora forced himself to believe in them. They had to be okay.

He, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy finally reached the large doors that was the entrance to the tallest building in Daybreak Town which, up close and far away reminded them of the Clock Tower in Twilight Town. With a nod in unison, the five friends pushed hard together on the heavy door, stepping inside the dark, stone and empty entrance hall which had different paths as far as the eye could see. There were two flights of stairs on either side, a large tunnel in front, and two hallways on both sides.

"Shelke said to turn right and follow the corridors leading down into the staircase and then turn left." Kairi remembered, turning her gaze to the right corridor.

"Yeah. C'mon!" Sora nodded, taking the lead along with the others who followed him.

"Hold on, Master! We're comin'!" Mickey whispered, hoping they were not too late and that his mentor would hear his voice with his heart. They were so close, he could feel it.

* * *

It took a couple of awkward pauses to figure out which way they were going, down the stairs and through more corridors that were only lit by flaming torches on the walls in the dark chambers, and fighting more Heartless that appeared which Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy took care of. But they kept going, following their hearts to find the dungeon halls. Finally after what seemed like forever, the five of them found the halls itself with several doors lined up on both sides.

"Gawrsh, how do we know which one to look?" Goofy asked. "I know Shelke said to follow our hearts, but there's so many of 'em."

Donald gazed at Sora, Kairi and even the King before sighing hopelessly and impatiently. This wasn't getting them anywhere at all and their friends outside of this creepy tower needed them right now.

Mickey, as though figuring out how to do that, closed his eyes and focused hard while muttering aloud. "May our hearts be our guiding key."

As though somehow granting that power, Mickey's pocket began to glow which caught his and the others' attention. Remembering that Master Yen Sid's hat was there, the King pulled it out and realized that it was glowing it's familiar warm magic, one that he felt flow into his veins and heart when he first tried it on during his first days as an apprentice. Since his mentor's disappearance, the hat had seemingly lost it's magic due to being worlds away from it's owner. Now, it was coming back to life and glowing quite brightly.

Mickey then turned his gaze to the fifth door on the right side of the halls and felt not one but three hearts within; one he was all too familiar with and his own heart leaped with growing hope.

"There!" He exclaimed. Following his heart, Yen Sid's powers via the Sorcerer's Hat, and instincts, Mickey lead Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy towards the door before stopping in front of it. Donald immediately tried to open it, but it was shut tight.

"Nuts! It's locked!" Donald grumbled.

"Hold on. I've got an idea." Sora spoke up, summoning his Keyblade and held it out towards the small lock on the dungeon door. A beam of light shot out from the Kingdom Key and almost instantly unlocked the door's lock which then disappeared and the door opened slightly. With a nod, Sora and his friends pushed the door open while bracing themselves to face the possible worst and hoping for the best.

In the far end of the dark stone room, their stomachs dropped at the sight of the familiar three men they had been searching for since the start of their new journey, chained against the wall while suspended in the air. Horrified beyond belief, Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy, while careful and checking if this was a trick or not, hurried over towards the figures of Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis. Once they were certain it was real, Sora, Kairi and Mickey made work into unlocking the chains that held the three older men before they, Donald and Goofy carefully lowered them to the ground and the four who could use magic worked on healing them.

"Master Yen Sid?" Mickey asked as his mentor, teacher and close friend seated on the ground, his heart pounding. The old Sorcerer looked exhausted and a bit slightly torn up which terrified the former apprentice. The king had never seen his mentor in such a state before and he was so scared that they may already be too late.

Hearing his apprentice's voice, Yen Sid gave a soft groan as he began to awaken from an uncomfortable sleep which wasn't much at all even though he was surprised he had lost consciousness at some point. He then slowly opened his eyes, as the blurry sight of a very worried and tearful familiar young mouse was gazing up at him and becoming more clear.

"Master? Are you okay?" Mickey asked again, pleading. "Please say something...!"

"...Mickey." Yen Sid finally spoke, for once very relieved to have a visitor that wasn't someone to torture him or Angeal and Genesis who were both awakening themselves.

Seeing his mentor open his eyes and speak his name, Mickey's heart leaped in happiness and overwhelming relief. His tears fell free and he didn't even bother to stop them. They made it! They saved Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis! They were okay!

"Master Yen Sid!" Mickey cried emotionally, enthuastically hugging his mentor as he began to cry on the Sorcerer's chest. Normally they weren't even this close around public, but at the moment the King didn't care. The important thing was that Yen Sid was alive. "I thought I'd never see you again! I was so scared we lost ya'!"

"Mickey...thank goodness you're alright." Yen Sid smiled, embracing his young former apprentice which was a surprise to Sora, Kairi, and especially Donald and Goofy who both had their eyes widened in shock and disbelief as they never saw their king and his mentor this close before. Once again they were reminded that the old man was full of surprises. "Now, now. Settle down, I am fine...all things considered."

"And I thought Zack was restless." Angeal teasingly commented, chuckling at the heart-warming scene.

"It seems that the Realm of Light is full of cheerfulness." Genesis smirked in agreement, despite feeling sore before quoting. "The Wandering Soul knows no rest."

"We're so glad you, Angeal and Geneis are okay, Master!" Kairi cheered in relief, wiping away her own tears as the sight of Mickey and Yen Sid finally reunited made her want to join in but she held herself back. She felt that the King's mentor felt somewhat embarrassed and decided to show respect.

"We made it! They're okay!" Goofy cheered happily.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Donald bounced up and down happily.

Sora cheered happily, "We did it! You're okay, Master Yen Sid! Oh, and you guys too, Angeal, Genesis."

"You have my gratitude, Mickey, Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy." Yen Sid nodded with a smile as Mickey finally calmed down, wiping away his tears but still smiled happily for the first time in weeks.

"And you have our thanks as well, Sora." Genesis added, with Angeal nodding in agreement. The crimson man's smile then faded as he continued, "However, the situation is not yet over."

At the words from Genesis, Sora and the others then quickly remembered that everyone else were still fighting Aced and the Heartless.

"Oh, right! Riku and the others! We gotta get back to them!" Sora remembered, as Mickey and Yen Sid released each other and the younger warriors helped the Sorcerer and the other two men stand. "Aced's controlling the Heartless and has gone totally crazy!"

"His heart has led him astray, for he believes our generation of the Realm of Light is falling into darkness." Yen Sid nodded, saying to the group with a look of guilt in his eyes. "I am deeply sorry for putting you all into this trial and having you go through your quest without my guidence."

"Aw, it's not your fault, Master." Mickey ensured him. "I don't think anybody knew that Aced would do what he did. Gosh, there's so many villains out there that we were tryin' hard to figure out what's going on. But we can't explain it here; Our friends need us!"

His mentor nodded in firm agreement. "Yes. Aced must come to his senses." He turned to Sora who stood in attention along with Donald and Goofy while Kairi stood as formerally as she could. "If anyone can show Aced the truth, it is you, Sora."

"Right. I'll do my best!" Sora promised with determination. "We came this far, and we're not gonna give up now."

"Be warned; he is a powerful Keyblade Master." Yen Sid warned.

"Don't worry, Master. We're not gonna let Aced win! No matter what happens, we're all in this together." Mickey promised.

"Then let's not waste anymore time. Better get moving." Angeal instructed.

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and began to leave the room. Mickey then paused as he remembered something and sheepishly turned back to Yen Sid who eyed him curiously.

"Oh, that reminds me. This belongs to you." Mickey remembered, pulling out the still in good condition hat and somewhat nervously gave it to it's original owner. "This was left behind after Aced kidnapped you, so I took good care of it."

Yen Sid nodded and took the hat while Mickey quickly added, "And I didn't wear it! Wasn't gonna make that mistake again."

The old sorcerer just smirked in amusement at that memory while placing his hat back on his head after being without it for so long. It was a good thing his former apprentice had learned his lesson and was grateful for Mickey for taking good care of it. His smirk grew as the young king held his hands behind his back in an embarrassed stance.

"You have done well, Mickey. I knew that you would be able to go on a journey with Sora and everyone else, but I am fully aware it was not easy." Yen Sid told him.

"It wasn't the same without you." Mickey shook his head. "I knew you were still alive, but I was so afraid that...that you were gone for good...I missed ya so much."

"I know, and I must admit that I missed you as well." Yen Sid nodded, before returning to the main objective. "Now then, we must make haste."

"Right!" Mickey nodded, knowing that Yen Sid was right and for the first time since finding his mentor missing, he felt encouraged and guided once more. While he knew it wouldn't last forever, he was so glad to finally have his mentor back.

Without further delay, the two rejoined Sora and the others to hurry back to rejoin their friends...with a little bit of a magical help to make things quicker and easier. However, none of them or their friends who were fighting Aced and the Heartless knew that despite the rescue mission was finally complete, this adventure was far from over.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis are saved! However, that doesn't mean things will be fully alright straight away because we're still a bit of a far way to go before the final battle which won't be for...uh, maybe five or seven chapters. Maybe a bit more.**

 **Until then, see you in the next chapter!**


	54. CH53: The Marks of Truth

**Author's Note: I was meant to update this last week, but the last minute visit from a relative kept me busy lasted so long that I was too exhausted to even write. But now I'm back and ready to write more! Get ready for more tensed and shocking moments and no, we're still a long way to go before we enter the epic clash.**

 **Warning: This chapter will have more dark moments, so be prepared.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH53: The Marks of Truth.**_

The fight against the large horde of Heartless and Aced was tougher than any of them imagined. The worldly travelers had not been expecting to be reaching their limit almost rapidly but they were none the less. Riku struggled to push Aced back as the two met their Keyblades in the middle, one trying to overpower one another and the ancient Keyblade Master was by far winning. Fortunately Terra, Cloud and Zack came to the rescue as the trio made to swipe at Aced who sensed them and gritted his teeth before forcing himself to leap away before his enemies could reach him. Riku panted before he and the other three had to quickly swipe away another large number of Heartless that attempted to steal their and everyone else's hearts.

Isa thrusted his Claymore at another large number of Heartless but began to feel the exhaustion winning as he and everyone else glared at the monsters that had them surrounded. Lea spun his Keyblade at a Pureblood Heartless that was the size of him, striking it cleanly in half and set another on fire.

"Geez, these guys are even more relentless than the last time!" The redhead panted, trying hard not to give into the exhaustion.

Roxas and Xion both combined their Keyblades together to strike seven Heartless in a single hit but even then the numbers just wouldn't go down. Ephemer, Skuld and Strelitzia used the combinations of magic and Keyblades, while Tifa punched and kicked many others, Ven tossed his Keyblade at five which were destroyed, Myde used his Water Clones to help with the battle while using Water Pillars with his Sitar, but that didn't help made either. Serah fired several arrows before switching her weapon into it's sword form and sliced through another Heartless. Lightning leaped up and attempted to slice a giant Heartless in half, but her sword was blocked by it's large weapon that forced her to jump back. Vincent then leaped up and spun around it in a cape-fire form which allowed Lightning to then finish it off.

Aqua dashed forwards towards Aced and attempted to strike him, but he blocked her Rainfall Keyblade with his own and the two struggled which Riku, Terra, Cloud and Zack attempted to join her. But the ancient Keyblade Master powered up his strength and smacked all five of them back where they had to spin and land in crouched positions. Shelke then came to save them and powered up her shield when Aced created a crossed blade of light and sent it towards them. The attacked was blocked but even the youngest Rai sister struggled. Shalua leaped up and attempted to punch her former master, but Aced smacked her away where she crashed onto the ground, much to her sister's shock.

"This is getting us nowhere! They just keep coming and coming!" Tifa exclaimed. There was too many Heartless and they were trapped.

' _Sora, Mickey, Kairi, Donald, Goofy! C'mon!_ ' Riku thought desperately to himself, wishing the others would hurry up and save Master Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis. At this rate they will very likely meet their ends.

"I'll hold them back! You guys focus on Aced!" Cloud ordered them, slashing several more Heartless away when he and the others were forced to form in a circle where they were now trapped by the Heartless and Aced who watched on.

"Are you crazy!? You can't do this by yourself! I'm helping too!" Zack exclaimed, not wanting to end up losing Cloud as well. Especially since he tried his best to save his younger friend.

"Two is still not enough!" Xion pointed out just before striking another Heartless quickly.

Lea grunted as he struck and destroyed another Heartless before he panted in agreement. "Yeah, splitting up is a bad idea!"

"You fools! You see now how weak you all are. Only the powerful warriors will protect the Realm of Light! It's over for you all!" Aced declared, before roaring as he surged powerful energy that formed the Heartless into a wall that now began to tower over the group who then knew that they were about to become engulfed.

Myde whimpered before screaming as he crouched down and tried his best to cover his head with his hands. He then exclaimed in panic, "We're done for!"

"Ugh! Sora, come on!" Roxas grunted, hoping his former original would hear him as he held a tight grip on his Oblivion Keyblade. The Heartless were getting closer and Aced was almost just as powerful as Xehanort. How can they defeat him if the Heartless had been wearing them down?

Just then, from above in the sky, a large golden beam of Light came shooting down which almost instantly destroyed the towering Heartless and reducing them to the normal small numbers while the worldly travelers had to shield their eyes from the blinding light. At the same time, three very familiar figures came falling down right towards Aced who looked up and saw not just the three of them who were holding Keyblades, but also five others, three whom were imprisoned but now were free and cured.

"What!?" Aced exclaimed, before he was shockingly struck back on the chest and stomach by the Keyblades of the Kingdom Key, the Kingdom Key-D and the Destiny's Embrace, sending him back flying before he landed on his feet in a skid and surprisingly having some injuries. Sora, Mickey and Kairi then landed in crouches as did Donald and Goofy who used the combined magic and Shield to strike at other Heartless, while fifteen more were destroyed by the powerful magic of a familiar sorcerer, the large broad blade and crimson sword of two familiar men which had the rest of the worldly travelers very relieved.

"Sora! Kairi! Mickey/Your Majesty/King Mickey! Donald! Goofy! Master Yen Sid! Angeal! Genesis!" Riku and the rest of the worldly travelers exclaimed in relief.

"Nice entrance." Cloud commented with a relieved but impressed smirk.

"Angeal! You're okay!" Zack exclaimed happily, very relieved that his mentor is safe.

"How 'bout we wait for the reunion after we dealt with the Heartless and Aced problem. Remember, Zack; Focus. Understood?" Angeal told him with a smirk.

Remembering their current situation and realizing that his old friend was right, Zack nodded, this time with a determined smirk. "You got it!"

"You!" Aced hissed at Sora's group. "You wasted your time to save those that are not that important!?"

"Put a cork in it, Aced!" Sora snapped back, standing in a fighting position as he glared at the enemy who's frown deepened. "You just don't get that power and strength isn't everything! That's why your heart's falling into darkness."

"Wrong; I am only using darkness because I have no choice. It's you who are the true darkness of this world! Now I must destroy you all and restore this land to it's original state!" Aced growled, standing in a fighting position.

"Be on your guard! The rest of us will hold the Heartless back as long as we can!" Yen Sid informed Sora, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy who nodded, before the powerful Sorecerer turned to Riku and commanded him, "Riku, you must aid your friends!"

"Right!" Riku nodded, knowing that at everyone else's determined nods as they were now confident to win this fight and ready to finish off the Heartless. The silver-haired teen hurried over to join his best friends who nodded and stood in fighting positions, ready to face Aced. Everyone else in the meantime would defend them from any Heartless attacks.

"Sora!" Lea called up, causing the spiky-haired teen to glance at him over his shoulder as the redhead smirked. "Whack that big bad Bear-Masked guy for us, will ya?"

"Will do!" Sora nodded with a smirk, before turning his glare back to Aced who hissed, not amused.

Without saying anything else, Aced roared in anger as he charged forward to attack the group. Thankfully, Yen Sid and Aqua powered up another barrier while Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy leaped out of the way before the insane Keyblade Master would smack them back. Sora then tossed his Keyblade at Aced who blocked it with his own, forcing the Kingdom Key to return to the younger wielder. Riku used this chance to leaped up and strike Aced who grunted when he was hit in the back, but not enough to completely defeat him. Sora leaped into air and clashed against Aced's powerful thrusts and clashes before being forced to the ground once more, in which Riku and Mickey both took over in thrusting the mad Keyblade wielder to the ground before he landed on his knees. But he then thrusted out his Keyblade in the air, creating a powerful cross of light, sending it forward towards the six of them.

Mickey, Sora and Kairi quickly sent their Orbs of Light while Donald casted his Fireworks Spell, sending all four attacks combined with Riku sending out a Dark Firagaza that pushed Aced's attack back which caused a small explosion of dust. Goofy yelped out in fright when Aced then launched himself forward again and the Captain of the Knights blocked the mad Keyblade Master's Keyblade with his Shield, but it was still enough to sent him flying straight towards Sora and the others who crashed onto the ground in a small pile.

Aced then leaped up in the air and then unleashed a powerful shockwave to send them flying further back, but Mickey used his own Barrier to block the attack, yet struggled in strain to hold it from getting to him and his friends. Once it stopped, the barrier faded and Kairi casted Curaga on him, herself and the others before they jump out of the way when Aced came crashing down, missing them as his Keyblade was thrust onto the ground, sending small rocks flying in the air.

Sora then sped forward and clashed heavily at Aced who blocked his attacks as the two Keyblades clashed and created sparks as they went, neither one willing to give up easily. The younger wielder leaped backwards to avoid being sliced in half before holding his Keyblade above him to call upon one of his more recent abilities. Surprisingly, the Keyblade transformed into Icicle blades which as he clashed against Aced who was still insanely strong, was actually helping a little while Kairi, Mickey, Riku, Donald and Goofy hurried to clash against the Keyblade Master who had to block each of their attacks but soon realized he was recieving hits from all six of them which never happened before the last time he fought against the group in the Caribbean. Despite this, the Bear-Masked Master then thrusts his Keyblade at them, sending most of them flying backwards as they screamed while getting hit before crashing onto the ground again, much to Sora's horror as he cried out to them. He then blocked Aced's attack when the latter tried to get him as well.

When his Ice-blades wore off, Sora ended up clashing against Aced again before dodge-rolling when the older wielder smashed his Keyblade onto the ground and missing again before the teenage boy whacked his Keyblade down at him as quickly and strongly as he could and then chanted Thunderagaza which was upgraded and caught Aced off-guard. Sora then used Blizzaraga to encast the powerful Master briefly in ice which allowed Sora to whack him back. Despite this, Aced recovered in mid-air and sent out another powerful cross of light, sending it forward towards Sora.

The younger Keyblade Master tried chanting his Blue Orbs of Light before realizing his Magic was already running low. So instead he was forced to leap out of the way as the attack smashed into the already broken railing of the bridge they were on, broken stone falling into the dried up river below. Quickly jugging down a spare Elixir, Sora hurried over to his friends who were recovering as they too jugged down healing potions and Elixirs as Sora used Curaga on the five of them which they nodded their thanks to him, much to his relief.

Aced by then held up his Keyblade in the air which created a Meteor Spell that was sent towards the group. Sora and his friends shared a quick glance and the four Keyblade Wielders and Donald then held up their weapons which their own combined Meteor Spell as the two attacks clashed in mid-air and ended up creating a fiery fire-field that separates Sora's group from Aced who then attempts to leap in the air to attack again. Goofy then had an idea and placed his Shield on the ground which had no effect on the fire before he, Sora, Donald, Mickey, Riku and Kairi jumped on and slid onto the hot stone while Kairi and Donald cooled off the fire with Blizzaraga as they went.

Aced gazed down in shock too late as Sora leaped up quickly in the air and the two clashed heavily again to which Sora then used his power of Glide to help with battling the crazed Keyblade Master who sent out a sliced upper-cut light towards him. Sora flew out of the way and spun in the air to return to the ground while Mickey leaped up and triple-air sommersaulted, hitting Aced who was quickly distracted by Riku who also jump and slashed and clashed against him too quickly that Aced began to realize that he lacked speed in this battle. Still, he thrusts at Mickey who screamed as he began to fall towards the still hot spots on the ground and even as he flipped to try and save himself, he wouldn't have time to cast Blizzagaza to avoid in getting burned. Fortunately Goofy saw this and leaped back onto his shield and slid onto the ice and fire, catching the King in his arms which the latter thanked him for.

While the two old friends quickly went to rejoin their other friends, Kairi jumped as high as she could and clashed against Aced's Keyblade despite not being as well trained as her friends, but she was surprisingly getting better in which she shot out a beam of Light from her Keyblade, shooting at Aced's wrist that held his Keyblade. This allowed Sora and Riku to smack the Keyblade out of his hands before the Destiny Island Trio landed back on the ground with Mickey, Goofy and Donald while Aced hissed before he attempted to retrieve his weapon, determined to show his enemies the mistakes they made in trying to save the Realm of Light and everyone they think they can save.

Knowing that they had to finish this battle once and for all after seeing that Aced has slowed down despite that they were almost completely worn out themselves, the six friends held up their weapons which touched at the tips, preforming a special double-trinity that none of them tried before but somehow knew, with their connections of their hearts, it was a power that created a beam of light which shot out towards Aced who saw too late and, by the most powerful light he has ever experienced, yelled out in shock, horror and soon agony as he was soon engulfed and continued to scream until the light died out and the Keyblade Master collapsed onto the ground, next to his Keyblade.

This resulted the darkness he formed to seep away and die down, the sky returning to normal as it was darkend when he took control of the Heartless which they themselves were at last defeated by the rest of the the group during Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy's battle against Aced and soon all of the Heartless that appeared disappeared. The six of them in the meantime were now exhausted, panting and worn out after a very hard battle against one of the toughest enemies they ever faced, with Sora, Riku and Mickey on one knee and one hand each, Kairi was on both her legs and hands, Goofy was sitting while using his hands to keep himself from falling on his back, and Donald was flat on his front, close in passing out. Their companions and the three they rescued weren't faring better after the long battle against the Heartless. None the less, they all had won, against all odds.

Aced was the worst of them all, struggling to push himself up but refusing to believe that he had just lost to the younger, more reckless generation of Keyblade Wielders who had no knowledge of how things should really be. How could he have lost to children? Haruo only managed to knock him back in the Keyblade War years ago. Yet how could Sora and his friends defeat him when they were not chosen by the Unions that no longer existed?

"Why...? How could I have...lost to...all of you?" Aced wheezed, shakily pushing himself up while Sora and the others slowly stood up, gazing with small glares but with sympathic expressions.

"It's over, Aced. You lost." Sora informed him.

"It's...not over. I must...save the Realm of Light..." Aced panted, glaring hard at Sora and the others, including everyone else who were rejoining the six who had defeated him. "A leader...must be made...for all the Realm of Light. The Keyblade War destroyed everything, leaving children into rebuilding the world into a fragment state. Not paying attention to driving away the darkness; darkness such as Xehanort and Chaos. Only the strong can save the world and control the world."

"You're wrong. Strength and power isn't the way to protect the Realm of Light." Kairi informed him, more gently than her friends were intending. "The real reason why we managed to defeat you is because of the friendship and love we have for each other and every one of our friends, the people who really matter. Every live is worth saving, because everyone deserves happiness, peace and the freedom to choose. Sure everyone makes mistakes, like Xehanort, but that's not why the Realm of Light the way it is."

"And yet companionship leads to betrayal." Aced pointed out. "My allies...most thought I was a traitor; Ira thought one of us was the traitor before the Keyblade War began."

"That doesn't mean there aren't second chances in almost every friendship, or ways to fix and atone for those mistakes!" Lea pointed out, calming down when he quickly realized his emotions nearly got to him. "Yeah, not everyone can make up for it and guys like Xehanort forgot about what it was like to have friends, but what you tried to do was almost like what he tried to do and look where it got him."

Aced grunted, using his Keyblade as support to help him stand up. "But it was you who brought Chaos back; because you didn't see him or learn of him."

"No." Vincent shook his head. "It was Xehanort who was unaware that Chaos would do what he did. Sora and his friends fought long and hard to prevent Xehanort from starting another Keyblade War, and had saved the Realm of Light more times than anyone can count."

"Then why do you focus more on saving others rather than saving the world?" Aced demanded.

"Because everyone's worth saving. It's not the weak that makes the world the way it is; it's those who want to hurt others that causes the darkness to spread across the Realm of Light. If you end up controlling the worlds the way guys like Xehanort and Maleficent tried to do, that will end up destroying everything everyone knew about." Sora answered, taking a couple steps forward.

He stood a couple feet in front of Aced while he continued, "Ruling the worlds isn't the answer. That just makes things worse. Strength is important, but caring for everyone and having friends is also important, even if it means risking your life for them. I don't know what happened back then, but that's all in the past. You can't keep looking back into it now, but at the same time, you can't forget about it. The real mistake is that the Master of Masters just let it happen instead of figuring out how to change it. He messed up with you guys because of some dumb old book."

"I tried that...but it still hasn't helped." Aced grunted, though his voice didn't seem to share it, and then he soon realized that neither did his heart. "The Master once told me that I needed fufil my true role as leader since Ira couldn't handle it."

"Aced, being a leader isn't about ordering people about strengths. A true leader knows he can't control everything, and he has to care for others, doing the best they can. No one is perfect." Sora pointed out.

"Not even me." Mickey added. "Gosh, I'm not the best King at home, but even I know I gotta do what I can do. There's a limit to everything. But what makes our hearts strong is because of our connection."

"That connection ties our hearts together. Our hearts are connected. The Realm of Light does have a few ups and downs, but everyone in the world handle most things, with or without the Keyblade. The only reason why things got so bad again was because Xehanort wanted the Keyblade War to happen again, to find out things that ended up casting the world into darkness in the first place." Sora concluded.

Aced gasped, before gazing at the ground, his heart pounding and he could actually hear it agree with the boy and his friends in front of him. Everything that has happened...and the Master didn't to a thing to stop it, but gave everyone roles that in the end caused the Keyblade War to happen without telling them how it really happened; could that mean that the Master of Masters was the true traitor and he disappeared on purpose? Was all of his teachings a lie? Here stood a generation who knew nothing of traditions and yet they had defeated him, fought the Heartless and still held onto their own beliefs. They defeated the man who caused all of this, worked together to protect the worlds despite what Chaos was doing, but then...Aced soon realized that everything cannot be done at the exact same time. Anyone who thought they could do it all at once was a fool.

But not Sora or his friends.

"Master Aced...you have to stop now. Please." Skuld muttered pleadingly.

"...You were right, Skuld." Aced sighed, standing up fully. "You and the Dandelions knew from the beginning. I see now that is why Ava chose you and Ephemer among those who refused to fight. Whatever teachings they had passed on is the right course of action, and now you stand by those who prevented one who wished to repeat history just to learn of our past, to start the war over where there would be no survivors, no one to bring back the light, no world to rebuild."

He chuckled a little while everyone else looked on at him with sympathy that grew before he continued, "Leadership isn't what I thought it was. Then again, not everything works the way people imagine."

Aced gazed at Sora again, this time with a smile that wasn't cold or scary. "Sora...you are a true natural leader."

This made Sora surprised, before he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and pointed out, "I'm no leader. I just like to hang out with my friends and help out others who need it."

"Yeah, Sora's a half-pint." Donald added teasingly.

"Hey!" Sora pouted.

"But with all of us together, we make a full-pint." Goofy agreed.

"Pint and a half." Sora shook his head with a growing smile. Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Skuld, Ephemer, Strelitzia, Tifa, Cloud, Zack, Myde, Serah, Angeal, even Vincent, Genesis and Yen Sid chuckled while Shelke and Shalua began to smile warmly and Aced just smirked.

"Pint and three quarters." Lea couldn't help but add. He then added to Sora, "Seriously though, Sora, you saved us and brought all of us back together. Without you, we wouldn't have any of that. Got it memorized?"

Everyone else nodded in agreement, which made Sora feel a bit more embarrassed, but he smiled warmly at them none the less. Given what they had seen earlier, Sora just hoped that the outcome wouldn't be like what happened to their alternate selves or that he wouldn't have to use the Power of Waking to bring everyone back and change history.

Unfortunately, the mood of having to finally make progress on their journey was suddenly dropped when a familiar voice spoke to them from behind. "How touching. Making progress in saving those Master Aced kidnapped and beaten said Master himself. This just makes me dislike you guys even more already."

Turning sharply around at the voice, the group gasped before grunting angrily as Blaine approached with a smirk. Beside him was Ardyn who's smirk was just as cruel and cold before the duo stopped halfway across them.

"Blaine! Ardyn!" Sora grunted angrily as he and his friends, Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis stood in defense.

"Not you guys again!" Lea growled. Didn't Ardyn and Blaine know when to quit? What were they doing here now?

Aced glared at the two new arrivals, demanding. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, sorry, Master Aced. Were you expecting someone else? I mean it is nice to see you again, but I think we should cut to the chase." Blaine chuckled.

"Quite a performance you and your friends displayed, Sora. But we'll be taking what rightfully belongs to us." Ardyn spoke this time.

As though realizing that they were here for Kairi who took a step back in the sudden growing fear, Sora quickly stood in front of her and yelled at the two villains, "Not a chance, Ardyn!"

"Why are you doing this!?" Roxas demanded.

"Even with your backs turned to me, you, Sora and that other kid still have those angry looks, Roxas." An awfully familiar voice said cockingly, which caused chills to run down most of the group's spines, one that only Aced, Ephemer, Strelitzia, Serah, Lightning, Tifa, Yen Sid and Skuld didn't recognize. Everyone looked at the owner of the voice that appeared from a corridor of darkness from the direction of the tower. "Fancy seeing you all here, what with you having beaten that old coot."

The eyes of the worldly travelers widened in pure shock and disbelief as they recognized the man; that long black and gray streaked hair tied up in a pony tail, the eye-patch, the golden eye, that scar, and that obnoxious grin...one that was still fresh in their memories yet hadn't thought about in a while due to the belief that when Xehanort died, that guy went with him...and yet there stood Xigbar who was chuckling darkly at their expressions which soon turned into glares.

"XIGBAR!?" Sora's group exclaimed.

"No way! No stinkin' way!" Myde exclaimed, just as shocked.

"I thought you died when Sora and Riku got rid of Xehanort!" Lea exclaimed in disbelief and anger. Of all the other dead people to suddenly be brought back to life, it had to be the one who Xehanort trusted the most, the one who betrayed Ansem the Wise just for a Keyblade of his own.

Xigbar just smirked. "As if. Takes more than a broken piece of grandpa's heart and those kids to get rid of me."

"Do you know him?" Tifa asked, suspicious about the man in the eye-patch.

"He was with Xehanort and Organization XIII. I only seen him once when we went to rescue Vincent and Rufus from their and Deepground's clutches." Cloud explained.

"So you're the one who was willing to become part of Xehanort, to gain a Keyblade of your own?" Skuld questioned as she sensed more than what everyone had told her within this man.

"That would be me, little girl. You're a smart one, but hey, can't have more of the dummies like Sora's group right..." Xigbar said, before realizing something and corrected himself, "Oh, right. You're traveling with them, so that makes you dumb enough to do that. Someone as young and pretty as you would've made a better choice."

"Shut up!" Ven snapped, glaring angrily at the one who mocked him, Aqua and Terra twelve years ago.

"Yep. You still got that angry look, and you rubbed it off on Sora and Roxas, kiddo." Xigbar mocked, grinning madly. "Careful, or those expressions will be stuck like glue."

"I wish I could _glue_ your mouth shut so that no one would have to listen to your annoying voice." Isa grunted, clutching his fist tightly. Roxas, Xion and Lea nodded in agreement.

"Why are you here, Xigbar?" Mickey demanded.

"Well, lemme think..." Xigbar responded sarcastically, pretending to think for a moment, before gazing back at the group and answered seriously. "How 'bout, _"I'm on a top secret mission"_ , with an familiar superior that I promised not to tell."

"Lemme guess; you're with these two guys and that's why you're here." Lea growled softly while jerking a thumb at Blaine and Ardyn who stared at the redhead with dark expressions and boredom.

Xigbar just snorted in amusement. "As if. Why would I work for the big old monster-god, Flamesilocks? Yeah I know about Chaos, but seriously, why would I go work for that four-armed guy? He scares me just as bad as Xehanort like no one's business."

"Enough! What is it that you're after!?" Aced growled.

"Sorry, Aced. Old new habits die hard. Hate to do this to ya, but...you know...thanks to Sora that things turned out completely different." Xigbar replied casually to him, and for a moment Sora and the others thought they saw...some sort of sadness in his eye which confused them and Aced. Did they know each other? Judging Aced's confused gasp, apparently not. But then how did Xigbar know him?

But as Aced stared at Xigbar, there was something familiar about him; not the way he looked as the appearance was different, but...something within him triggered something Aced hasn't seen or heard of in years...Plus, the personality was extremely similar too...exactly the same in fact, apart from the constant 'As if' catch phrase.

"Hey, don't forget about us. We're still here, you know." Blaine interrupted Aced's thoughts, and just when the latter was close in figuring out why Xigbar felt familiar.

"Indeed. How rude of you to interrupt our conversation, Braig." Ardyn shrugged in agreement, calling Xigbar by his old name.

"Haven't heard anybody call me by that name in a while." Xigbar just shrugged with one shoulder.

Lea's eyes narrowed at the eye-patched man. "Who cares? You always end up cheating death without anyone knowin'. That kind of achievementment is totally lame!"

"Please. You guys are the lame ones. Falling for tricks easily and still completely cluess! It's a wonder how any of you managed to stay alive the way you did." Xigbar scoffed.

"I say we stop talking and just cut to the chase. Shall we, Ardyn?" Blaine smirked, summoning his Keyblade. The sight of him had Xigbar frown a bit. He'd seen this kid before...he knew he did.

The older man chuckled darkly as he took off his hat for a moment as he raised his arms which different kinds of crimson-transparent like weapons appeared all around him which had everyone else take notice and gasp in shock and slight horror. He then makes to strike at the group who stood firmly, before Yen Sid chanted a spell to block most, but was hit in the arm which made him grunt in pain and bend slightly.

"MASTER YEN SID!" Mickey exclaimed in horror as the rest of the group screamed or gasped in horror at what just happened, only to gasp when Ardyn's weapons were about to hit them as well while Xigbar, deciding to use this distraction, summoned his Arrow Guns with a grin and fired even darker laser arrows, aimed at the King, Sora, Kairi, Ven, and Lea who gasped while the others were about to get hit by Ardyn's attack.

However, Aqua saw this and quickly stood in front of the five with her arms spread and was hit five times, one of the dark lasers hitting her squarely in the chest and seeped deep into her heart, causing her to scream and be flown back and into Terra who caught her, but was hit by one of Ardyn's swords and went down onto his knees, but had Aqua in his arms.

"AQUA!" Terra, Ven, Mickey, Sora, Kairi and Lea all screamed out in horror. The others tried to block Ardyn's other attacks when Blaine dashed forward and made to strike at Strelitzia who gasped in shock.

"Time to die...again!" Blaine sneered.

"Strelitzia!" Serah and Skuld screamed out, while their said friend screamed and shut her eyes, bracing herself for her second bitter end...but it never came, because Aced, unwilling to allow this to happen and despite still being weak, leaped and pushed her side...only to be struck right into the chest and into his heart by the Keyblade.

When Strelitzia looked up, she and everyone else gasped in pure horror as Aced, gasping in gurlging pain, staggered a bit before falling backwards. Time seemed to stop or slow down as it seemed like forever before Aced, with his final gaze at the horrified Sora, began to fall backwards while he soon vanished in golden particles of light before he even hit the ground. Aqua didn't have the chance to see this as darkness began to seep into her heart, before she soon passed out which had Terra, Mickey and Ven fear for the worst while the three of them were speechless in horror, and Donald, Goofy and Myde clinged onto each other in fear and horror.

Xigbar, who had taken a bit of a pleasure in placing darkness in Aqua's heart, gasped softly as his eye widened at the sight that had happened to Aced before looking away and hissed to himself. In reality, he knew Aced more than anyone else...and now the Keyblade Master, one of the six apprentices of the Master of Masters...was dead.

"He's gone!" Goofy screamed out, horrified.

"...Master Aced!" Ephemer screamed out in agonized sorrow, only for him and everyone else to suddenly become frozen when Ardyn clutched his wrist and darkness began to appear and kept everyone, even Master Yen Sid firmly on the ground by the legs.

"One less problem to worry about. Now, to gain our next vessel." Blaine smirked, turning his gaze to Sora who grunted as he tried and failed to free himself from Ardyn's darkness. When the teenager gazed at him, "You know, you're the last person I'd expect to hold Ventus's darkness, Sora. But then that's probably why both Venty-Wenty and the Keyblade chose you over Riku."

"W-what? How did you-!" Sora grunted, only for Blaine to hold out his left hand and shot out a sharp looking keyblade-like thing right towards the former who screamed as it went right through him, digging into his heart as Sora screamed in pure agony, feeling the darkness quickly spread into his body and began to pull something out from his heart that slowly began to cover his body in the mist of darkness.

"SORA!" Everyone else exclaimed in horror, unable to do anything to reach him and save him. Not Sora too! They can't just lose him!

Sora struggled against the pulling of whatever it was that was digging into him, and for a brief moment, he could even hear Vanitas exclaim in shock, but then the dark embodiment's voice was becoming more and more vague until he couldn't hear him anymore. With a final tug, Sora let out a louder scream when a dark orb was forcefully pulled out from his chest in a chain that formed around it before it hovered slowly towards Blaine, then more darkness formed around it, becoming bigger and larger as Ven let out a horrified gasp, a sharp memory hitting him like a ton of bricks. He knew what this meant.

Soon the darkness faded, and revealed a familiar figure in a helmet, and a red and black outfit that resembled to what Riku ended up being in when Xehanort's Heartless took over his body.

"...Vanitas!" Ven exclaimed softly in quivering horror.

Vanitas said nothing. Instead, overcome by exhaustion of being forcefully pulled out by Sora, fell forward and Blaine then caught him. Sora in the meantime continued to scream as the darkness began to slowly cover his body and no matter how hard he tried, he was becoming consumed. The rest of the group tried reaching out to them but Arydn held the weapons out to them while mocking them with a smile. But Kairi, unable to let anything happen to Sora, tried harder to break free from the restrains, reaching out to Sora, the boy that she loved, in desperate hopes to save him.

The more she tried, the more her heart slowly began to glow in light, which began to spread on her body as she struggled to reach out for Sora. The light then began to spread onto the darkness that trapped her by the legs. Kairi wanted to save him, more than anything. Tears began to form as her friend was half-way covered in darkness.

"SORA!" Kairi screamed, her body becoming covered in light which broke away the darkness on her, almost blinding everyone else who had to shield their eyes with their arms while she, without much thought, raced over two steps before hugging Sora tightly which startled him, even though he was still struggling. "Sora! Don't let the darkness get to you! You're stronger than this, I know you are!"

"K-Kairi...!" Sora grunted, having heard her voice, but he was now scared that he was about to hurt her. He couldn't do that; not to the girl that he loved so much with all his heart.

"I'm not losing you again! You won't hurt me, because I know you!" Kairi wept, hugging him more tightly even as Sora struggled. "Y-You can have some of my light!"

"Kairi! You c-can't! The darkness will-!" Sora exclaimed, realizing that Kairi was about to sacrifice herself.

"I don't care! I'm done being the one needing to be saved! I've had it being useless and weak! This time, let me save you, Sora." Kairi argued, and while she had no idea how to spread some of her light into Sora, but she prayed, wished and pleaded with her heart to save Sora's, everything she could think of in order to transfere some of her light into his body.

"Wait, Kairi! If you use much of your light, we might lose you too!" Mickey pleaded, his own heart hurting and drowning in the very thought.

"I think I'll take some of her light too." Blaine snickered, and Ardyn nodded as the two held out their hands and Kairi screamed as she felt a painful sensation of her heart being tugged at, which made her realize that it matched that of what Bhunivelze did in one of her nightmares.

"No! They are absorbing the Light of the Princesses from her heart!" Yen Sid exclaimed, struggling in using his magic in freeing himself and everyone else, but Ardyn's darkness was too powerful even for him.

"Sora! Kairi!" Riku exclaimed, struggling to free himself to save his best friends.

None the less, despite an orb of pink light seeping out of Kairi's body, she remained determined as she struggled to summon her Keyblade and even as that orb of light then floated towards Blaine who then caged it with his powers, the Princess of Heart held it high above her which also began to glow in light. While Kairi felt that some of her light was gone, the power that made her Princess of Heart since she was born, she still had enough light within her in her heart, and light in her Keyblade.

"Light!" She chanted, and a large flower-like light grew and spread which not only seeped deep within Sora's heart which caused him to stop screaming when he suddenly felt the warmth of Kairi's light within him and driving away the darkness, but also released him and everyone else from Ardyn's darkness which had the man in question grunt painfully in light while Blaine hissed before he leaped to Ardyn's side, with the rest of the Princess's light and the unconscious Vanitas with him.

"Ow! Hey, turn that light off, Princess! I'm already half-blind!" Xigbar cried out, wincing as his eye began to sting at the blinding light.

The light did fade, but not the way anyone expected. Exhausted and feeling weak from Ardyn's attacks and powers, everyone bend low while Sora and Kairi both feel onto their knees, panting and breathing with slight difficulty. Sora no longer felt the darkness in his heart or the rest of his body. Instead, his heart was back to normal, but that was the least of his worries. He turned quickly to the exhausted Kairi who also stopped glowing as her Keyblade dismissed itself.

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed, gently holding her by her shoulders as tears began to form in his eyes, fearing for the worst. She had just sacrificed some of her light to save him and now he was terrified at the very thought that, given that Blaine had also taken some of her light as well, Kairi was about to fade away and die. He couldn't lose her! Not now! Not when he finally confessed his feelings and earned her confession in return. He didn't want to lose her!

"I-I'm okay, Sora. Just...tired." Kairi weakly replied, smiling none the less, placing a hand to his check which had Sora begin to cry as he gently placed his hand over hers. She then giggled and added, "C'mon, I'm not dying. I would've...told you that if I was. It's okay..."

Sora saw that Kairi was telling the truth; he saw it in her beautiful eyes. As she said, she was just exhausted. But still alive. Unable to help himself, he pulled her close and embraced her, softly crying in relief and guilt and felt her arms gently around his waist and back. Kairi rested her head on his shoulder, silently crying herself, relieved that she managed to save him. Nothing terrified her more than losing the one she loved.

Everyone else felt some relief in their hearts as well and couldn't help but smile a little at the heart-warming scene before them. However, it was interrupted when Blaine groaned in disgust which had everyone turn to glance at him and Ardyn.

"I think I'm going to be sick. But even so, you'd better enjoy the moment while you can, because it'll be your last." Blaine informed them, before he and Ardyn began to vanish in the Corridor of Darkness.

"Get back here!" Cloud shouted, standing up as he, Zack, and Lightning raced after the duo, but were too late as the two villains already vanished with Kairi's light and Vanitas captured. The trio skid to a stop and grunted in anger, to which Cloud hissed, "Damn!"

"I think I'll hit the road too. Hmph, and knowin' you guys, you'll save Aqua too. See ya!" Xigbar waved when everyone turned to face him and he then vanished while teleporting away.

"Hold it!" Isa shouted, he, Roxas, Xion and Lea trying to catch Xigbar but again they were too late. The four of them grunted.

Lea wanted to scream in anger, but he held it back. Instead, he grunted while keeping his temper in check. "I hate that guy."

"Aqua! Are you okay?" Ven cried out, causing everyone to turn their attention back to their unconscious friend as Roxas, Xion, Lea, Isa, Cloud, Zack and Lightning quickly rejoined everyone else as Ven and Mickey hovered worriedly by Yen Sid and over Aqua who still hadn't woken up and darkness seeping deeper into her heart and to their, Terra, and everyone else's horror, it was spread on her body.

"Oh no! Aqua!" Mickey cried out, feeling the dread on what was happening. Just when he finally got his mentor back, not only Aced had sacrificed himself to save Strelitzia, and both Sora and Kairi were lost, but now Aqua was at the risk of losing her heart.

"We need to head to Midgar. That's about the closest world that will have treatment." Vincent informed them urgently.

"Agreed." Genesis nodded.

"Let us make haste." Yen Sid agreed.

While Terra carried Aqua, Riku and Cloud helping Sora and Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy making sure Yen Sid was alright and Zack helping Angeal, they and everyone else began to hurry back to the gummiships to fly back to Midgar. But Strelitzia paused her steps as she gazed at the spot where Aced, who had caused much problems and only now had finally understood his mistakes, had sacrificed himself to save her from Blaine killing her the second time. It ached her heart terribly as tears stinged her eyes.

"Master Aced...I'm so sorry. It's my fault that...that you risked your life to save me." Strelitzia whispered to the fallen Keyblade Master. Shaking her head to try and clear it with the knowledge that Aqua may be in danger, she quickly ran to rejoin her companions to hurry back to Midgar.

Yet just when things were looking up, the situation was now becoming apparent that Chaos is about to slowly begin his strike.

* * *

 _Aqua didn't know what was happening, or why it was happening. The last thing she remembered was being struck by Xigbar's arrow laser which had darkness in it this time, not like the time when she faced him. Other than that, it was blank. She couldn't see anything, except for never-ending darkness, and she was falling into it._

 _Then her mind and heart jolted painfully again, making her scream as the darkness that seeped into her heart began to spread across her entire body. What was this feeling? It was cold, terrifying, and sharp and stinging, as though some sort of acid was eating her alive. It was then she saw, images that she now knew was an Alternate Universe;_

 _She saw herself, with Ansem the Wise, being faced with Ansem the Seeker of Darkness. Aqua saw herself fighting the Heartless-Ansem without any Keyblade, but was caught by that Guardian, which she managed to escape. But she was then struck by a powerful orb of darkness that went into her chest, as she was sent flying and falling into the waters of the Realm of Darkness, which like she was feeling now, darkness covered her body._

 _Aqua then saw herself, her darker self, confronting Mickey who was caught in the darkness created by the Demon Tower Heartless, and Riku who had been knocked back. The other Aqua picked up Mickey's discarded Keyblade._

 _"_ _ **This Keyblade.**_ _" Aqua's other self muttered, in a tone of sadness and betrayal._

 _"Is it her?" Mickey asked, horrified as he saw what was happening while he was left dangling in the orb._

 _"_ _ **Mickey, you're too late.**_ _" Dark-Aqua hissed._

 _"What happened?" Mickey asked, and Aqua felt more than heard the fear in her friend's voice, and she wanted to try something, anything, to reach out to him, but the darkness was taking it's hold, beginning to cloud her senses and she then realized that her fears and doubts she forced back when she'd been trapped in the real Realm of Darkness began to overtake her._

 _She could hear the words from her darker self and the darkness in her heart was telling her to agree and she felt it. But Aqua didn't want that; it's not Mickey's fault...!_

 _Unfortunately, the darkness reached up to her face as she reached out her hand to her trapped friend who by then began to cry in guilt, as she heard him choke up in front of her darker self and Riku._

 _"I'm sorry...It's all my fault." Mickey sobbed which began to fade._

 _"_ Mickey... _" Aqua muttered sorrowfully before her vision went blank..._

* * *

It's been at least five or six hours since the worldly travelers, Yen Sid, Angeal and Genesis returned to Midgar and almost immediately they were put into treatment by the Shinra and WRO personel and doctors. Most of them were released with clean bill of health, Sora and Kairi had to be held back a bit longer with magic to heal them up before they too were released. Now they stood before Aqua in a huge cylinder glass tube with bluish liquid which most of them were inside of earlier inside a laboratory. It did heal their wounds, but Aqua's was a different case; during the trip back to Midgar, her body had slowly transformed; her clothes were tainted black, her fingers were still showing signs of turning sharp red, her skin turned into a dark tan, and her hair...it was silver, much like that of Xehanort when he was younger; as well as both his Heartless and Xemnas.

With the group were Rufus, the Turks, Namine and Reeve after Sora's group explained what happened and how Aqua ended up in this situation.

"So that eye-patched guy who disappeared when that Xehanort jerkface died in that Sleep World or whatever it was is still alive and did this to Aqua?" Reno surmised in shock and disgust.

"And you say that Blaine and Ardyn have extracted this 'Vanitas' from Sora's heart as well as part of Kairi's light even when she used most of it to save his life?" Tseng added.

"That pretty much sums it up." Zack confirmed, folding his arms to his chest in worry.

"Worst part is, Master Aced sacrificed himself to save me from Blaine, who was the one who killed me, not Lauriam." Strelitzia added, the guilt still noticable on her face as she gazed on the steel hard floor.

Reno shook his head, turning his gaze to Sora. "Still can't believe you managed to get through to that guy before he got killed. You sure impress the hell outta me, kid."

As much as Sora wanted to accept the compliment, the fact that Aced had died just moments after accepting the consequences of his actions made him feel like it was all his fault. Even worse, he couldn't do a single thing to stop Blaine from extracting Vanitas from his heart or stop Kairi from risking her life to save his while most of her light was now gone too. He lowered his gaze to the floor and suddenly he found himself missing that annoying voice in his head which made no sense since he was relieved that Vanitas was out of his body and now he didn't have to worry about that guy taking over. Maybe it was because he'd gotten used in having him inside his heart for so long that Sora just felt the lingering sense of emptiness.

"It still wasn't enough, though. Aced's gone, Kairi lost of her light to save me, and now Aqua's in this situation. If only I acted a lot quicker!" Sora grunted, angry and disgusted with himself for having put his friends and others into serious danger. "It's all my fault!"

"Sora...!" Donald and Goofy both muttered worriedly, feeling sorry for Sora who after what they been through together two years ago had become one of their best friends, much like the King.

Everyone gazed at him with worries of their own, wondering what they could do to cheer him up or how to help Kairi and Aqua.

"Master Yen Sid, what will happen to Kairi now that she lost most of her light?" Xion asked the Sorcerer with hesitation. She was aware that he needed to rest after having spend most of his time imprisoned in the Daybreak Town Ruins, the urge to ask for his wisdom was too much for her to hold back. Especially since Kairi was on her best friends, though not as the same as Roxas, Lea, Namine and Isa, but still someone she cared about.

"There is not much we can do with her powers of Light been taken from her heart. Fortunately, even though Kairi is no longer a Princess of Heart, she still holds a powerful light within her that makes her almost as unique as the rest of the Princesses, especially when she wields a Keyblade." Yen Sid explained which got everyone's attentions.

"Whaddya mean?" Goofy asked, now confused.

"In order to maintain the balance of the Realm of Light, each of the Princesses of Heart through generations since the time after the Keyblade War will pass down their powers to successors once their duties are fufilled. The new Princesses of Heart would not know of this as of this moment, and while some of them still hold that power, eventually they would pass on to new Princesses who will continue in protecting the worlds, whether they know it or not. As for their precessors, while they would no longer be considered as Princesses of Heart, their own lights that had grown will continue to protect them from the forces of darkness." The Sorcerer continued.

"So even though Kairi lost her power of the Seven Princesses, the rest of her light within her heart has grown so much that she doesn't need that kind of power anymore, because not only her light is still burnin' strong, she also has her Keyblade." Mickey surmised in realization, and some relief.

"Indeed, and while it was reckless of her in using her light to save Sora's heart, a moments rest is what is needed to restore her to her original state in spite of her power of the Princesses stolen, given how Vanitas was forcefully extracted." Yen Sid confirmed.

"I had a feeling you know about that guy being inside me." Sora sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I was gonna tell you about him and ask you if there was a way to get him outta me after we handled the stuff in the Caribbean, but...you know."

"I am sorry. The timing was unfortunately out of reach and Master Aced believed the wisdom I held would help him in his quest to dominate the Realm of Light. Which is why Angeal, Genesis and I were kept alive for as long as we were. I sensed that Vanitas had entered your heart from when you and Riku used the power of waking to bring back Ventus. Yet, with you informing your friends of his presence, his hold on him had by then weakened, and the light within your heart was slowly bringing him into that light. While he still posed as a threat, the strength within him held him back until the point in the Keyblade Graveyard." Yen Sid apologized and explained.

"But sir, if Vanitas was getting weaker, how come I didn't hear him until just before we reached the Keyblade Graveyard? How does that make sense?" Ven pointed out.

"Maybe it's because since you guys fought the Keyblade Graveyard twelve years ago that that's the only place Vanitas started to talk to you." Ephemer guessed with a shrug. "I'm not a expert on that but, it's just a guess."

"Yes, the Keyblade Graveyard was the birthplace of Vanitas. It would be logical that world would enable Ventus to hear and commuciate with Vanitas even though Xehanort is no longer among us." Yen Sid agreed, before admitting, "Though I am still surprised that Ventus had come from the same era as you, Strelitzia and Skuld, young Master Ephemer."

The white-haired boy sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a nervous grin. "Aw, c'mon, Master Yen Sid. You don't have to call me that. I'm not even a Keyblade Master, let alone much of a Union Leader. As a matter of fact, I still feel like a kid."

"Staying young for many years can do that." Vincent informed him. "I've slept for 27 years and I haven't aged a day, given the Chaos gene and the Protomateria within me."

"And at least you, Skuld, Ven, Vince' and Strelitzia didn't end up lookin' like that Fish-Guy who had a giant squid who eats people as a pet." Reno added, shuddering slightly at the memory of Davy Jones.

"Uh...what?" Ephemer asked, blinking in confusion.

"He means Davy Jones and the Kraken; The legendary Pirate and the giant Octopus Sea Monster." Skuld explained as she went up to his side.

"Wha!?" Her friend gasped, bewildered and more than a little spooked.

"Don't worry. Both of them are gone, so we don't have to worry about them anymore. Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Will Turner solved the Davy Jones problem at least." Skuld ensured him.

"And his octopus that nearly had us for lunch was killed before hand by that guy Beckett who's now dead too." Lea added.

"But still leaves the problem that Vanitas is now in the hands of Blaine and Ardyn who also took Kairi's powers of Pure Light and tried to kidnap Namine." Riku pointed out.

Realizing that he was right, the rest of the group immediately returned to the point as Lea shook his head, grunting, "I still think Chaos has something to do with it and if we're right, he's gonna try and do what Xehanort tried to do."

"Given that Calypso has been freed from her imprisonment as I sensed, and Chaos holding such dark powers, it is clear that Blaine and Ardyn are in the league of the beast of darkness. Thus, should he succeed, Bhunivelze will most likely reawaken and the Princesses of Heart, both the previous generation and the new generation chosen now are in grave danger." Yen Sid agreed grimly.

"You know, when we were in Agrabah, I could still sense Jasmine's light but in the Arendelle and the Kingdom of Corona, I sensed the lights in Elsa, Anna and Rapunzel, much like how in Cinderella, Snow White, Alice, Belle and Aurora." Kairi admitted and Sora and the others quickly nodded in agreement.

"Wait, wouldn't that mean...Rapunzel, Elsa and Anna are three of the new Princesses of Heart?" Roxas asked in realization.

"Elsa had powers of ice which she can control by love, the power of true love Anna held in her heart which her sacrifice in saving her sister thawed her, and Rapunzel did have the power of healing and the very last drop of it revived Eugene even after her hair was cut. It suddenly makes sense with the three of them." Isa realized.

Myde let out a low whistle, "Whoa, so we already met three of the new Princesses and we didn't even know it. How cool is that?"

"Even so, they're in danger too." Serah pointed out.

"What about Aqua? Why is the darkness effecting her this badly?" Terra demanded, wanting to now figure out how to help Aqua who still hasn't awoken.

Yen Sid grimly gazed at the young woman who for twelve years had been trapped in the Realm of Darkness, recently been released thanks to Xion, but now was in this situation. He didn't want to break the terrible news, but everyone had to know given that it was slowly overtaking her.

"Aqua's Heart is being tainted by the great power of Darkness, one that Braig held within him despite Xehanort no longer being alive. I'm afraid her time in the Realm of Darkness has found the cracks within her, and while she had been freed as her heart was still full of pure light, the rift between all realities has began to overwhelm her. Given what you described, she has been seeing visions of I suspect Xehanort overtaking her heart in a time-line we have yet to fully understand." He explained.

"This means, the years of being alone in the Realm of Darkness have began to consume her, and transform her into a being that resembles to that of a Heartless." He continued.

"WHAT!?" Sora, Mickey, Terra, Ven and everyone else exclaimed in pure shock and horror.

"Aqua's gonna turn into a Heartless!?" Goofy exclaimed.

"Whadda we do?" Donald asked, horrified.

"No..." Mickey quivered, guilt quickly began to form. How could he have not realized it? All the years and when he finally met up with Aqua again two years ago in the Realm of Darkness, he assumed that she was fine as he still sensed her light that was still burning strong even when he saved her from falling into the deeper darkness. Had it been the Dark Realm that clouded his senses that he couldn't sense the growing darkness, fear, doubt and loneniess within his friend's heart? He then remembered that Aqua had been seeing visions of her being overcome by the darkness and now he knew it was in the other Time-line out there somewhere. Was that what will happen to Aqua now?

"So Aqua is suffering the same thing that happened to me and Riku?" Terra questioned, feeling anger rise inside him and while he tried to hold it back as he knew that it was his anger that led him to end up having such powerful darkness in the first place, the fact that one of his best friends was still suffering and no one had even noticed.

Before he knew what was happening, he angrily turned to the King and demanded, "You were there in the Realm of Darkness, weren't you, your Majesty? Didn't you even notice her being there!? Or was it just Xion making a guess!? Why didn't you do something and try and save her sooner!?"

"Terra!" Ven cried out as he and Riku quickly both grabbed hold of the older man's arms to pull him back from hurting Mickey. "Calm down, Terra, please! It's not Mickey's fault that-"

"No, Ven. He's right." Mickey's choked up voice interrupted. When the others turned back to him, the king was unable to meet their gaze as, in a way unfitting of a king but fitting for someone young and very naive, he broke down before them. "I did see her, in the Realm of Darkness. I was lookin' for the Keyblade of Darkness when I felt her light and saved her. I told her what happened after she told me how she ended up in that awful place, so I promised that we'd both come home. But then, just as we were about to meet with Riku and close the door..."

He explained what had happened as Mickey once again remembered the time when just as he and Aqua located the Kingdom Hearts that Xehanort's Heartless summoned when Sora, Donald and Goofy fought and defeated him.

* * *

 ** _Flash-back: During the events of "Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage" and "Kingdom Hearts 1"..._**

 _Mickey ran as fast as he could, to try and stop the large Heartless Wave from reaching Riku. But he was too far and was too slow, fearing that they wouldn't be able to make it. But to his shock and surprise, Aqua jumped, summoning her Keyblade and somehow trapped it in it's magical chains. Mickey skid to a stop and he gasped. She was struggling to hold it in it's place._

 _"Aqua!" Mickey cried out, making to help her._

 _"Go without me!" She yelled back._

 _His heart froze and sank. Aqua was sacrificing herself again...this time to save both Riku and himself! Mickey couldn't leave her! Not again! Not when he finally found her after looking for her, Ven and Terra for ten years!_

 _"No, I-!" He was cut off when the Heartless broke free, now more furious than ever. Mickey couldn't move as he and Aqua were both caught off-guard. The Heartless Wave engulfed them both and Mickey screamed as he felt himself feeling like a giant was swallowing him whole, mixed up with berries like he was in a fruit salad bowl and a grip like the said giant was clasping him and squeezing him to death. He heard Aqua scream echoing his scream and at that split second moment, he was terrified._

 _Terrified that the Heartless would seep into their chests and pull out their hearts. Mickey could see Aqua a bit in front of him, and she looked just as buried and eaten as he was feeling. He tried to pull himself free from this wave Heartless, desperately trying to reach out to her. But the Heartless refused to let him go as they were hungry for his and Aqua's hearts._

 _'_ Someone help us! _' Mickey pleaded in his mind, the shear terror of losing his friend and dying before he and Sora could save the remaining worlds slowly overcoming his mind. It can't end this way! '_ HELP! _'_

 _Then, as if the Heartless were not interested in him, or perhaps the Keyblade of Darkness he inherited was protecting him that they feared it's power more than any regular Keyblade, Mickey felt himself being released and thrown out of the wave and screamed as he crashed onto the ground. But the darkness of those monsters did damage his shirt which disappeared into golden light. Pushing himself up quickly, he could only watch in pure horror as the Heartless Wave zoomed right through the door which led to the ruins of Destiny Islands..._

 _With Aqua still held captive._

 _"AQUA!" Mickey screamed in despair and distraught as the end of the Heartless Wave vanished through the door which slammed shut and then vanished without a trace, leaving only a wall and him stuck in the area with Riku. '_ NO! _' He thought to himself in dismay._

 _Mickey couldn't believe it. His friend...one he hasn't seen in ten years and had just found...was gone. In the matter of minutes. He stood up and reached over to where the wall was, his heart aching in guilt and devastation._

 _"Aqua..." He muttered, the urge to cry for the loss almost overwhelming him. But then he remembered; she survived ten years in this horrible place. Her heart was strong. Full of pure light. Plus, she knew that the Door to Darkness had to be closed, and she had risked her freedom to save Riku and Mickey himself. In that respect, she...was a lot like himself. Aqua now counted on him to save the worlds._

 _'_ Don't worry, Aqua. I'll come back for you. I promise! Just...give me a little more time, okay? _' He thought to himself as he renewed his resolve. Knowing what to do, Mickey turned and hurried to help his other friends as quickly as possible._

* * *

End Flash-Back:

"...That was the last time I saw her, 'til Xion got her out and they met up with us when we went up against Master Xehanort." Mickey concluded, trying very heard not to cry, but it was becoming more and more difficult as the guilt that left his shoulders when he told Aqua back at the Mysterious Tower while Sora and Riku were waking Vincent was now back with a vengeance.

"She sacrificed herself to save me?" Riku asked in disbelief. While he felt guilty for having been responsible for Aqua in still being trapped until that point and he didn't want to blame Mickey for what happened, he was angry that his friend hadn't said anything.

Sora beat him in demanding to know, though. "Why didn't you tell us a lot sooner!?"

"...I had to respect her choice." Mickey replied, feeling ashamed with himself and he felt that his friends felt the very right in being so angry with him. He was angry with himself too, and more than anything, had been foolish into making such decisions.

"What about the rest of us?" Sora pointed out. "You could've let us know sooner! We would've helped Aqua get out of the Realm of Darkness sooner than having Xion go through all that trouble!"

"I know..." Mickey closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry...! It's all my fault!"

"Is that all you can say? That you're sorry that Aqua has been trapped there longer than necessary?" Terra asked coldly, glaring at Mickey who clutched his fists to stop himself from shaking even though tears began to leak despite his eyes remaining closed. Terra was right; sorry wouldn't cover it and Mickey knew it. But he couldn't say anything else.

Fortunately, someone else who knew all too well spoke up to speak for the distraughted and guilt-ridden King.

"Listen to yourselves, guys." Lea grunted darkly, which made Sora, Riku, Terra and everyone else gaze at the redhead as he continued. "Seriously, the Realm of Darkness isn't a good place to be, even with the coats."

Sighing, he continued to the trio who were angry with the King, "Okay, granted, I'm still not happy that Xion went there and that she volunteered in goin' in, but come on, let's be realistic here. The Realm of Darkness is hard to get into without a coat and the Corridor of Darkness, that place is crawlin' with Heartless and if I'm gonna guess, if Sora and Riku did go there, there'd be no way in getting her back out. Not only that, me, Roxas and Xion had to be careful as we couldn't just keep usin' those as transport anymore."

"Lea is right, Sora, Riku and Terra. Do not be rash." Yen Sid agreed. "As Mickey told you clearly in his story, reaching the realm of darkness the first time was not a simple task. And even if we had found a way back in, regrettably none of us possessed the necessary means to get Aqua back out safely. So I forbade Mickey from telling you, let alone going after her."

"Then, why keep it a secret?" Riku demanded.

"Um, maybe it's because going into that spooky place without a safety way and just barging in head first knowing you and Sora might be the issue here?" Myde pointed out awkwardly. When the Sorcerer gazed at the young mullet-haired man, Myde apologetically rubbed the back of his head while waving. "Sorry, sorry. Just trying to help lighten the mood and make a point here."

"None the less, you are correct, Myde." Yen Sid nodded, turning back to Sora, and Riku. "As he has told you, either one of you would have staged a reckless attempt at rescue. Yet with Xion, as she had still possessed the coat given to her by Organization XIII as well as the power of darkness, she knew where to look and as such has brought Aqua back into the Realm of Light. Unfortunately, not quickly enough."

Despite still being miffed that none of them were told of any of this, Sora, Riku and especially Terra knew that Yen Sid, Myde and Lea were right. Despite that things had worked out, now Aqua was in the unconscious process of turning into a Heartless, no thanks to Xigbar.

"That still doesn't mean I didn't make her hurt this way. I should've tried harder to save her...why didn't...why didn't I save with her from the Heartless? I should've gone with her to find and save Terra, but I didn't...Everybody got hurt and involved because of me, and now Aqua's turnin' into a Heartless and it's all my fault!" Mickey cried out, burying his face in his gloved hands and wept in guilt and sorrow.

Everyone remained silent, not sure how to reply as Mickey sobbed. Yen Sid sighed, deciding it was best not to speak with his former apprentice at the moment. Between losing him, and now Aqua in this situation had finally broke the King's spirit. Donald and Goofy, being closest to the king, approached him as the former pulled Mickey into an embrace and while the Keyblade Master was hesitant when he saw this, he let his emotions take over and cried on Donald's shoulder while Goofy hugged both of them, though the two didn't know what to do or say in making Mickey feel better.

Seeing the King cry like this actually began to scare Sora. Now he felt guilty for lashing out like that when he himself had made the similar mistakes, especially today in the Keyblade Graveyard, and like how Jack had sacrificed himself to save Sora when Caius sent him into the Locker, and how Sora failed to save Will when Davy Jones stabbed him, and how Kairi risked her light to save Sora. But to think that Mickey had gone through ten years over the losses of Aqua, Ven and Terra, and another two years just when he reunited with the former only to lose her again.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. That was uncalled for." Sora muttered in guilt, before pointing out as he bend on one knee, swallowing a lump that formed in his throat. "It's not your fault, really. Xehanort's the one who started all of this, all because he wanted to open up Kingdom Hearts with that stupid X-Blade. You, Terra, Ven and Aqua didn't have anything to do with it. You guys and everybody else including me, Riku and Kairi got involved because he liked hurting others."

"Sora..." Mickey muttered as he forced himself to calm down and tearfully gaze at the teen.

"No. It's my fault." Terra spoke up, now guilt-ridden as he gazed up at Aqua's still unconscious form when the others looked at him this time. "I was the one who was too stupid for my own good. My dream in becoming a Keyblade Master clouded my senses, allowed the darkness within me grow, making me an easy target for Xehanort to use as a vessel. He easily tricked me and I pushed away my friends when they wanted to help."

He turned to Mickey and added, "I'm sorry, your majesty. I left you with my burden to care for my best friends and went astray. Aqua sacrificed herself to try and save me, when I told her to put an end to me. I didn't listen to Ven when he tried to warn me about Vanitas...Master Eraqus was struck down because I fought him to try and protect Ven, and ended up having Xehanort finish him off."

"Terra..." Ven muttered.

"Um...can we just conclude that it was that old man Xehanort who started all this in the first place and try and figure out how to save Aqua, please? It's getting kinda musty and tensed in here." Myde awkwardly interrupted to try and break the tension in the air.

"Works for me." Reno shrugged, feeling awkward himself.

Mickey wiped away his tears as he began to calm down while sniffling a few times before he sighed. "I guess so. But how can we save Aqua if she's turnin' into a Heartless?"

Sora thought hard, trying to figure out how to save Aqua and restore her to normal. There had to be a way to save her but he didn't have a powerful light and Kairi already risked most of hers to save his heart from the darkness which Sora didn't want to risk in having her do so again. Unless...

"The power of waking." He ventured, causing everyone else to gaze at him. "That's gotta work, right? If it worked on Vincent and Ven, it can help bring Aqua's heart back to normal too. I can enter her heart and take out the darkness within her."

"Sora, that's crazy!" Riku exclaimed as he and everyone else stared at his crazy spiky-haired friend in shock.

"The power of waking is not to be used lightly or recklessly, Sora." Yen Sid warned sternly. "While you and Riku have both successfully awakened Vincent and Ventus, you must also keep it under control. When one uses it, he risks losing himself into the void as it takes great concentration and vast energy to enter another being's heart. It is used to follow hearts to awaken worlds. Yet it was the risk we had to take in order to return Ventus and Vincent home."

"So by using too much of it ends up making that person disappear, right?" Sora finished, much to Yen Sid's surprise. The teenager shrugged awkwardly, "I uh...the time-line is outta whack, right? Well, the thing is, the other day back at Disney Castle before we went back to Twilight Town, I met the other me, the one from a time-line where we're still fighting Xehanort. The other me had to use the power of Waking to bring everyone back and change history and..."

He trailed off, struggling to bring out the words he was about to say next. But when Kairi gently placed her hand over his and gave him a slightly encouraging nod, Sora continued, "When Xehanort was defeated for good, the other me had to use the power of waking to bring back the Kairi he knew...and now he's a ghost."

A long tensed pause.

"Whaaaaaaaaaat!?" The rest of Sora and Kairi's group, Cloud's group, and the Turks exclaimed in shock and no small amount of horror.

"But he also said he saw two futures or something." Sora quickly added, doing his best to remember what the other Sora had told him. "He said that in one, he stays dead, but in the other, well, Riku-the Riku he knew-went out to figure out how to bring him back. But yeah, that's the ghost guy I mentioned earlier."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! Whaddya mean the other you and Alternate Universe?" Zack asked, completely lost and he wasn't the only one.

"You seriously lost me there." Reno muttered, dumbfounded.

"The time-line that's being distrupted." Strelitzia muttered in realization. "That's what Sora is talking about. I know, because I went into one where...the Keyblade War never happened, Keyblades never existed, and most of you were friends attending an Academy. I went there during the quest to stop Garland and to find Sora and the others. I never told them where I came from and after helping in sorting out a problem which, well, it's awkward to say, was a bit of a electrical growth-spurt problem with a little boy, I secretly left and returned here without them knowing."

"Why did you do that?" Ven asked, confused.

"Cosmos told me to, before I woke up in Serah and Lightning's world." Strelitzia replied. "Still, it involved with Sora because of another time-line that's been erased."

"I was involved in that too?" Sora asked, stunned and shocked.

"I guess no matter what dimension he's in, Sora's still the hero." Goofy thought and Donald nodded in agreement which made the aforementioned Keyblade wielder scratch his head again in embarrassment.

Sora shook his head, before continuing his point, "Anyway, he told me this and warned me not to make the same mistake and, I promised myself and him that I wouldn't. But if it's the only way to save Aqua, then I'm gonna take that risk, at least just once. After that, we're gonna make sure Chaos doesn't catch us off-guard like Xehanort did."

"But Sora, if you do use the power of waking, you could end up like the other Sora." Mickey pointed out worriedly. "Please don't do this."

"Hey, it's not like I'm gonna go saving everyone rapidly. Besides, no one said this adventure was gonna be safe, right? I'll be okay and I promise that me and Aqua will be back before you know it." Sora ensured him.

"But you're still recovering, Sora. You haven't fully gotten used to that Vanitas guy being outside of your heart yet." Tifa pointed out, also worried.

"Then, I'll go with him." Kairi spoke up, much to everyone's shock. "I don't care if I'm a Princess of Heart or not, Aqua's my friend too and she saved me twelve years ago when I was a little girl and she's the main reason why I have a Keyblade. Now it's my turn to help save her. I owe her that much and I'm not gonna let Sora disappear on me. Not by a long shot."

"Kairi..." Sora muttered. He was now scared that something might go wrong if she went, but the expression on her face quickly told him that this was an argument he was going to lose anyway this time. She had grown stronger and despite almost losing her today, she didn't want to lose him.

Mickey glanced back and forth between the two teenagers and while he was deathly worried about both of them, they were ready to do this. Still, he felt responsible for Aqua's suffering and felt it was right for him to make up for that mistake.

"I'll go too!" The King finally declared, and when Sora and Kairi gazed at him as did the others, Mickey continued with determination. "You two fellas and I, we're gonna save her!"

"Perhaps it is best the three of you go, given your connections with Aqua. Sora has more than a better chance in saving her, Kairi has a chance in keeping him safe in spite of her actions earlier, and Mickey's heart connected to all three will be the guide that will lead Aqua home." Yen Sid eventually agreed, turning to Sora as he continued, "I am deeply sorry for not informing you earlier, Sora."

"Aw, it was just bad timing, Master. No biggie." Sora ensured, placing his hands behind his head casually.

Yen Sid just stared at Sora, before smirking a little in defeat. "You certainly are much like Mickey and Ventus combined. The three of you certainly have a lot in common."

Sora, Mickey and Ven shared puzzled and surprised expressions to hear Master Yen Sid say this, which made everyone else giggle or laugh in agreement with the elder man. After a moment of embarrassment between the three of them, Sora, Kairi and Mickey stood in line in front of the tube that Aqua slept.

"Ready?" Sora asked his two friends who nodded with determination.

"Sora." Terra spoke up, "Be careful and good luck to you three guys." as Ven nodded in agreement.

"Will do." Sora gave Terra a thumbs up, before he summoned his Keyblade as a purple spike materalized when Aqua's chest glowed slightly. Then as Kairi and Mickey both held onto Sora, the spiky haired teen aimed the Kingdom Key at the spike as a beam of light shot into it and soon the trio were glowing in light before they vanished and became absorbed into the spike which Tifa, Tseng, Elena, Myde, Strelitzia, Ephemer, Skuld, Serah and Lightning were struck in awe at the sight before they and the rest of the group now just stood in silence.

Waiting for Sora, Kairi and Mickey to return and Aqua to be restored to normal.

* * *

 **A/N: So many references in both the real Kingdom Hearts 3 as well as my other story "Life NEVER was Normal" here, and there will be more coming. Hopefully I'll be able to post the next chapter sooner than this one as planned.**

 **See you then!**


	55. CH54: Next Course of Action

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Don't worry, this KH3 won't be as completely dark as the real KH3 even though there are some refenences, but I'm making sure to leave out the parts I didn't like about the game. Though there is one that I had in mind since before I posted the last chapter.**

 **Anyway, get ready and here will be a bit of a guest appearance shocker.**

 **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy.**

* * *

 _ **CH54: Next Course of Action.**_

What seemed like forever since Sora, Kairi and Mickey found themselves becoming absorbed into Aqua's heart, but it was really about five minutes or somewhere along the lines. The three descended through the darkness that layed everywhere they fell, holding each other's hands so that they wouldn't get separated. Eventually, they saw a large glass platform coming towards them.

"Is that...?" Kairi began as they got closer while realizing that their falling is slowing down.

"Just like inside my heart." Sora remarked, though unlike the times he'd been into his heart via dreams, something was off with the one which he knew was part of Aqua's heart.

"That's Aqua's Station of Heart." Mickey explained, sensing that they were very close within his friend's point by now. "Every Keyblade Wielder have these Stations of Awakening, whether they find themselves within them or not."

"So how did I do that if I wasn't chosen by the Keyblade?" Sora asked, confused.

"I guess it's since your heart is so strong you were able to do that without being picked, Sora." Mickey suggested, before adding firmly to the two teenagers. "We'd better be careful. Who knows what kind of darkness we'll find here. Just hope Aqua will be okay."

So did Sora and Kairi, but all three of them had to believe that they could do this. They made it this far and they were not about to lose Aqua again. Just before they could land on the surface, the three Keyblade Wielders spun once to land gently on their feet and landed with a faint tap. Though before they had landed, they noticed, to their shock and horror, Aqua's Station was different; it was tainted in silver and black, mainly glowing in the latter colour, the image of their friend was that of Aqua in the middle, her hands over her chest in a sleeping position, but the way how she looked was much like how she did back in the Realm of Light.

Behind the image of Aqua was the familiar shores of the Realm of Darkness.

"Why is the Realm of Darkness behind her?" Sora asked in disbelief and worry.

"I can feel it...her heart is being swallowed by darkness." Kairi muttered, placing her hands over her heart. It was overwhelming and it was giving her a deja vu of when she lost her heart that went into Sora's two years ago when the Islands were being destroyed.

"The darkness here is very similar to Xehanort's, and even though he's gone, a piece of him that was inside Xigbar has now made it's way here, inside Aqua's heart." Mickey said, his heart pounding with dread. Like Kairi, he could feel the darkness swallowing Aqua's heart and wondered if five hours in the real world was still too long, far too late.

' _Maybe we should've acted sooner, when Aqua began to see those visions of the other time-line._ ' Mickey thought to himself, the dread starting to quickly grow.

" **You are here.** "

Mickey, Sora and Kairi jolted their heads upward and ahead of them when they heard that familiar enchanting and beautiful voice but in words of hatred, betrayal and near pure anger. There stood, materializing from the darkness, was Aqua but completely corrupted. A darker transformation to what had happened outside of this place. Now her eyes were the golden yellow.

" **But you're too late.** " Aqua continued darkly, glaring at the three Keyblade Wielders who stood in shock and horror. "The corruption is almost complete."

"Whaddya mean we're too late? We're here to save you!" Sora pointed out. They couldn't be too late. How could the darkness spread so quickly?

Aqua said nothing at first. Instead, she flicked her right wrist which blinked slightly in purple and black mists, then materializing behind her was another Aqua, but in her original self before the corruption. She was glowing in a dim light that was fading away, trapped in a bind of a chain of darkness and hanging above the darkness over the platform. Sora, Kairi and Mickey couldn't help but gasp at this.

" **The last of the light within me will soon fade away, leaving behind only misery and despair. Feelings I felt in my time in that Shadowy Prison...where YOU abandoned me and left me to rot, Mickey!** " Aqua snarled, gazing at her light form before turning back to the trio and pointed her red-crimson finger at the King who froze at those sharp, cold words that was directed at him, like a sword encasted in ice striking him straight into his chest.

" **You knew what that place would do to me, and rather than coming back, you let someone else rescue me. But they then the darkness had already began to take over my heart.** " She continued coldly.

This wasn't the Aqua he knew, but Mickey couldn't help but begin to believe that this was what his friend was truly feeling and had thought she could fight it back while holding back her true feelings to avoid in making him feel even more guilty. What if she treated him like a child to hide her true feelings? Had she been feeling that betrayed that he hadn't picked it up? His knees began to shake, his heart feeling like it was drowning in the guilt that continued to grow until this point.

"I...I'm so sorry!" Mickey broke down crying, adding between the sobs. "It really is all my fault! If only I moved, then Xigbar wouldn't-"

" **Save your excuses, "your majesty"!** " Aqua hissed, cutting him off. " **If you are sorry, then you should have kept to your promise. But you didn't. You left me stranded in the Realm of Darkness, the times I needed to be saved, you weren't there.** "

Mickey curled up his fists, agreeing. "I know...I should've known. You were feeling all of this and hidden it from me because...because you hate me, and I deserve it. I'm the worst friend ever."

Aqua didn't buy it. Mickey's tears and guilt meant nothing to her. Instead, she summoned Master Eraqus's Keyblade which too had become corrupted, becoming all pitch black with silver linings. She stood in a fighting position, ready to strike her 'friend' down. Sora and Kairi both stood, tears forming as they witnessed Mickey fully overwhelmed and even worse, the darkness had corrupted Aqua to her being unrecognizable, taking out her fears and anger on the king who wasn't truly at fault of this.

" **You have idea how frightening and lonely that place is. I am just a shell of negative emotions...and now, YOU CAN SHARE IT!** " Aqua snarled, ready to fight.

Mickey just stood there, head down and eyes closed, not having the heart to fight. Instead, he accepted the consequences of his actions and was about to pay for it. Ready to be punished for the sins he corrupted without even realizing it, for being gullible and naive. He had wanted to believe that Aqua, Ven and Terra were alright, especially when they were now together again. But the King couldn't fool himself anymore. He had been blinded by his own illusions and pretended they were reality. He was about to tell Sora and Kairi to leave while they still could with a heavy ache in his heart that Aqua was now gone, when Sora stood in front of the King, looking at Aqua with a saddened and pleading look on his face that caught Mickey by surprise and shock.

"Don't do this." Sora pleaded to Aqua, tears in both his eyes and voice. When she glared at him at this, he continued. "This is just the darkness speaking out things that aren't true, making you this way, blaming someone who didn't have a choice! It's not the King's fault! He wanted to save you, but getting into the Realm of Darkness was too hard by then!"

" **Why should you care?** " Aqua questioned darkly.

"Because this isn't you. Why else would we all be here? King Mickey looked every way to save you, with or without our help. It's not too late. We can still save you!" Kairi added, her tears already falling as she silently cried.

"It's gonna be okay, Aqua!" Sora added. Mickey's eyes widened at both the teenage boy's and Kairi's words, before realizing that they were right; it was the darkness that was corrupting Aqua, the way how it corrupted Riku. Having made Isa cold and bitter as Saix. Having made Xehanort...into a monster. This wasn't Aqua at all; but darkness twisting her mind and heart. Still...she was right about a few things; about her being trapped in the Realm of Darkness, but that place was too difficult to get in and out of safely, no matter how hard he tried.

He hadn't come this far just to lose her again. Even with Sora and Kairi's help.

With his resolve renewed and his sorrow and horror turning slowly into courage, Mickey stood beside Sora with determination while Aqua turned her glare back to him.

"The darkness corrupted you, Aqua. You're not the one I know, but none of us will give up. Now it's time to save you and drive away the darkness. Don't let it win!" Mickey shouted, summoning his Kingdom Key-D Keyblade and stood in a fighting stance himself. Both Sora and Kairi, seeing the determination, shared a glance before nodding and followed the King's lead, ready to fight and save Aqua.

The female Keyblade Master said nothing. Instead, she sped forward towards the three of them and prepared to land a heavy strike. But Sora, Kairi and Mickey dodged out of the way though the King had to block his friend's Keyblade with his own, but struggled to push her back. Even though he was a Keyblade Master, he quickly realized that the darkness just made Aqua's strength stronger. Sora and Kairi both dashed to save him by regrettably striking at her with their Keyblades. But she sensed their movements and teleported to avoid them, forcing the two teenagers to skid to a stop while Mickey wobbled a bit after the hold suddenly vanished.

They then had to jump and dodge Aqua's attacks when she reappeared on the other side of the station and flared up dark orbs that came from the darkness corrupting her. Sora responded by tossing his Keyblade at her while Kairi and Mickey both flared up their Orbs of Light at the dark orbs. The attacks exploded in midair, but Aqua just clashed against the three of them who did the same against her, leaping and slashing and had actually managed to give a couple of hits but she still knocked them back where they were sent flying and screaming before crashing onto the ground, nearly falling off the edges of the station and they knew they had to be careful in not falling off. As Sora and his friends stood up, quickly using Curaga to heal themselves and each other, Aqua made to attack Kairi had to jump and narrowly avoided in losing her leg.

Sora, horrified that Kairi was being attacked, dashed forward along with Mickey and Aqua turned her attention to the of them, blocking their attempts to slash her. She then cartwheeled away and was about to cast them in ice with Blizzaraga when Mickey, with a regretful idea, used Stopza which made her freeze briefly in time before he slashed at her in every way he could while Sora hurried over to Kairi who approached him and seeing that she was fine, the two turned back to Mickey who leaped away after finishing some of his attacks when the Stopza wore off, and Aqua quickly felt every hit the king gave her, screaming and grunting in pain. When the attacks stopped, Aqua only grew even more furious and preformed a darker version of her Weaver Drive. At Mickey's warning, the trio leaped and tried to avoid their friend's attacks but she managed to catch them off-guard where they were about to become engulfed by the corrupted Master's magic.

They then had an idea and Mickey held out his hand for Sora and Kairi to grab as the trio jumped and held out their Keyblades while their spinning back to back, forming a large circle of light that spread and blocked Aqua's Dark Weaver, dismissing it. Seeing this, she attempted to strike at the spell, but because the darkness had it's hold on her, she was being painfully hit by the trio's attack as she grunted and failing to attack them at the moment. Unaware to them, the more she was hit, the light from her light-self that was fading was now beginning to glow a bit brighter as the four continued to fight. Though when the trio finished their move, Aqua, weakened but still having energy to fight, then took this as her chance to strike but they managed to block as hard as they could with their Keyblades even though it was becoming difficult since while they were quickly getting exhausted, she wasn't.

Sora then switched into his Valor Form and held two Keyblades and struck Aqua who blocked most of his attacks, much to his shock. Kairi rushed in and attempted to slash her from behind and Mickey doing the same at the right side. Aqua though thrusts at all three of them again and knocking them back, but this time they flipped and landed safely on the ground. Sora then quickly wasted no time as he transformed his two Keyblades into the Star-pistols and held out the weapons which shot out multiple lasers of Light which increased the damage on Aqua before he held them both up and it quickly turned into a driller which he then launched himself towards her.

He didn't want to do this, but at the moment he didn't have a choice. Realizing they were running out of Mana quickly, Mickey tossed both Kairi and Sora Elixirs while jugging down the bottle he had with him to restore their magic as they needed it for this battle, considering how Aqua was a Mage Keyblade Wielder.

Sora, with his Keyblades returning to normal as his Valor Form wore off, rendering him back to just the Kingdom Key but his magic mostly restored thanks to the Elixir the King gave him, struck at Aqua who was about to make her attempts to attack both Kairi and Mickey again, but stopped her from doing so. She responded by blasting Firaga at his chest which knocked back as he cried out and crashed onto the glass floor once again, feeling the burns and winced but used Cure on himself to avoid in using too much of his magic just when it was restored only moments ago.

Kairi in the meantime chanted Blizzaga at Aqua who blocked it at the swipe of her Keyblade, but this was a distraction that Mickey used as he triple-air-sommersaulted, his Keyblade hitting her rapidly at few times while knocking her back and allowing the now former Princess of Heart to cast her Pink Orb of Light which, while having lost her Power and status as a Princess, it was still strong enough to knock Aqua back even further while being careful on not knocking her completely off the platform.

Yet, Aqua once again sped across the platform at the trio who were shocked that she still had enough strength to keep going while hitting them despite their best efforts to block her continious attacks that was really getting to them. But Sora, Kairi and Mickey tried not to give up hope. They had to save Aqua, or she would become a pure Heartless-Hybrid and be lost forever. In desperation, the three Keyblade Wielders used Orbs of Light once again in hopes that Aqua could become covered in it. While she blocked some of them, there was some that managed to hit her as she screamed painfully once again due to being covered in darkness, and her senses begin to become clouded.

The other Aqua in the meantime continued to glow brighter by this chained reaction during the battle. However, when their attacks were done, Aqua unleashed her dark-motion flow and left Sora, Kairi and Mickey no time in dodging as they were hit by her attacks, screaming each time before she eventually stopped, and they slumped low, before weakly dodge-rolling out of the way, but things were not going as they would've liked. None the less, Mickey chanted Thundzaga at Aqua who was engulfed by the electrical magic, and Sora tossed his Keyblade at her once again, hitting her twice before his weapon returned to him. Kairi attempted to use Firaga, but Aqua sensed this and turned to attack her. Sora quickly stepped in front of Kairi and used his Keyblade to block Aqua's attack.

Mickey hurried over to attack again and sucessfully knocked her Keyblade away, before he, Sora and Kairi then joined up and knocked her back in the chest which sent her flying backwards. The moment their Keyblades touched, the other Aqua's eyes finally began to open as her body now glowed in a magnificent blue. Blinking them weakly as her vision was fuzzy at first, it cleared before she saw what was happening and gasped when, the dark version of herself, the one from her nightmares and the same as of the other time-line, was attacking her friends. Especially Mickey, Sora and Kairi. Had they come to save her?

The Darker Aqua landed in a crouch, wincing as darkness began to leave her body in mists. Sora, Kairi and Mickey stood in defense, hesitating in finishing her off. Still, she refused to give in and could only glare angrily despite that her vision began to become fuzzy and disorientated. With a hissing growl despite the darkness weakening, she flared up an orb of darkness in her hand, ready to strike. The trio gasped, realizing what she was about to do.

"Aqua, stop!" Mickey pleaded.

But she wouldn't listen to him. Instead, she was about attack when something strange happened. The entire area jolted loudly like a heart-beat and Sora, Kairi and Mickey actually felt it, almost knocking them off balance. The Lighter Aqua by now began to struggle in the chains that binded her. She had to do something, anything, to save them. Seeing her duplicant about to launch her attack, Aqua began to yell out as her body glowed even brighter, until a final scream caught everyone's attentions. This caused the chains to break completely and disappear, freeing her. She then launched herself towards her other half who was too late to notice and was grabbed by the arms of her lighter-self.

"Aqua!" Sora, Kairi and Mickey exclaimed, fearfully wondering what was going on, until they quickly realized that Aqua was fighting for control.

" **...You should fade into darkness! It's too late to save the light within the heart!** " The Darker Aqua hissed as she struggled to pull away from her light.

" _Shut up! You're the demon that was trying to take control! The darkness that formed in my heart! All the fear and doubt that were just my paranioa! You are what I feared the most; my own worst enemy. But no more!_ " The Lighter Aqua snapped, holding her other-self tighter. " _I'm weak on my own, but my friends...every single one of them...give me the strength to fight!_ "

With that, she stretched out her right arm just long enough to summon her Rainfall Keyblade which was glowing in light. Aqua then looked up at Sora, Kairi and Mickey, with a look of compassion and slightly sad smile. " _Sora, Kairi, Mickey...you know what to do._ "

"Wait, you can't!" Sora cried out, realizing what she was about to do.

"We can't just leave you! We came here to save you!" Kairi cried out, as she and Mickey both came the same realization.

" _I know._ " Aqua replied, " _You still can. Just...let me do this first._ "

"Aqua, no!" Mickey screamed out, reaching out a hand as he then ran to try and stop her from doing something extremely reckless. Sora and Kairi were only three micro seconds behind.

Aqua didn't stop, as she then began to pull her otherself inside her as the Darker Aqua let out a scream. The lighter Aqua winched before struggling to force her Keyblade's tip towards her chest. " _Demon of Darkness of my doubt and fears...BE GONE!_ "

Time seemed to slow down into a slow motion, and no matter how fast Sora, Kairi and Mickey ran, they were too far and too late as they held out one hand each to stop her, but Aqua by then thrusts her Keyblade right into her chest, hitting the spot where the darkness hit her earlier by Xigbar. She silently chanted 'Light' and the spell from her Keyblade hit that darkness, engulfing it and caused it to emerge and disappear from her body, but formed into a portal underneath her while her Keyblade vanished. She fell to her knees as her eyes closed, as time seemed to run normally again.

"AQUA!" Mickey screamed out in agonized sorrow, catching her in his arms before she could fall face first. But she quickly slipped from his grasp even as Sora and Kairi caught her by her arms as she sank into the darkness, no matter how hard they tried in pulling her up and out. The pool of darkness then engulfed and swallowed her up before shrinking and then disappeared. The platform then began to glow before it shone so brightly that Mickey, Sora and Kairi had to shield their eyes with their arms. When the light faded, the trio looked down and saw that, somehow in Aqua's self-sacrifice, the entire image changed.

It showed Aqua back in her true form, and the image of the realm of darkness had disappeared. The Station was now blue that matched her hair, the image behind her was a large castle that none of them recognized, and there were also circle images added on both sides of her; Terra and Ven. There was also another, one whom they didn't recognize either. It was a man close to his forties, with black hair tied up in a pony tail, dark eyes and a small mustche.

But Mickey wasn't really paying attention at the beauty of the station's restored image. Instead, his thoughts were that how Aqua had just...he couldn't even bring himself into thinking of the word that he knew was true. He failed her. She was gone. Her heart was now in the deepest abyss. Mickey fell to his knees and wept.

"King Mickey." Sora muttered in sympathy, bending on one knee and placing a comforting hand on the distraughted King's shoulder. Mickey felt Sora's touch and tearfully gazed up at his friend who gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "We'll find her."

"He's right, your majesty." Kairi added, even though some of her tears fell at what happened. "I can still feel her. We can still rescue Aqua."

Despite that he felt some doubt, Mickey gazed into the eyes of the two teenagers and realized that they still held onto hope. Plus their words made him also realize that he too could still feel Aqua's heart. Wiping away his tears, he stood up as his sorrow slowly turned to that of determination once again.

"Right. We're gonna find her. It's like she always told me. "Follow the hearts and you'll find the way." We're gonna follow with all of our hearts." Mickey said.

"May our hearts be our guiding key." Sora quoted with a nod, before he and two of his friends noticed the Master Eraqus's Keyblade vanished which then returned to normal before vanishing.

Wasting no time, Sora aimed his Keyblade at the image of Aqua's chest which then formed a Keyhole. He, Kairi and Mickey then floated up over the image, knowing that it was time to use the power Sora knew was risky; the Power of Waking. Sora, with both Kairi and Mickey touching his Keyblade, aimed it as it sent out a beam of light, which struck the opening in the middle. The Keyhole unlocked and glowed while fading into a pillar of light.

Seeing this, Sora, Kairi and Mickey braced themselves as they then entered the light, hoping to find Aqua and bring her home.

* * *

When the light faded, the trio had their arms over their eyes which were closed due to the brightness. They then felt a warmth of sunlight, before looking up and their eyes widened in surprise and awe.

"Whoa! Is this the Land of Departure?" Sora exclaimed. The place they were in was a mountain range on a clear sunny day with the sky blue, a large castle in front of them with many towers and rooms and chains attatched. They were standing on a stone platform, with a path leading into the mountain hills behind them. In the castle's main centre was a round window that had different kinds of colourful glass which the sun shone onto.

Sora remembered this place. He, Riku and Aqua came here not long after Vincent woke up to wake up Ven. This place, when he first saw it, was Castle Oblivion which Aqua had turned into when Xehanort cast this place into darkness not long after he killed Master Eraqus. Since then, Aqua restored it to it's former glory to make it easier to reach Ven now that they wouldn't have to worry about Xehanort getting to him.

"We must be in the deepest part of Aqua's heart. One in the form of her dreams and memories." Mickey theoried. He'd never seen the Land of Departure in it's original state. Like Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy, the first time he'd seen this place was when it was Castle Oblivion. While Mickey was aware that this wasn't the real Land of Departure, it was still an amazing place.

"It's beautiful." Kairi breathed, before wondering. "But, where can we find Aqua?"

"Maybe she's inside the castle. Let's take a look." Mickey suggested. He hoped that she was, anyway. He couldn't think of bearing the loss and realizing that she was completely gone.

The others nodded, and walked up the stairs into the castle. Though when they entered the main hallway through the large doors, Sora, Kairi and Mickey gasped softly in surprise as a familiar figure stood there. It was Terra who seemed to be motionless at the moment.

"Terra?" The trio asked, confused as they ran up to him. Before Sora could ask what Terra was here, the older man spoke, though that what the trio had in mind.

"What is it that you're so afraid of?" Terra questioned.

Sora, Kairi and Mickey shared a confused before they turned back to Terra. Suddenly Sora had a sense of deja vu and while he couldn't remember at the moment how or why, instead he crossed his arms and thought before answering with honesty. "Losing something that's important."

As though sastified with the answer, Terra then simply vanished into thin air, alarming the trio who shared another uncertain glance. Shrugging it off after realizing it was just an illusion, Sora, Kairi and Mickey hurried over down the hall way and came across with two stair cases. On the left side, they found another familiar figure; this time it was Ventus.

"Ven!" Sora and Mickey both exclaimed.

"You're here too?" Kairi asked, surprised before remembering that this wasn't the real Ventus.

"What is the one thing you care about more than anything else?" Ven questioned.

' _Another question. Hmmm..._ ' Sora thought while Mickey and Kairi gazed at him. He then came up with an answer and replied, "My close friends and...someone I want to protect with my life." though he blushed when he admitted this, as did Kairi who smiled warmly despite blushing herself and Mickey smiled at both of them but decided not to say anything to avoid in embarrasing them.

Ven then disappeared as well, leaving the trio wondering before deciding to check up the upper floor. As they did, Sora, Kairi and Mickey found three brown thrones at the end of the room, as well as a small balcony behind them which was above the main entrance as the round window was shined by the sunlight outside, creating a beautiful image of colours on the floor. Standing just in front of the thrones was a tall man, one that matched on the picture of Aqua's Station of Awakening. He wore a white cape and clothes with a dark shirt underneath and black shoes.

While both Sora and Kairi had no idea who he really was, Mickey, despite not having fully met the man either, somehow knew who he was.

"Master Eraqus!" Mickey exclaimed, which caught his two younger friends by surprise.

"Hold on...this is Master Eraqus?" Sora asked the King who nodded to confirm it.

"What's going on here?" Kairi asked, now even more confused.

Eraqus stood waiting, saying nothing. So the trio, sharing another uncertain glance, hesitately approached him and stopped in front of the late Keyblade Master who then spoke, with a question of his own. "So, you are Sora. What is it that you want most?"

"Um...lets see..." Sora muttered, not sure at first. Then he thought of something that what his heart really wanted, and answered. "To protect everyone close to me."

Nodding at Sora's honest answer, Eraqus then vanished before light shined around the entire area as Sora, Kairi and Mickey had to quickly shield their eyes again. When it faded, they looked up and saw to their confusion that they were back outside of the castle where they started.

"What was that?" Mickey asked, confused.

"That was weird." Sora muttered.

"Look!" Kairi softly asked as she noticed something on the ground, in front of Sora who looked down as did Mickey. On the stone floor was a familiar star-like trinket made of blue glass and a pattern. Sora picked it up and examined it curiously while Kairi and Mickey took a closer look to gaze at it.

"It's Aqua's Good Luck Charm." Mickey realized. "The power of light within it was her guide and strength because of an unbreakable connection between her, Ven and Terra. At least that's what she told me."

"It looks like my own. The one I gave back to Sora." Kairi noted.

Sora, realizing that his friend was right, reached into his pockets and pulled out Kairi's Good Luck Charm made out of Sea-Shells and compared the two. "Do you think she made her Charm to make it similar to the Papou Fruit back at home?"

"Must've been." Kairi nodded.

"I guess she wanted to make those charms close to what Kairi made since this world doesn't have a beach close by." Mickey shrugged, feeling sad that they still haven't found Aqua yet.

"Indeed." a very dark and raspy familiar voice, one that made their blood chilled and frozen and their hearts stopping, spoke close by as it continued. "An unbreakable connection of one's heart; fates intertwined even in the deepest of darkness."

That voice...no, it couldn't be. Sora, Kairi and Mickey spun around and tried to find the source of the voice, and when they did, they sensed the presence behind them and looked behind them at the entrance of the path, standing in front of the stone arch-way. The familiar elder man, one with no hair, the small goatee, the golden eyes, the black cape, white gloves, dark pants and boots, hunched forward with his hands behind his back. It's been ages since they'd seen the man, but they knew without a doubt who he was, and fear entered their hearts. What in the worlds was he doing here in Aqua's heart!?

"Master Xehanort!" Sora, Kairi and Mickey exclaimed angrily, quickly summoning their Keyblades and stood in defense stances, not wanting to take their chances as they suddenly figured that despite being gone, Xehanort somehow survived.

"Why are you here?" Mickey demanded.

"What did you do to Aqua?" Kairi added.

Xehanort just smirked, but he made no movement to attack. Instead, he simply told the trio calmly. "You, the Princess and the little King should settle down, boy."

"That's Sora, Kairi and King Mickey!" Sora snapped, adding, "I thought Riku and I got rid of you!"

"You have indeed destroyed my body and separated pieces of my heart, one that will never be restored. Alas, I am but just a piece left of what remains of my true form. The piece that I had placed within Xigbar, not fully realizing his heart was more than even I originally thought." Xehanort confirmed.

"Whaddya mean?" Mickey asked, angry that Xehanort ignored both his and Kairi's questions. Then again the evil elder Master wasn't one to listen to anyone but himself and expects everyone to listen to him.

Xehanort's smirk faded as he explained, "Seven pieces of Pure Light, Thirteen pieces of Pure Darkness. Those are what are necessary in recreating the X-Blade, to open up Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds. Thirteen pieces of my heart are the keys to it. I placed eleven into the vessels which included Xigbar and Terra. Although my death freed most, Xigbar remained a vessel, but even his heart was strong enough to repel the darkness."

"Yet, the moment you confronted him in the Keyblade Graveyard, he extracted that piece from himself with outside help, using it to test you. However, Aqua, as she had done before twelve years ago, sacrificed herself and slowly become corrupted. Until now." He continued.

"Why did you do that? Why do you want to destroy the Realm of Light that badly?" Sora asked.

The elder man said nothing at first, then approached the trio who quickly braced themselves for a fight, even as Xehanort explained, "The World began in darkness, and from that darkness came light. From the light came the people, and the people had hearts. Evil burgeoned in those hearts, begetting more darkness. And that darkness spread across the world like a plague."

He then approached the side of the courtyard which had Sora, Kairi and Mickey puzzled that Xehanort turned his back to them while stopping on the edge and gazed out into the distance. They lowered their stances but still held into the grips on their Keyblades, not taking any chances.

"The Light, the symbol of the world's hope, was devoured by shadow. Leaving nothing but ruin...an utter failure. But then, came the Power of the Ancients. It was first unleashed only from the seven pure hearts of children. And with that, it swiftly dispelled the dark abyss at it's source. Thus, the first light was created from those seven pure hearts. Though even afterwards, small remnants of darkness remained. If that first light-the Light of Kingdom Hearts, could give us a new start; an empty world, pure and bright." He continued.

"But that's something Bhunivezle tried to do thousands of years ago even without Kingdom Hearts; erasing the people with hearts and remaking them so that he could go into their bodies and read their thoughts and feelings is a terrible idea. An empty world with only light and nobody to live in it is just as bad. Just like the Realm of Darkness." Mickey pointed out.

"It wasn't your decision to make. It never was." Sora added, glaring at Xehanort's back even though it softened a little.

"I know." Xehanort agreed, his expression turning that into a look of guilt and sadness. "You have made me realize that, Sora. And yet, I have yet to learn the meaning of leadership of the world."

"Xehanort...a true leader knows that destiny is beyond his control...and accepts that." Kairi pointed out gently, her anger fading more quickly than Sora's and Mickey's did.

Xehanort glanced at the trio, then grinned lightly. "You three...make me think of an old friend, and have made me see the error of my actions. Just as you had done to that Ancient Master Aced. I never would have guessed that even Ventus had come from the age of fairytales."

"...Neither did anyone else, 'til we met Skuld." Sora admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But that doesn't make a difference since Ven's our friend, just like Aqua and everybody else." Still, he and two of his friends were wary and uncomfortable, still thinking that Xehanort may be up to something.

"For an ordinary boy, you have a heart unlike any, Sora. A heart that connects to so many others, to save them from the hurting. That unique power of your friendship and love for many people, you are the key that will set things right. Believe in that power in yourself and in your dearly beloved ones, and not even Bhunivelze or Chaos will stop you." Xehanort commented.

He turned fully to them and continued, "You and Kairi together are the Light within the Darkness. With your friends by your side and in spirit, the light will grow stronger, the warm light. Not the cold light Bhunivelze holds within his dark heart. In fact, the light in the three of you has awakened and restored Aqua's light, giving her the power to expel the darkness that took form from her darkest emotions, enabling her to destroy it."

"So...where is she?" Mickey asked hesitately.

"All we found was illusions of Terra, Ven and Master Eraqus...and you." Kairi added, worriedly. "Is she...?"

"Fear not, King Mickey and Kairi." Xehanort ensured. "Just because she had impaled herself with her Keyblade does not mean her heart is lost. She used the power of light to destroy the darkness, and keeping her heart intact. What was needed to awaken her was answer the questions that took form of her friends and fallen Master. Now the time has come to form the final key and then use the Power of Waking to revive her."

"...What final key?" Sora asked, nervously.

Xehanort chuckled, before spreading his arms out and declared, "You must destroy me. Strike me with your weapons, not with anger or hate, but for the sake of your friend."

"What!?" Sora, Kairi and Mickey exclaimed in shock and no small amount of horror and suspicion.

"What's the catch?" Sora asked.

"None. As I said, I am but a single piece of myself. One that must be destroyed before Chaos comes looking with those riff-raffs of his; Ardyn Izunia and Blaine. They are locating pieces of my heart to recreate the X-Blade. If they are one or several pieces short, it will never be recreated." Xehanort replied.

Sora, Kairi and Mickey didn't move, the grips on their Keyblades shaking as they shared very uneasy expressions. Was Xehanort telling the truth, or was this some kind of trap? None of them were certain and given how he tricked Terra and all of the horrible things he did, not to mention that in another time-line, Xehanort would've gotten what he wanted. Though they couldn't help but sense and feel that like Xehanort here, he would've finally understood his mistakes before dying. On the other hand, it was starting to make sense given what they learned and then realize that Chaos was gathering pieces of Xehanort's heart as the thirteen darknesses to recreate the X-Blade.

"One last warning, Sora." Xehanort spoke again, causing the trio to turn back to him as he continued. "Do not abuse the power of Waking, or your heart will be lost forever."

"...Thanks for the advice, but I already got the idea. That's why I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure everyone stays safe." Sora replied.

Xehanort chuckled, "A very wise answer. You are indeed a fine young man. Now then, awaken Aqua, and save the Realm of Light."

Still hesitating, Sora closed his eyes while Kairi's grip on her Keyblade loosened slightly and Mickey whimpered softly. Finally, they came to a silent agreement that they had no choice and see if this would help Aqua or cause more problems. Steeling themselves up despite still feeling reluctant, the trio stood in positions and dashed forward, their Keyblades ready as they simultaneously slashed right at Xehanort's entire being from downward to sideways at both sides, gazing at the ground. Xehanort let out a pained grunt, taking a couple steps back as he began to collapse while he began to disappear in a mixture of dark mists and light particles.

Sora, Kairi and Mickey slowly looked up with regret and sadness on their expressions, their hearts heavy at how they had to strike down someone who, having caused so much hurt and destruction, didn't even put up a fight this time.

"...Very well done." Was the last thing Xehanort said solemnly before he faded and both the light and darkness faded and floated away upwards, then simply disappeared completely and leaving not a single trace of him what so ever.

The trio continued to gaze at where Xehanort had disappeared as Sora lowered his gaze to the ground. He felt no happiness in this victory, and he realized that he didn't want to. Sora never took great pleasure in taking another person's life. And he didn't want to do that ever. It was...wrong to kill someone, whether they were bad or good. Sometimes there was no choice.

"Sora." Kairi whispered, gently taking her friend's hand into both of hers while Mickey placed his own onto Sora's other hand.

Sora looked at both of them, then he and Kairi bend down to Mickey's level of height so that the former could hug them both as they returned the embrace in sadness and comfort, as Sora began to softly cry. It was going to take ages for any of them to move on from this part of their adventure, and to think that Xehanort, even just a small piece of him, requested the three of them to strike him down...it was hard to stomach.

After a few moments of needing the comfort, Sora, Kairi and Mickey slowly stood and reluctantly let go of each other, knowing there was one thing left to do and see if they had managed to restore Aqua or not.

"We'd better wake her up now." Mickey suggested to Sora and Kairi who both nodded in agreement.

The three of them stood in the middle of the courtyard as a Keyhole appeared in the sky. Sora, with Kairi and Mickey holding onto him, held up his Keyblade, focusing on his power and aimed it at the Keyhole. It sent out a beam of light, which struck the opening in the middle. The Keyhole unlocked and glowed while fading into a pillar of light. This done, the three of them themselves floating as they covered in the light.

Holding each other's hands, Sora, Kairi and Mickey floated upward towards the light which soon engulfed them.

* * *

At first Sora felt groggy and light-headed, as he slowly became aware of the cold steel floor underneath his back and all he saw was blackness. But as he slowly became aware as his eye-lids began to open. He began to hear familiar voices call out his name, as well as Kairi and Mickey. His vision blurred, Sora blinked a few times until his vision cleared, and crouching over him, as well as Mickey and Kairi who both also began to wake up, were Riku, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Ven, Terra, Lea, Isa, Namine, Skuld, Ephemer, the Turks, Rufus, Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Zack, Angeal, Genesis, Yen Sid, Strelitzia, Serah, Lightning, Myde, and...more importantly...

"You're okay." The familiar blue haired woman, now restored to her original self, sighed in relief.

"Aqua!" Sora, Kairi and Mickey exclaimed as they jolted upright, startling everyone else who jumped slightly and Donald let out a surprised squawk.

"Geez, give us all heart attacks why don'tcha?" Myde grumbled, placing a hand to his chest. None the less, he was very relieved that Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Aqua were all okay.

"You're okay!" Sora cried out happily to Aqua, ignoring Myde's commentary.

"How are you feeling?" Kairi asked, very relieved.

"Never better. Thank you, Sora, Kairi, Mickey." Aqua replied warmly in relief, before noticing that Mickey, while also happy that she was safe, awake and back to normal, was averting her gaze nervously.

He hesitated to speak to her, before he began sadly. "I'm so sorry, Aqua. I didn't mean to leave you in the Realm of Darkness for so long. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I'm an awful friend."

"No you're not." Aqua insisted, gently placing her hand on Mickey's cheek. "The fact that you saved me with Sora and Kairi's help is enough, and that you still remembered and looked for ways to rescue me. You're a good friend, and sweet too."

Mickey felt his heart ease when his friend said those words, and he knew for certain, Aqua has forgiven him and that she didn't hate him at all. Smiling emotionally, he threw his arms around her shoulders and leaned against her neck. Aqua wrapped her arms around his body, holding him close as the two silently shed tears of happiness and full of emotions.

Seeing this reunion made Sora, Kairi and the rest of the worldly travelers so emotional and brought up to tears themselves they all gathered around and joined in on the embrace, while Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Zack, Angeal, Genesis, Yen Sid, Strelitzia, Mog, Chirithy who appeared, Serah, Lightning, Ephemer, Skuld who also decided to join in, Rufus, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Elena who was brought into tears of her own, even Shelke, Shalua and Reeve all smiled warmly at this herat-warming scene.

"Welcome back, Aqua." Kairi choked up.

"We did it!" Sora said happily in tears.

While everyone was very relieved that Aqua was safe and sound and so were Sora, Kairi and Mickey who had succeeded in saving her, they all knew that there was still work to do, but given what has happened, they may now be one step ahead of Chaos even though the trials are still up ahead.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Twilight Town, Xigbar, or rather, Luxu, sat on the edge of the Clock Tower as he gazed at the Sunset that lit up the entire town, it's breath-taking beauty never stop amazing anyone who would come up here and marvel it. But he wasn't thinking about the sunset or even in the mood for being his usual cockiness. His mind kept on returning to what happened to Aced back in the Keyblade Graveyard; how that Bear-Masked guy sacrificed himself to save Strelitzia and faded away into nothing.

It's been years since he had been in any contact with the Foretellers, and while he had been doing for what the Master of Masters had told him, there was a lingering sense of guilt and sorrow he hasn't really felt before, not even before meeting Xehanort.

"Never would've thought it would effect this badly." He muttered to himself glumly. He then scoffed, "Heh, but then, me, being totally heartless like that old coot and have no fear? As if."

"Couldn't have said better myself."

Jumping slightly at the voice, Xigbar looked up to see the Master of Master's standing there, his hands behind his back as though having just appeared out of no where as the other man continued, "If a guy thinks he can go on and do stuff and never have fear or emotions like a rock, then they're pretty much stupid."

"Guess that means I'm the stupid one." Xigbar remarked, deciding not to comment about nearly having a heart attack.

"Nah, not a bit." The Master of Masters ensured, waving it off. "Bhunivelze on the other hand; having thought for years he'd never feel anger or hate-now he's the stupid one."

He then put on an awkward posture and scratched the back of his head while admitting, "Though he's pretty much dangerous too. One can never know with the most dangerous God like him. Creating Chaos out of that, influencing those emotions into others with darkness and daemons and whatever else he can come up with, it's a risk factor."

"Never saw either of them before and already they're giving me the heebee jeebees." Xigbar smirked a little while returning his gaze to the sight before him. "Hades doesn't even come close to that weirdly enough and he's a God-guy who summons a giant two-headed rock, an ice-cube, a moving tornado and bloats of lava who get kicked out of the door by a demi-god."

"Ah, don't sweat it. Just because Hades doesn't scare you don't mean some other people aren't either. Everyone has a fear of different things and monsters and ect. You're only human." The Master of Masters pointed out, then cheekily said. "But, just do cheer ya' up a little..."

He then brought both hands from his back as he held out...

"Ta-daaaah!" He proclaimed, showing off two bars of Sea-Salt Ice Cream, handing one to a surprised Xigbar who gazed it. "Just a little something as both a last preparation and...you know, to honor a great fellow pupil."

"Don't think Aced would've liked Sea-Salt Ice Cream, Master." Xigbar chuckled as the other man took a seat next to him, one knee up.

"Yeah, he would've thought of this as completely ridiculous. But hey, I would've tried." The Master of Masters agreed, taking a bite of his ice cream and flinched slightly. "Whoa, this ice cream really is salty! But sweet too."

Xigbar nodded in agreement, "The personal favorite for Axel, Roxas and Xion. Those three kiddos would just come up here eating ice cream and watch the sunset." before sighing.

"Sure had a nice idea." The Master of Masters sighed as well, his tone taking that of sadness which surprised Xigbar who gazed at him as the hooded man said. "You know...I've been thinking lately. I see Sora and his friends go it all out, them managing to create multiple time-lines without even trying and keeping the Light safe, preventing Kingdom Hearts from being opened...then managing to convince Aced how wrong he was...Can't help but think that even I had it all wrong too."

"Uh..." Xigbar muttered, not sure what to say.

"That kid really is something; with some friends and not a whole army in saving the Realm of Light three times from disaster...maybe just a few people, certain people, really do have what it takes. Then Aced gets taken down by sacrificing himself...I think I finally understand how the view life." The Master of Masters continued. "Not to mention losing a pupil before I officially have my real funeral...makes me feel like a parent who lost a son or a little girl who didn't have a chance to go out and see the world or grow up properly."

"Not sure what to say about that." Xigbar admitted.

"Not upset with the fact that Aced's gone?" The Master of Masters asked, half-jokingly as though he sensed what his pupil with him was really thinking.

The eye-patched man scoffed, "As if. You taught us everything we knew about the Keyblade. Man, those were the good ol' times."

"Took the words right out of my mouth." The Master of Masters chuckled lightly. He then turned serious and changed the subject, "The war's about to start soon. Even without all of the pieces, Chaos isn't gonna wait any longer. Sure hope those kids have what it really takes to beat 'im, and Bhunivelze."

"Figures." Xigbar grumbled, nibbling on his ice cream even though it was way too salty for his taste.

"That's why we both have one final role to play." His mentor nodded. "Once Maleficent is out of the way and not taking the Box or the Book, you and me are gonna give Sora and his friends the last test to prove themselves, that way, it'll make up for what I now intend on doing since they had shown me enough to make up my mind."

"For what?" The younger man quiried.

The Master of Masters paused, before gazing at Xigbar and responded with growing determination. "Atonement."

* * *

Back in Midgar, Sora, Kairi and Mickey had explained to everyone else what happened while they were inside Aqua's heart and while they were shocked at first given Xehanort's history, the fact that they now knew that there were pieces of Xehanort's heart out there, and they had just erased one, which left Chaos one darkness short despite that he had a piece of Kairi's light. Not long after that, they were in the meeting room Rufus established for a meeting now that Yen Sid was back. The worldly travelers stood before the Powerful Sorcerer as the President of ShinRa decided that it was best to give the older man the authority.

"More than anything, I am grateful that you are all safely unharmed, and I am grateful to you all for having rescued Angeal, Genesis and myself. As such, I am deeply sorry for putting you through such a quest without my guidence. Your adventure has revealed many truths and as such, we must gird ourselves for the great clash that lies before us. The Realm of the Dead have been tampered, as those who were lost are brought back as we speak, while Time in all dimensions are at stake. Thus, Chaos will no longer wait for a strike that will spell the end of all life." Yen Sid proclaimed.

"Could it be...that Cosmos has brought me back, Master Yen Sid? That has caused this to happen?" Strelitzia asked, hesitatedly.

"Hey, don't forget. Me and Angeal were brought back to life too." Zack reminded.

"It's not because you all being brought back." Lightning spoke up, causing everyone to glance at her. "It's the fact that Xehanort and Hojo had tampered with one of the Chaos gene inside Vincent and Nero's power of darkness that allowed Chaos to return. His existance alone is the true danger of the Realms of the Dead."

"So uh, what will happen if we defeat Chaos? Won't the realms like the Underworld and the Locker go back to normal?" Goofy asked, uneasily.

"Not just that. But it'll also fix up the time-lines too, restore them and un-merge with each other. Meaning that no one will enter each different dimension after that." Serah answered this time. "Garland mentioned that if Chaos is destroyed, time will fix itself up."

"But...won't that effect us too?" Sora asked. "I mean, what will happen to us when time does get fixed up? Won't that change our history or something?"

"Not really." Serah shook her head. "We'll still exist and everything will be peaceful for everyone everywhere. When Noel and I changed history to where he isn't the last human anymore, he didn't disappear like he was meant to."

"Disappear?" Roxas asked, feeling very uneasy.

"Knew there was a catch to that, but I guess that just throws the 'You-can't-change-time' right out the window, like the King and Master Yen Sid told us earlier." Lea sighed, while scratching the back of his head uneasily.

"In certain knowledge, time cannot be changed. However, it has become clear that not everything is what is written or foretold. None the less, the war not of Keyblades, but of Gods will be among us, thus we still aqquire Guardians of Light. That is where you all have assembled." Yen Sid confirmed to the worldly travelers who all nodded, except Myde who looked confused and out of place.

"Uh...what 'bout me? I don't have a Keyblade." The mullet-haired man muttered.

"Gee, Myde. Donald and I don't have Keyblades either." Goofy pointed out.

"Neither do the rest of us." Cloud added, referring to himself, Tifa, Vincent, Zack, Angeal, Namine, Genesis, Lightning and Serah who all nodded in agreement.

"None the less, you are all still considered as Guardians of Light." Yen Sid stated.

"While I'm not familiar with the Keyblade War, I agree that you and the others have done more than enough good deeds in protecting the worlds, Cloud." Reeve agreed.

"I just go along with it." Cloud shrugged, sarcastically.

"Let's not forget Noct and the others back in Olympus Coliseum. They should be having an update and ready to help out against Chaos and his army by now." Skuld reminded, which Sora and the others nodded in agreement.

Reno blinked in confusion, and asked, "Who's Noct?"

"A friend of ours and crown Prince. He also can summon and connect with Gods called the Astrals." Mickey explained.

"Wha-No way!" The red haired Turk exclaimed, bewildered. The other Turks and Rufus were admittedly shocked to hear this as well.

"You serious?" Zack asked, while Cloud, Tifa, Vincent and Angeal shared stunned glances.

Lea smirked at those who haven't met Noctis and said with a one shoulder shrug, "I know, right? It takes a while in getting _that_ memorized."

"So was the fact that Captain Jack Sparrow had a Keyblade of his own." Isa added.

"Oh, right. About that..." Sora remembered, realizing that Yen Sid had been out of the loop on that as well and nervously explained to the Sorcerer about how Jack got his Keyblade and what happened a year ago during the second visit to the Caribbean.

Fortunately, Yen Sid shook his head and informed him with a calm smile. "Do not fear, Sora. In spite of you preforming the Keyblade Inheritence Ceremony, the fact remains Captain Jack Sparrow's actions were for the good. If he wishes to become a Keyblade Master, you will know what to do."

Sora sighed in relief and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm not sure if Jack wants to leave his world behind again, though." Riku pointed out. "He's kinda clingy with his ship, even more so since Barbossa was brought back to life."

"Yeah. That's a good point." Tifa giggled, as Kairi, Xion, Aqua, Strelitzia and Skuld giggled at the memories of Jack and Barbossa's bickering over the control of the Black Pearl.

"He's not the only one." Serah said as she remembered something as well. "Stretlizia and I met another Pirate Captain named Sinbad who was more upset that his ship got wrecked at first than the fact he and his crew almost died by Sirens."

"Sirens?" Roxas and Xion both asked, confused.

"I've heard of them." Kairi shuddered slightly, rubbing her arms as though she was feeling cold while smiling in gratitude when Sora and Riku both placed hands onto her shoulders despite them looking spooked too. "In the stories by the sailors, Sirens sing sailors into a hypnotic state and tricking them into a false love before they...well..."

"Um, try thinking those things kinda like the Kraken, only normal size and mostly go after guys." Sora supplied nervously.

"Ugh...I still get nightmares on the Kraken." Zack shuddered.

"Great..." Reno groaned, before shrugging. "At least the Kraken had gotten a crack."

"Reno..." Tseng sighed, exasperated.

Lea shuddered at the very thought of the Sirens while Roxas, Xion, Namine and even Isa looked just as uncomfortable, before the redhead said nervously, "Okay...First Cannibals, then a giant Turtle, then the Kraken, then the giant Lobster and now Sirens. Think we'll just stay out of worlds that have oceans with sea monsters or over-sized fish or people who just want to have others for lunch for a while."

"Well, either way, we have to be very careful. None of us want to go straight into battle and then get lured into a trap that will destroy us. Not like what we saw earlier at the Keyblade Graveyard." Terra reminded firmly. Sora and the others winced, realizing that he was right; given what had happened and the fact that Sora's other self had to resort in using the Power of Waking continously to bring them back and change history at the cost of his life made them even more unsettled.

"Not to mention that we have no clue where Chaos's place is." Myde added another logical fact.

"Uh, actually, I do." Ephemer admitted, nervously. "I was kinda spying on Ardyn and Chaos earlier without them even knowing and uh...well, that place is close to the Realm of Darkness in the worlds between. But I do know a secret world that'll get us there; Scala Ad Caelum."

"Scala Ad what-now?" Reno and Zack both asked, puzzled at the unusual name.

"Uh...can you repeat that?" Myde requested, dumbfounded.

"Scala Ad Caelum; a world where Keyblade Wielders once seated." Yen Sid explained for Ephemer. "It has not been visited upon nor had any wielders of the Keyblade reside there since long after Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort had become Keyblade Masters."

"Seriously!? Master Eraqus and Xehanort trained there?" Sora exclaimed in shock as everyone else shared stunned expressions. "I thought they trained together at the Land of Departure like Ven, Terra and Aqua."

"Did you train there too, Master?" Mickey asked curiously to his mentor who shook his head.

"I once been there long ago, but I trained in a different location during my youth. Yet there were times when Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort would rechieve magical training under my own mentor." Yen Sid answered. "Yet, even I did not know of the secret passage within Scala Ad Caelum, due to a dangerous secret which is now rediscovered."

"I think I woulda prefered it to be kept secret." Myde commented nervously.

"Me too. Especially since was so dangerous that I think Ardyn and Blaine use that as gateways to traveled to other worlds." Namine nodded in agreement.

"Well then, at least we know where to look. We gotta stop the bad guys from getting anywhere near close in getting what they want." Sora declared with determination, and all of his friends and allies all nodded in agreement, though some of them were still nervous but knew, they had to do this as well as being extremely careful and not end up like what happened in the other time-line.

"In the meantime, we'd better give Noct, Herc and the others a heads up on what we found." Ven added.

Even Shelke and Shalua nodded in agreement despite that they still had a lot to do for atonement.

"Be on your guard, as the clash may begin the following dawn." Yen Sid concluded.

Everyone including Rufus nodded in agreement. They were almost there, almost to the final battle. However, there were still a few villain they would have to face before even reaching Chaos; such as the ones who are still looking for the Black Box and the Book of Prophecies, and another who had now learned of a comrade's true colours.

But Sora would not give up, and he will not lose his friends. Not by a long shot.

* * *

 **A/N: I noticed that my chapters were getting ridiculously long. I mean, 14,504 or something words in the last chapter! That's my new record of the longest of all chapters in any of my stories! So I decided to cut this one short a bit to avoid in making things way too long.**

 **That said, there are still Maleficent, Pete, Caius, and two others we have to go through before we even reach the epic clash.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


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